Pet Marketing

Author: John Cullen
As seen in Pet Product News International

Why does there seem to be a lack of real innovation in the pet category? Innovation is the introduction of something new: a new idea, method or even device. What I have seen more times than not at Global Pet Expo are product tweaks such as new shapes, packaging and flavors, rather than real innovations. An industry worth $40 billion should have an abundance of great new products introduced every year.

The lack of originality and freshness in our industry, I believe, can be attributed to three factors. In an attempt to put an end to these obstacles, I offer solutions in hopes of making every Global Pet Expo full of creative and novel ideas.

“If all you have is a hammer, every problem is a nail.” Large manufacturing companies are slaves to their production capabilities. The only changes they can make are minor tweaks such as size, color or flavor, to their existing products. Anything more is cost prohibitive.

Solution: Find creativity elsewhere. Acquire smaller, nimble companies that have unique products in attractive market segments. This will allow for an influx of ideas while keeping capital equipment intact.

Products Derived from Competitors. Most “new” products come from altering a competitor’s product. Every treat manufacturer has their take on the successful Greenies product. Manufacturers can pick up share points, but this is not innovation. Any aisle of your local pet store will engulf you in a sea of me-too products hidden inside a different package.

Solution: Think outside the crate. If you make dog toys, visit a toy store and see what’s new in the baby or toddler category to get ideas. If you are in food, go to a grocery store to find emerging trends. Flea & Tick? Visit CVS or Walgreens. Think outward, not inward.

Entrepreneurs don’t know retail. Entrepreneurs are the source of most innovation. They are free from the shackles of large production facilities, and the word is their source of raw materials. The entrepreneur’s job does not end with ideas. Develop a great product is only the first step of thousands needed to make it a success. New products need marketing – a brand name, logo, packaging, positioning, etc. This list is exhausting. Without help, ideas will never get to the shelf.

Solution: Get help. Take an honest inventory of your skills. If you are an idea person who isn’t strong in marketing, hire someone who is. The most important things needed are sales appointments. Hire brokers or manufacturers reps on a commission basis rather than taking on additional staff. Consultants can point you in the right direction and save you lots of money.

John Cullen has worked in marketing and sales at Zoombak GPS Dog Tracker, HJ Heinz Pet, Dogmatic Products and Treats4Pets.

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Tags: advertising, appa, brand, global pet expo, Marketing, pet, pet product, sales, startup

This entry was posted on Friday, April 9th, 2010 at 11:46 am and is filed under Branding, Marketing, Our Company. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.