Barketing Brilliance: How DOGS Built a 10M+ Pack on Telegram

Q1. We all know that DOGS exploded on Telegram. What were the first three growth tactics you deployed that turned a small group into a 10 million-strong community?

Our community is integral to everything we do  — We listen, adapt, and grow together with our pack. Every big move starts with the community at the center.

Second, during the early days of DOGS, Telegram was going through a growth phase, frequently releasing brand new, game-changing functionality. Our aim was to integrate every  new feature that Telegram offered into our app. For example, we were among the first in the ecosystem to encourage our users to post Telegram stories about DOGS – helping to spread the word as widely as possible. Being early adopters gave us a major edge when it came to achieving virality. 

Third, to get away from the extractive reputation associated with many new memecoins, we leaned heavily into the charity narrative, using our token to make pledges to donate to animal welfare and children in need. These early donations helped us to make a difference while building trust and bringing early adopters to our side. 

Q2. Telegram has its own culture and mechanics. Which Telegram features (bots, polls, stickers, channels, chats) have been most important for DOGS’ onboarding, and why?

2024 was the breakout year for Telegram-native projects. DOGS set itself apart by combining  compelling storytelling with a strong cultural identity and the founding team’s “underpromise and overdeliver” mentality.

The DOGS bot is where it all began. A simple app with a user-friendly design, easy to complete tasks and the true Telegram OG vibe (for example, we incorporated a Telegram account age checker, we gave bonuses for channel boosts and we gave perks for users with Telegram Premium). At the start of our story, the mini app was at the heart of our growth.

Telegram Channels – with both posts and Telegram stories – became our foundation for storytelling and updates, while games and stickers featuring our mascot turned into viral entry points for users to engage with DOGS. 

Our mascot isn’t just a meme – he’s the ambassador of the DOGS mission: animal welfare and community-driven impact through blockchain. He is always by our users’ side, a companion in chats, channels and, sometimes, the real world.

We leaned into stickers as a cultural language. On Telegram, they’re more than memes – they’re a social currency. Our mascot became a fun signal that spread the brand organically within Telegram chats and channels.

Q3. Viral stunts like the TOKEN2049 drone show grabbed headlines. Walk me through the strategy, how did you balance spectacle with brand authenticity?

The story with the drone show in Dubai wasn’t just about DOGS. When we launched our airdrop last year it was one of the largest Web-3 on-boarding stories in history and we see ourselves as just one of the many teams of builders propelling Telegram and TON even further into the mainstream.

Dubai has one of the highest rates of crypto adoption, yet not many people know about TON nor  are they actively exploring its ecosystem. The drone show was yet another way for us to put Telegram and TON on the map, with $DOGS telling the story and leading the way for the mass adoption of blockchain technology via TON. 

For us, spectacle only matters when it’s rooted in DOGS’ DNA: playful, community-first, and aligned with the latest trends in technology and culture. The Dubai drone show wasn’t just lights in the sky – it was a moment that made both Web3 and Web2 audiences take note.

That’s a core part of our strategy – we want to be visible through bold, creative stunts that go beyond crypto and leave a lasting cultural impression.

Q4. Stunts can feel hollow if they don’t deliver substance. How do you decide whether a big activation (like a drone show) is worth the budget and effort?

We focus on three simple areas:

• Does it spark genuine pack pride inside the community? We ran a crowdfunding campaign first and the overwhelming response told us the community wanted to see a big campaign during TOKEN2049 in Dubai. 

• Is this something that non-natives would want to see while also extending our cultural footprint within Web3? Will it be a story people would want to share for days? 
• Can the activation be amplified natively on Telegram?

If the answer is “yes” across all three, we go big.

Q5. Moving on, you’ve also driven measurable real-world impact through charity donations. How do you integrate philanthropy into a meme-community roadmap without it feeling performative?

Charity is not a side project for DOGS. It’s a core part of our brand and long-term strategy. The meme itself even began with Pavel Durov sketching a picture of a dog for a charity auction. We take charity work very seriously and have a separate budget allocated purely to this activity. 

It is split between larger partnerships with charities, which deeply support the causes our community really cares about, and smaller local initiatives where token holders themselves or small local organisations can use the funding to do good in their town or village. From day one, our goal has been to support those in real need. We listen to our community and have open channels for them to suggest initiatives. Recently, we funded multiple animal shelters and provided thousands of children with food and necessities in the world’s most deprived regions – all as a direct result of feedback shared from our community.

The budget that was allocated to charity donations was decided by the community via an open vote inside our miniapp. The budget was then locked and now it can only be used for these agreed purposes. 

Beyond that, we’ve built a platform where registered nonprofits can apply for funding themselves through a structured approval process. So far, DOGS has donated over $500,000 globally, supporting organizations such as Best Friends Animal Society, rescue centers for abandoned dogs, and nonprofits like Save an Orphan and World Child Cancer. 

For us, charity is not performative – it’s transparent, on-chain, and central to who we are.

Q6. Community safety and moderation on Telegram can be hard at scale. What systems, rules, or tech do you use to keep DOGS healthy as it grows?

It’s a mixture of people, culture, and tech. We run active community chats with clear moderation rules, supported by trusted regional moderators who keep conversations constructive.

We also constantly educate users on online safety, reminding them to verify information and trust information found only on official channels. Alongside that, our community support team is always present to answer questions, while monitoring tools help us track activity, spot risks early, and protect members from scams. This combination of moderation, education, and hands-on support keeps the pack safe as it grows.

Q7. What role does on-chain utility or token design play in the community experience? Is $DOGS primarily a social signal, a governance tool, a utility, or something else?

DOGS is a movement, designed to be the case study of crypto for good. Other memecoins might see the team vanish with their tokens almost immediately after the airdrop. DOGS is built exactly the opposite way: no locks, no vesting,  and with over 70% of tokens airdropped to the community and unlocked from day one. Designed to be community first by design, DOGS is both a cultural and social signal – it’s a way for people to feel part of something bigger. But it doesn’t stop there. The token carries real on-chain utility, powering everything from travel bookings and gift cards, to games, stickers, and merch. It will also be playing a vital part in the new DOGS Sticker Market and the DOGS NFT collection.

Q8. Partnerships and influencer moments seem key to rapid scaling. How do you evaluate and structure collaborations so they add long-term value rather than short-term hype?

We focus on partnerships that bring real, lasting value to DOGS holders – from travel bookings on Travala to gift cards through Coinsbee. 

We look for collaborations that align with our brand culture and long-term strategy, prioritizing quality over quantity and ensuring they strengthen the ecosystem and our  community. 

The same approach applies to KOLs: we don’t engage them for hype or quick exposure, but for the tangible value DOGS can bring to their communities. These influencers can be from both Web3 and Web2 as we recognise the power of both audiences. 

For example, in our DOGS x Travala campaign, we partnered with over 10 influencers worldwide who highlighted the ability to pay with $DOGS to travel to pet-friendly destinations – this was a fun, authentic storytelling format that introduced thousands of Web2 followers to the project in a relatable way.

We also empower passionate voices from our own community – people using DOGS to support  local shelters, orphanages, and other meaningful causes under the DOGS banner. 

On top of all this, we run a DOGS ambassador programme as well as a number of contests where users who create content for us get rewarded with DOGS tokens based on the quality of their submissions.

Q9. How do you keep long-term holders and hardcore community members engaged once initial viral momentum slows?

By continuously evolving the project and its ecosystem. We expand games, launch new sticker drops, scale real-world use cases for DOGS in everyday routines, and keep philanthropy at the core. We are launching a new NFT Collection and are building something called “DOGS golden club”, giving holders even more utility and bonuses.

Most importantly, we give the community a real voice – it’s important to us that we allow token holders to shape both the project’s roadmap and its culture itself. This is one reason that we intend to introduce a way for top holders to directly communicate with the core team. 

Q10. As DOGS looks to “redefine Web3 community culture,” what concrete cultural norms or behaviors are you trying to promote?

DOGS is redefining Web3 culture by demonstrating that a community can be both playful and deeply meaningful. On Telegram, we create belonging through stickers, games, and rituals that make people feel part of something bigger. 

But we don’t stop online – we bring culture into the real world with drone shows in Dubai, street art campaigns, and more than $550,000 donated transparently to animal shelters and children in need.

Unlike memecoins that disappear after the hype, DOGS is built the opposite way: no locks, no vesting, community first by design. We are promoting a new standard for Web3 – where humour and memes fuel a movement, but trust, transparency, and real-world impact make it last.

In short, DOGS is not just a token. It’s a cultural force, a social signal, and a living proof that Web3 can be fun, credible, and transformative at the same time.

DOGS proves that a meme can move millions – not just online, but in the real world.

Q11. How do you reconcile meme culture’s irreverence with the increasing regulatory and reputational scrutiny on crypto projects?

Meme culture gives DOGS its energy, but we balance that playfulness with responsibility., We embrace the humour, stickers, and creativity that make the community vibrant – but we never confuse “meme” with “mess.” Everything we do is fully legal, with the right approvals, structures, and transparency built in. Even our stickers – the cultural DNA of DOGS – are managed responsibly, with clear royalties and fair attribution to creators.

At the same time, we operate with transparency, clear tokenomics, on-chain donations, and compliance when working with major partners and exchanges. 

This balance allows us to stay culturally relevant while building the credibility and trust needed in today’s highly-regulated and reputation-driven environment.

Q12. Looking ahead 12–18 months, what are the top three initiatives or product moves DOGS will prioritize to deepen its ecosystem beyond Telegram?

Building on Telegram has been, and always will be a priority for us. We’re continuing to deepen the Telegram-native blockchain ecosystem with games, mini-apps and an NFT Collection powered by DOGS.

However, there are a few things that we’ll be doing beyond that:

• Expanding DOGS payments and utility across more partners and real-world use cases. 
• Ensuring the DOGS NFT collection can be traded beyond the Telegram ecosystem.
• Expanding DOGS’ cultural footprint through global IRL activations in art, sports, culture, TV, collectibles, as well as creator collaborations, while more actively supporting community initiatives – from sports and lifestyle projects to charity campaigns.

Q13. For other Web3 community builders who want to replicate your success on Telegram, what are three tactical pieces of advice you’d give, and one thing you’d tell them not to do?

Start with your community – put them at the center of everything you build. Experiment with different content formats, but always align them with your brand and long-term strategy. 

Create unique cultural touchpoints that make your project stand out, rather than copying others. And one rule above all: don’t scam. Telegram communities can sense inauthenticity instantly, and trust is the only thing you can’t rebuild once it’s lost. Don’t overpromise. 

For long-term success, join forces with other projects in TON’s ecosystem – it’s a powerful way to tell your story, cross-introduce audiences to new activities, and grow together.