Tag Archives: Pets

by | Tuesday, March 14, 2023 · 7:14 am

What’s Wrong with Fluffy? Do the Test at Home.

We all know that the pet industry is booming. There are more pets in homes than ever before!

And that means people need more pet products such as foods and toys. According to Morgan Stanley financial services company, the pet industry is expected to grow to an estimated $275 billion by 2030!

This growth also means that having more pets bring on more pet illnesses for owners to be concerned about. And visits to the veterinary clinic can be quite costly and time consuming. What if pet owners could get a diagnosis for their furry friends at home? It has the potential of diagnosing pet illnesses earlier, and at a lower cost.

That’s the premise behind a Minneapolis-based company named ‘My Simple Pet Lab’. The company makes in-home pet diagnostic tests for dogs and cats including stool tests, ear infection tests, and more. The tests were designed by veterinarians and can be used by either vets, groomers, or pet parents. Tests can be done at home, sent to the lab,  and results are emailed to you within days. It gives a test result easy to understand and share with your vet automatically online.

Distribution is a key goal for the company and tests are being added to Target stores in addition to Walmart and Amazon, plus through various vet clinics, boarders, and groomers.

A healthy pet means a happy home.

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:  

  1. Discuss how to build and use a SWOT analysis grid: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (internal and external factors).
  2. For MySimplePet products, break students into teams and have each team build a SWOT analysis grid.
    1. Strengths: what is company good at?
    1. Weaknesses: what needs work?
    1. Opportunities: what is going on in marketplace?
    1. Threats: what should company be wary of?
  3. Based on the analysis, what are the issues and risks that might occur?
  4. Debrief by building SWOT analysis grid on the white board.

Source:  Williams, N. (15 December 2022). Make of in-home diagnostic tests for pets ready to grow. Minneapolis Star Tribune.

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by | Monday, February 28, 2022 · 7:19 am

Puppy Love

Aww….. They are so cute!

We do love our pups and pets. And there are more pet-parents than ever before thanks to the pandemic. According to the American Society for Prevention to Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), more than 23 million U.S. families have adopted a pet during the pandemic. And while there is lots of love to go around, there is also a lot of money being spent on pampering and caring for our little animal buddies.

How much money? Well, according to Statista.com the U.S. pet industry accounts for $103.6 billion, including $44.1 billion for pet food. Doggy daycare centers and veterinarians are booked solid these days. Plus dog walkers such as Wag are certainly in high demand. Pets even get treated like one of the family – massages and acupuncture, along with dental care, are not uncommon.

The pet business is booming. Target Corp. has started its own line of pet-food, branded Kindfull. General Mills re-entered the pet food market in 2018 when it purchased Blue Buffalo Pet Products for $8 billion. The company also spent $1.2 billion for a line of pet treats from Tyson Foods last year. Nestle Purina holds the largest share in dry pet food sales at nearly $3.5 billion. In retail, PetSmart and PETCO account for 40% of the market. That’s a lot of puppy chow!

Ready for some puppy love?  

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Poll students: Who has a pet? How much did they spend last year on the pet?
  2. Bring up pet care sites such as Rover (https://www.rover.com/) and Wag (https://wagwalking.com/).
  3. Also show retail sites including Target (https://www.target.com/b/kindfull/-/N-q643le71aup?lnk=snav_rd_kindfull), PetSmart (https://www.petsmart.com/), and PETCO (https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore), and Chewy (https://www.chewy.com/).
  4. Have students do a search for pet health care and insurance rates.
  5. Compare rates at: https://quote.petinsurer.com/quote/ref=usnews?insurer=petsbest&subId1=other-products-in-table&subId2=https://www.usnews.com/insurance/pet-insurance&subId3=desktop&subID4=large
  6. Have students use their laptops to research different types of products and care for pets.
  7. Divide students into teams and have each team develop a profile of a target market for various types of pet owners.
  8. How should pet products be promoted to the target market?

Source:  Bogage, J. (Feb. 12, 2022). The high cost of puppy love. Washington Post.; Sitaramiah, G. (Feb. 10, 2022). Twin Cities businesses benefit as pet owners spend like parents. Minneapolis Star Tribune.

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by | Tuesday, February 23, 2021 · 7:40 am

Doggie Desserts

We love our dogs, always asking them “who’s a good dog?” And then of course, rewarding and treating our very good dogs. One snack that dogs love to munch is ice cream. And now Vermont ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s has introduced a new line of frozen dog treats – Doggie Desserts.

Doggie Desserts is the company’s first movement into the growing markets of pet foods and treats. According to the American Pet Products Assoc., the number of U.S. households with pets grew to 84.9 million homes in 2020. During these trying Covid times, pet adoptions are at an all-time high, meaning that more pets than ever are trying to keep their humans sane. From 2015 to 2020 spending on dog treats jumped 44% to $5.5 billion.

Doggie Desserts follow the Ben & Jerry’s model and are made with fairtrade-certified, non-GMO ingredients. The company stated that it worked with a veterinary nutritionist and other consultants to make sure the non-dairy products are safe and easy for pups to digest. No one wants Spot to have an upset tummy!

There are two flavors sold in 4-ounce cups: Pontch’s mix of peanut butter and pretzel swirls, and Rosie’s Batch of pumpkin and mini cookies. Prices at $2.99 per cup (four for $4.99) and the frozen treats will be placed near popsicles in the frozen food aisles, conveniently located near Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. That’s one pint for us, and one for our dogs.

Now, who’s a good human?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss the four primary marketing strategies: market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification.
  2. Show Ben & Jerry’s website: https://www.benjerry.com/flavors/doggie-desserts
  3. A video can be found at: https://youtu.be/h2lzIEeRVsQ
  4. Which strategy is Ben & Jerry’s using for this product? Why?
  5. Discuss setting SMART objectives (specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound).
  6. Divide students into teams. Have each team set three SMART objectives for this strategy.
  7. How would these objectives change if a different market strategy was used?
  8. Have each team determine the marketing mix (4Ps) to support their strategy choice.

Source:  Minneapolis Star Tribune; Washington Post; other news sources

 

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