Build Your Brand With Packaging

Your packaging should work hard to build your brand.

If you haven’t paid close attention to your packaging, you probably should. According to the American Pet Products Association, the top two ways that pet owners find new products include browsing the store shelf and television advertisements.

Packaging not only improves the shopping experience, but can also play a large role in consumer loyalty to your brand. Studies also indicate that pet food packaging follows many of the same trends as packaging for humans. Brand differentiation, brand enhancement and convenience rate highly with consumers when selecting a brand of food or pet care products.

Getting noticed

So, how do you get noticed? One way to set yourself apart from your competitors and build a solid pet product marketing plan is to build a better, more intriguing pet product than is already on the shelves. Is there something unique about your pet food? Is there something about the way you prepare the product that no one else is doing?

The labeling of your products should express to consumers how your pet product is different and why that means it’s a better choice. No allergans, no fat, no grain, low calories, high protein, U.S. Department of Agriculture organic certification – do any of these apply to your product? Niche marketing is all about building a unique product and brand that should open up a group of pet owners that no one else is tending to.

Defining how, where and to whom you want to sell your pet food products is critical. If you plan on selling your treats or food at a local farmer’s market every Saturday, then the packaging you might select and the ingredients you want to use would be very different than if you wanted to sell your product at a local, independently owned pet store or at a veterinary office.

Be bold... and fun

A package can make or break a product in a market that is booming with new product introductions. With that in mind, consider the following ideas in your packaging:

• Vivid flavor names
• Visually appetizing images of the ingredients
• Carrying handles
• Easy open and easy close dispensers

A package will drive consumers to purchase a product and truly build loyalty for a particular brand if it is fun and easy to use with their pets. Ultimately, the pet is a fun part of the consumer’s life and products that are enjoyable to use will be the bestsellers among pet owners.

In addition, it is essential that consumers have a positive experience with your brand the first time and the packaging is vital to making this happen. Pet owners are looking for their pet food packaging to communicate the following:

• Is it a premium quality product?
• Where is it made?
• Will it keep the product fresh?
• Will it be easy to store and use?
• Is it fun?

Be innovative in not only your products’ formulation, but also its packaging and target audience. Make your packaging exciting, new and convenient. Label your products clearly and with confidence. Following these simple rules will often have you and your brand ending up at the top of the kibble heap!