Is pet marketing dead? Do pet products sell themselves? What are the 5 tips for selling more pet products?

John Cullen of Bulldog Marketing & Sales will answer these questions and more in our interactive podcast interview.

Some of the things John will discuss include:

• What are your top 4 tips for getting a new pet business off the ground?
• How has the economy been affecting pet product sales? Strong areas? Weak?
• How do you get your product into the bog box stores? What’s involved?
• What are the best types of online advertising tactics you recommend and why?
• What are the best and most cost-effective OFF-LINE ad tactics you recommend and why?

Listen to the recorded Podcast here…

Share this:

Here are 5 pet marketing resources that are absolutely FREE.  I hope you find them useful to your own business.

1. I put together a Twitter list of the top 10 pet marketing experts.  Check it out…Pet Marketing Experts.

2. Here is a quick video covering pr, SEO and blogging for your pet business.  3 Pet Marketing Tactics You Can Use Today To Sell More Tomorrow.

3. Here is my white paper, “Confessions of a Pet Product Marketer” which is chock full of free pet marketing advice.

4. If you liked #3 there is also a fun video of the same name.  Sometimes it has problems loading, so if you have an issue just hit reload.

5. Here is a nice sell sheet outline.  You need one of these to sell into distributors.  Pretty handy.

Well that’s it for now.  If you are looking for more free pet marketing advice, checkout my Pet Marketing Blog.

Share this:

Hi Fellow Pet Marketers,

I finally got around to starting my Pet Marketing Video Lesson Series.  Glad we are off and running.  Here is the first video in the series. I hope you enjoy it. Please feel to leave comments/questions/feedback here on the pet marketing blog or on YouTube.  I’ll be checking both.  Thanks.

This is a short Pet Marketing how-to video that covers 3 simple marketing tactics to help pet product manufacturers and services sell more. Topics covered include:

1. Public Relations – Write a press release and submit it to petpr.com and reach pet influencers like pet trade magazines, pet bloggers and TV news producers that focus on pet.

2. SEO – Start learning about search engine optimization, do keyword research to figure out what people are searching for when they are looking for your product or service and optimize your website’s title tag to include the keyword.

3. Start a blog – Blogging increases web traffic and inbound links (which helps with SEO). It also helps you become an authority in your product or service category.

Need help? Get a Bulldog.
Pet Marketing Help

Share this:

But was it ever alive?

The pet industry is a strange breed. However, I can’t be too harsh because it is also the industry that has employed me for over 10 years. Just for reference I started my career in marketing research and the consumer packaged goods industry. I’ve also spent a few years in Consumer Electronics.

In a nutshell the pet industry is at least 20 years behind CPG or CE. However, it is changing. Luckily the dog food companies owned by Colgate and P&G keep things professional. For most, it is an industry where anyone with a zip-lock bag of home

No offense to my old client, but this is not the right approach to Pet Marketing.

baked dog treats can slap a label drawn with crayon on the front and be in the pet biz! The barriers to entry are low and the potential for riches great (at least that is how the story goes).

I started the pet marketing ad and consulting agency, Bulldog Marketing & Sales, Inc. to help start-ups become more professional. It has been a struggle. It’s not easy professionalizing an industry where many people attend trade shows in a t-shirt and flip-flops. Add to that the pig headed nature of entrepreneurs (me included!) who thinks they know everything and you have a recipe for disaster!

So if you are thinking about getting into the pet business or are already in and not seeing much success here are a few tips to help you get off to a good start.

1. Develop a good, benefit brand name and logo. Get professional help if you need it. So many times I work with clients that have a pretty good product, but the name is terrible and has nothing to do with the product itself. Making it worse, the logo looks like it was created by a second grader (and probably was).

2. Create a real packaging design. In most cases, the packaging is the most important piece of marketing you can invest in. It is your “silent salesman”. Will it stand out among the competition on shelf?

3. You need more than 1 SKU. Yes you do. No really, yes you do. Depending on the category you need 6 – 12 SKUs to have an impact. Buyers hate 1 SKU lines. So do I and so should you.

4. Set a marketing budget. You need one. There are so many options today to market your product and not spend an arm and a leg. You need to spend something. If you think business is free, don’t spend anything and save yourself a lot of time and effort and NOT start the business at all.

Want more helpful tips? Read my pet marketing whitepaper or watch my video.

And of course if you need personalized help navigating this crazy business, give me a call at 718-218-4PET or email me at john.cullen@bulldogms.com.

Share this:

Hi All -

After the overwhelming success of my whitepaper, ‘Confessions of a Pet Product Marketer’ and the recorded pet marketing webinar of the same name, I have decided to create a video series called Pet Marketing and Sales Lessons. These will be short, to the point, video lessons about how to create a successful brand and marketing campaign in the pet industry. I hope to get this up and running within the next week and publish a new video about once a week over the course of a few months. I have a new baby on the way in November so I want to get as much published before then as possible.

Feel free to suggest pet marketing topics so I can keep it relevant to your needs. Keep a look out for lesson # 1 : Creating a Pet Product Brand Name. It’s coming soon to the Bulldog YouTube Channel and right here on the Bulldog website.

See you online soon.

John
Bulldog

Share this:

You’ve Read the whitepaper now watch the recorded Webinar! John Cullen, pet industry veteran and principal of Bulldog Marketing & Sales, Inc. walks you through his top downloaded whitepaper, ‘Confessions of a Pet Product Marketer’. Learn from a Pet Product Marketing & Sales Veteran TODAY and start selling more pet products TOMORROW! It’s FREE, FUN and INFORMATIVE!

Watch Confessions of a Pet Product Marketer Now!

Share this:

Can we help you get ranked higher in the Google Search Results pages? Take a look at what our clients are saving about Bulldog SEO!

Eric Bittman(client)
Eric hired you as a SEO in 2011
Top qualities: Great Results, Personable, Expert

“John did an excellent job working on SEO for our webpage www.warrenlondon.com. Our results have been tremendous and we couldnt be happier!” June 4, 2011

Linda White(client)
Linda hired you as a Business Consultant in 2011
Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, Good Value

“In a matter of days, Bulldog Marketing & Sales brought our website from the 3rd page of Google search results to the #2 listing on the FIRST PAGE of Google! Considering there are literally thousands of dog training products out there I find this to be an excellent organic search positioning without having to pay-per-click. His knowledge of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) was amazing. If you’re looking for some help to optimize your website and want it done quickly, I highly recommend John Cullen of Bulldog Marketing & Sales, Inc. Thanks Linda!” June 8, 2011

Share this:

Here are a few things Bulldog Marketing & Sales, Inc. can do for your business. Please read our other posts for FREE helpful tips on marketing your products.

1. Strategy – We’ll help you develop your launch plan or product marketing plan. What are your objectives? Where do you want to take your business? Bulldog will help you plan for success.

2. Brand Name development – We will give you several names to choose from and conduct the preliminary online trademark search to see if it’s available. We have named tons of products.

3. Logo development – A logo is more than your name in a fancy Powepoint font. We’ll give you several logo treatments to choose from and we’ll refine it until you’re happy.

4. Advertising – We will create your ad. Whatever kind you need – print, online (banner/Adwords), TV, Radio, Newspaper. We use experienced designers and we don’t have the overhead of large agencies so we can do it cheaper and just as good (if not better!).

5. Retail Sales – The one thing you need to get into retail is the right relationships. We have them. We can get you in front of a buyer at Petco, Petsmart, Pet Supplies “Plus”, Regional Distributors, Target, Wal-Mart, QVC, & HSN. We also know CVS & RiteAid.

6. Infomercials – Want to sell your product directly to consumers? We can help. We can take the complexity out of scripting and producing your very own infomercial. We’ll also get the call canter and fulfillment house ready to go.

7. Social Media – Always wanted a Facebook page and Twitter account? We’ll create and customize them and help you get likers (fans) on Facebook and followers on Twitter.

8. Websites – Need a website quickly? We can get you a professional one created in a week or so. Blog style or product focused – it’s your call.

9. Public Relations – Need a press release and ideas for how to get press pickup? Yep, Bulldog can help. We know the editors at Pet Business, Pet Product News and Pet Age among several others.

10. Be Your Marketing Department – You don’t want to hire staff to run your marketing? No problem. Get a Bulldog instead. We can handle all of your marketing for much less than hiring just one junior staff member. At Bulldog your business is handled by senior level marketing staff only.

Contact us at info@bulldogms.com for a comprehensive proposal. Please include your website and contact info.

Also, check out our ad in June’s Pet Business. Preview attached.

Share this:

Retail appointments are so few and far between that every time you make a presentation it needs to be great. The buyer has limited time and wants to get to the point. Be ready for any kind of appointment – even one in the lobby of the account (it happens)! I’ve had an appointment at Petsmart that ened up in cafeteria and one at Wal-Mart that took pace in their staging area – which is an airplane hanger with a mock-up store inside. Both were successful calls. Here is a simple outline that will help you close the deal with any retailer…

Tip: If you can get a professional to design your branded Powerpoint template — do it. It makes your presentation look so much more professional than a generic clip art job. These can be created inexpensively so look around.

1. Title slide – your company and the account logo. Include the date of the presentation/appointment. No need to include your name or the buyer’s name.

2. Agenda – not really necessary. You will want to keep your slide deck to no more than 10 slides, so this one is up to you. Sometimes it helps to have it in there for you as a guide when you are setting. You can delete it later.

3. Company Overview – who are you and your company? How long have you been in business? Why did you create the product(s)? What is the purpose of the product. A few sentences is all you need here.

4-5. Product Overview – What is your product(s)? Show some packaging graphics, etc. What flavors do they come in? What sizes, shapes, colors? What type of Point-of-Purchase display options do you have?

6. Features/Benefits – describe the top 3 features and the benefits associated from them here.

7. Consumer Research – show any research you have saying people like and will buy the product. If you have scan data from another account you can speak about it generically. You don’t need to say “Selling 4 units/week/store at Petsmart” if you are speaking to the Petco buyer – but he/she might ask if he knows you are there too.

8. Competition – who is your competition? Why are you better? Feature(s)? Price? Quality? Let the buyer know you recognize the competition, surely he/she does so get this right out of the way.

9. Pricing – you can simply state the MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) that you believe consumers are willing to pay for the product. If you know the buyer’s margin for the category you can show a simple table…See example:

MSRP $9.99
Cost $4.99
GM (gross margin) $4.99
GM % 50

The above table us usually presented at the unit, not case level.

If you don’t know the margin the buyer wants just state the price and have the discussion. Most accounts will also want 5% MDF (marketing development funds). The definition of MDF varies widely depending on the account. In grocery it usually means “slotting” or the price you pay the retailer for putting it on the shelf. In Pet retail it is usually a % of wholesale that will fund circular ads or other promotional activity. Again if you know it, list it, if not discuss it with the buyer.

10. Thank You/Next Steps – a place to write some notes and followups right in the presentation.

You could also include some specs such as how your product is casepacked, but you would typically have a 1 page sell sheet with this info that also includes your UPC codes, etc.

Good luck and Good Selling!

Share this:

1. A Strong Brand Name and Packaging. You need to stand out on the shelf and have a benefit driven brand name vs. something obscure. Think “Bug-OFF” vs. “Zonic”. Colors should “Pop” on shelf so people notice you.

2. Multiple Items (SKUs – Stock Keeping Unit). It is extremely rare for a single item to a) get sold in and on shelf (the buyer doesn’t want to bother doing the new vendor paperwork for one SKU!), b) survive if it does get on shelf. The reason is the lack of a brand block. You simply won’t be noticed. The big companies create multiple SKUs and use the 1/2 rule. Present 6, get 3 in, present 8, get 4. When I was at HJ Heinz on the Pounce Brand, we made up several flavors just to get more shelf presence. You can easily create more SKUs with more flavors, sizes or scents.

3. UPC Codes. Yes, the little code on the back of every product you buy is essential for the retailer to scan your item through their register. YOU CAN NOT BE SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT IT. They are somewhat expensive, but they are an essential cost of doing business. If you want to be taken serious by any major retail you must have a UPC code on your product. Here is the website to get you started on the road to having a UPC code. UC Council Link.

4. Product Liability Insurance. Yes, you need it and you need a minimum of $1 million for most retail chains. This is a policy you buy to protect the retailer from claims made against your product due to a defect, harm caused by your product, etc. You can find out more info about this type of insurance at this link. You can Google “Product Liability Insurance” and get a ton of sites that will give you quotes. There is no way around this requirement.

5. The Right Relationship. It is next to impossible to get your product in front of a major chain buyer without the right relationship. You can cold call and send samples to the buyer until you are blue in the face and get nowhere. You need a rep that goes to the buyer’s barbecues on the weekends. This relationship will cost you, but it’s typically 5 – 8% of wholesale sales into the chain. Yes this is an ongoing cost but worth its weight in gold and cheaper than hiring a dedicated salesperson.

Need help getting into retail? Contact us at info@bulldogms.com.

Share this: