Furry Logic

Furry Logic
Multi-billion dollar pet industry has enough kibble for everyone

by Teri Carnicelli

REMEMBER WHEN a cat toy was a wadded piece of paper, and a dog "treat" was half a peanut butter cookie? No more! Today business in booming in the retail pet supply industry, from toys ($3.99 for a mouse stuffed with catnip) to canned and crunchy food and yes, even treats (dog cookies that leave teeth sparkling and breath fresh).

Like any other industry, competition in pet food, services and accessories is fierce and those with the best branding and promotional ideas tend to earn repeat customer loyalty (well, OK, the offering has to be fairly decent too.)

Kelly Regan of The Regan Group worked with client ALPO to create a program to help increase the company's brand awareness, customer loyalty and purchases of dog food. They developed a promotion whereby the company offered a free-with-purchase feeding mat personalized with the pet owner's dog's name. The mat was ordered from H & H Enterprises' CounterPoint line.

A "Free Customized Mat" mail-in offer was included with a national coupon flier for ALPO dog food. The offer required a purchase of 10 cans of ALPO dog food. After making the required purchase, the dog owner could send in the offer to receive a free 10-by-15-inch feeding mat. "The unique feature of this promotion is personalization of the product," says Monique Favreau, director of marketing for CounterPoint. "Utilizing CounterPoint's unique capability to personalize the product, each four-color process feeding mat was printed with the specified dog's name."

The promotion was a resounding success with over 15,628 mail-in offers received for the mats. "That translates to a minimum 15,628 dog-food purchases, or a whopping 156,280 cans of dog food sold," points out Favreau. "Of course, other great benefits to ALPO include continued brand exposure during the life of the feeding mat in the recipient's home, repeat purchases, and the positive association between the ALPO brand to their pet."

Not to be outdone, Friskies Cat Food also wanted to increase brand loyalty and recognition of its cat food among the growing legion of cat-loving consumers (of which I am proud to be a member).

Through FSI's (Food Service Inserts) in the Sunday paper, Friskies involves consumers in its annual "Friskies Cat Food Calendar Offer" through an irresistible contest. Consumers are invited to submit their favorite cat photo (what, only one?) in exchange for a Friskies calendar, custom flat flexible Friskies magnet and other printed collateral provided by distributor Promotion Plus Inc. in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The 12 best cat photos are featured in the calendar for the following year, boosting both brand loyalty and consumer involvement.

Now it its 15th year, the promotion has become a consumer favorite. "This promotion has been so successful for building brand loyalty that Friskies won't even think of dropping the program," says Ernie Roide of Promotion Plus Inc. As of last year, the Friskies magnet, made by supplier company Magnet LLC, has been redeemed by more than 200,000 cat owners.

But it's not just pet food companies that can help you make some gravy. Don't forget veterinarians, dog walkers, kennels, groomers and animal shelters, to name a few.

Miami-based PhoneCard Services, a provider of promotional pre-paid phone cards, worked with a distributor to create a program with Oster's Professional Products for animals. The objective was to promote sales for Oster's products and gather information from prospects.

Two direct-marketing mailers were created, one for the small animal groomers market and one for the large animal market. Each mailer contained detailed product information, vivid graphics, a bonus introductory offer for trying the product, and a complimentary 15-minute phone card--with a catch.

In order for the recipient to receive his or her free long distance, a survey had to first be taken by calling a toll-free number, which provided Oster with valuable information about the prospect's purchasing habits.

With more than 63 million pet-owning households in the United States, you can bet that pet product and service providers will be gnashing their teeth at the competition as they try to take a bite out of the pet-friendly consumer market. Understanding their marketing needs and their audience's desires will ensure keeping yourself in kibble for years to come.