Interview with Zel Crampton – Diggs Founder and CEO

  “I was dismayed at the low-quality, unsafe, ugly products in the pet industry, particularly compared to [other consumer categories]. So, I set out on a mission to create a premium lifestyle brand for pets.”

 

I am excited to be talking to Zel Crampton, Founder and CEO of Diggs on this episode of The Irresistible Factor. Zel is an industry leader in the pet space and is best known for his award-winning Revol Dog Crate.

 

Inspired by his love for dogs and dismayed by the poor quality, unsafe, and unappealing products available, Zel set out to create a premium lifestyle brand for pets focused on thoughtful design and innovation – think Yeti for pets! Diggs started with their famous dog crate, and have since built a lifestyle brand around it, now offering products like leashes, dog carriers, and crate training aids.

 

In this episode, Zel shares his experience with Kickstarter and why he believes it’s more of a market-testing tool than a fundraising tool. We also discuss the importance of focusing on the quality of your product, and the benefits of qualitative versus quantitative research. Tune in to receive some key insights and advice from the founder of one of the fastest-growing brands in the pet product industry.

 

Listen to The Irresistible Factor’s Interview with Zel Crampton, Founder and CEO of Diggs. 

 

Here’s what you won’t want to miss from our conversation: 

  • Various challenges that Kickstarter can solve when launching a new product or brand
  • How early adopters can help scale your brand before you achieve brand recognition. 
  • Insight into Diggs’ data-driven innovation timeline
  • The role of ethnography in Diggs’ product testing process

Links mentioned in this episode:  

Zel Crampton on LinkedIn 

Diggs 

The Irresistible Factor Podcast  

Sawtooth Group 

Fighting Amazon’s Private Label: Can Your Brand Win?

Amazon has everyone waiting. Waiting for the location of their second headquarters and for their entry into health care, which leaves many of us asking: is there anything Amazon can’t do?

Last week, the online retail giant made a few announcements within the pet food category. The first was to kick off the launch of their new pet food, Wag. And the second was to report that shares of strong brands in the category, including Blue Buffalo, for which General Mills just paid 8 billion dollars, immediately fell. Smucker’s, who just paid $1.8 billion for Ainsworth Pet Nutrition and $6 billion for Big Heart Pet Brand, also saw their shares drop.

So why pet food?

Well, why not? Americans spend $32 billion a year on pet food and that number keeps growing. And, it turns out, Amazon has 100 million Prime Members who are just waiting to show their loyalty.

At $45.99 for a 30 lb bag, Wag is smartly and competitively priced compared to Blue Wilderness, which sells on Amazon for $49.99 for a 24 lb bag. Given their access to endless amounts of consumer data, Amazon’s private label competitive edge is not surprising. They know exactly what pet parents want, need, and when they’ll buy again.

The newest addition to their expanding “private label” line, which includes AmazonBasics, Wickedly Prime food and beverage, Stone & Beam Furniture, and Presto cleaning products, the announcement of Wag really makes you wonder how any brand—especially a legacy brand—will compete.  

For example, Pedigree is suffering from the “millennial disconnect”, losing ground to personalized and ready-to-serve brands like Ollie and Farmer’s Dog. And while high-end options aren’t for everyone, Amazon’s Wag is likely to be more appealing than the brands that have come before it, most of which are steadily declining in Irresistibility.

According to our data/insights tool I-factor®, Pedigree, along with other legacy brands, has low consumer scores in all of the measured categories: Comprehend, Crave, and Craze. This disconnect, one that is not limited to pet food but rather prevalent with almost all legacy brands across the board, creates huge opportunities for a brand that’s very connected to younger consumers, like Amazon.

Does your brand have a fighting chance to be more Irresistible than Amazon? The short answer is yes. But you’ll have to go beyond the data—you’ll never get more than Amazon. To protect and elevate all aspects of their consumer relationships, brands must leverage insights that are truly compelling.

And that’s where I-Factor comes in. With the insights I-Factor® uncovers, your brand will have the enhanced ability to build stories that connect with consumers, create behavior change, and ultimately increase loyalty across platforms so people start to CRAVE your brand.

Looking to create long-lasting connections that will keep your brand relevant in the age of Amazon? Let’s talk.

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Personalization, Customization and Health. There’s no end in sight.

How great would you feel about serving these foods to your family?

High quality proteins and vegetables prepared by real people, cooked at low temperatures in small batches to preserve the high quality vitamins and minerals.

Or even better, fill out a survey that includes your age, weight, and allergies and get a food plan designed just for you, delivered weekly on ice packs, portioned into trays for your exact serving size needs.

Both of these meal plans are for pets, not humans. The first is Ollie and the second is Farmer’s Dog. These new pet food brands are taking the models of food delivery services and extreme personalization, like Freshly, and making human grade dog food. Both brands are personalized and ready to serve.

This is a complete 180 from traditional pet food.

Right now, the FDA regulates commercial pet food under the same category as animal feed- AKA food for hens or fish. That means any part of an animal that does not make it into human food can make it into pet food. It’s processed at high temperatures, which makes it deficient in nutrients so manufacturers then have to add supplements back in.

Like with human food, pet food consumers are saying “that’s not good enough for our pet children”. They are looking for stories about ingredients they recognize, and a process they can understand. “Processed” pet food is quickly coming under the same scrutiny as some of the stuff we loved as consumers like sugary cereals and diet sodas. We’re buying less of them for ourselves and our kids because we know that it’s bad for us. Now we’re making the same assumptions about pet food.

Is it really better and does it even matter?

A study at the University of Houston found that consumers tend to view food products with health-related euphemisms as healthier regardless of what’s actually included on the nutrition information. This is no different for pet food.

While this homemade food may sound better to the health-conscious consumer, we really don’t know if it is actually better for dogs. There appear to be plenty of healthy dogs thriving on kibble from legacy dog food brands. Marion Nestle, a former professor of nutrition food studies and public health at New York University says “there is no data that one brand was better than another or that pets eating homemade foods were healthier and lived longer”.

So why are consumers so willing to pay so much more money? The same reasons we are buying RX bar and Noosa yogurt. They’re telling compelling, transparent stories on their websites and social media that make us feel better about what we’re offering our families, even the four-legged members.

Need help getting getting your consumers to feel really good about your brand.

Let’s talk.

Healthy Food Marketing: Pet Health, Food Is Just The Beginning

I’m a foodie and my dog happens to be one too. His current favorite cheese is Parmigiano Reggiano (really). I choose his foods just like I do mine. I scrutinize labels and search the aisles looking for the very best ingredients. Every once in a while I indulge. And so does my dog.

Pets have become almost as natural of an extension of their parent’s identity as children. If a pet parent is super curious about ingredients in their food, they are likely to be just as curious about ingredients in their pet’s food.

And the awesome part?

It’s EVEN easier to make healthier choices for your pet. Because they can’t exactly complain. Sure they cast their vote by eating or not, but it’s a different kind of complaining.

Human trends = pet trends

Marketers, tune in. Because if you’re a pet brand — or even considering tapping into the pet business, here’s what I’m seeing in the pet marketplace.

Healthy pet food is just the beginning of the story. There is so much more opportunity.  Mars knows how important pets are to their human parents. That’s why they’ve invested in a whole new category — pet hospitals.

As access to information continues to speed up, so does the desire to apply this knowledge to our pets. Consumers (the human ones) are learning more and more about their health. The next natural step is for it to overflow into the decision-making for their pets. Look at what’s trending in human food, fitness and even fashion then blink. You’ll be seeing that same trend apply to pets. For example, what’s trending now in pet food is all the same stuff trending for us humans.

Packaging could be a deal maker or a deal breaker

The whole BPA conversation is about to make its way to pets. Many – especially millennial – consumers would never buy something in BPA packaging. But BPA is found in pet food packaging. While there is not conclusive research YET about the effect of BPA on animals, isn’t it a logical assumption that consumers would FEEL BETTER knowing a brand was committed to safe packaging? Once you know about BPA you can never UN-know it. You make sure your food is packaged safely. The same goes for your pets.

Pet fitness is the new big thing.

We’ve all joked about putting a FitBit on our pets. Now there is a WHOLE CATEGORY dedicated to pet fitness trackers. The most-loved brand right now is FitBark. So loved, in fact, that the KickStarter that was created to raise funding for it earned $80,000 in just 27 hours. How’s that for a testament to how obsessed pet parents are? But so far, I’m not seeing any already established pet brands connecting with these trackers? This could be a huge opportunity for a legacy brand to reconnect with a fresh audience.

When it comes to pets, if you can dream it, pet parents will buy it. The innovation and marketing opportunities are endless.

Pet Food Marketers: Simplify the Overwhelming Process of Choosing A Healthy Food Brand For Parents

Being conscious of what we feed our children doesn’t stop with our biological kids. Many pet parents struggle to choose the healthiest food for their new pets. Fear of choosing the wrong food is real, and unlike choosing for our kids, choosing for our pets isn’t as clear-cut. Pet parents look to recommendations from vets and friends, and independent research to decide on brands. Marketers who understand how to guide, inform and reassure at the many different touch points can make early connections with consumers who are committed to providing pets with a happy and healthy life.

The New York Times reports that when dog owners bring their new dog home, they also buy a ton of stuff. That exciting process is often the beginning of a life-long relationship with brands. So understanding the range of emotions around these decisions can provide brands with the insights they need to truly connect.

When brands are planning communication they may want to consider some of things pet parents are seeking:

 

Clarity:

Even though there are strict guidelines in place to help pet parents make informed decisions about food selections, there are still doubts about which food to choose. Labels show complex names of nutrients specific to different breeds and medical conditions/restrictions – and consumers really have no idea what they mean. Until recently, consumers were willing to choose a familiar brand, or to take a recommendation of a friend or vet. But now, like with human food, understanding the label is crucial to helping pet parents decide.

 

Customization:

Also like human food, pet food is transitioning. So many pets have restrictive diets or specific eating preferences. Just Right by Purina has tapped into this need by offering a dog food that lets parents (with the health of some nutritional guidelines) create a special blend just for their pups specific needs.

 

Food With Benefits:

Will carrots help my cat’s sight? Does grain-free mean my pup will have fewer stomach issues? These are the kinds of question pet parents are asking. So letting them know if there are the benefits beyond the label could be essential in helping pet parents choose your brand. 40% of dog owners who buy dry food weekly are likely to spend extra to ensure a pet’s wellness.

 

Establish A Community:

Parents want to be part of a community and pet parents are no different.

If pet parents truly feel connected to a brand community, they’re 47% more likely to buy their preferred brand regardless of availability or coupons. That’s real brand strength.

 

The ultimate goal for marketers should be making sure pet parents truly feel good about the decisions they’re making for their pets.

And that “feel good” has to be a combination of tapping into the right-brain emotion of being a parent and reinforcing their decisions with all the left-brain facts they need to convince themselves they are doing a great job.

Marketing Healthy Food to Health Conscious Humans And Their Pets

The health food trends of human food brands are now being marketed to man’s best friends. Now more than ever before, pet owners have an overwhelming variety of healthier choices to feed their beloved pets. Gone are the days of fillers and mystery meats.  And gone are the days of marketing healthy food only to humans.

 

According to Nielsen Reports, today’s dog foods are becoming humanized. Dog food Brand Managers and Marketers should absolutely be taking a serious look at human food trends, because pets are officially members of the family.

 

Here are some of the top food trends for both man and his furry friend.

 

Organic

People are more concerned about organic food not only for themselves, but for their pets as well. Organic food can cost as much as 30 percent more than non-organic, but an increasing number of dog owners are willing to pay the higher price for the family pooch. California Natural is a great organic brand that has set itself apart from other organic brands due to their strictly enforced manufacturing guidelines. grown amidst this trend. The product is made for pets with food sensitivities in mind with only 3-6 ingredients.

 

Paleo Diet

Dr. Jean Hofve author of “Paleo Dog: Give Your Best Friend a Long Life, Healthy Weight, and Freedom from Illness by Nurturing His Inner Wolf”, has an interesting insight on the Paleo diet. She compares it brilliantly to “taking your dogs out of your purse and putting them on the grass.” The Paleo Diet has a firm foothold in the dog food industry—creating a new sector of “ancestral” foods reflective of earlier diets of canines that are focused on the high quality of proteins and grains in pet food. Sojo’s “wholesome raw” pet food offers two types of innovative products for the Paleo movement. The Complete and The Pre-Mix. The complete comes with raw freeze-dried meet to the other raw ingredients. The Pre-Mix is allow you to mix in your pup’s favorite protein.

 

Vitamins

Inspired by the success of human food brands, half of new pet foods have added vitamins, antioxidants, protein, DHA for puppies, and no fillers, artificial ingredients or byproducts. Lucky Dog Cuisine makes a product that is appropriate for all stages of a pet’s life. They use meat with a butcher-like quality and all fruits and vegetables are GMO. Specific product blends are most importantly filled with healthy vitamins and prebiotics.

 

 

Made in the USA

Patriotism has even made its way to the dog bowl, with 51 percent of dog owners believing that “Made in the U.S.” is a very important package claim as fear of contamination and product safety is a large concern among pet owners. Grill-icious dog treats from Loving Pets come in chicken, turkey and beef. They are made in New Jersey from USA sourced ingredients.” They are even gluten and soy-free. These treats have zero additives or preservatives.

 

 

Meal Excitement

The best meals get us excited even before we take our first bite. And dog food brands know this too. That’s why a top driver of sales in pet foods includes adding “excitement” to the dogs’ diets via flavors, gravies, look-alike human recipes, and meal specific foods such as appetizers and breakfast. It makes sense. A happy dog is a happy dog owner.  Marketing healthy food through appetite appeal works on both humans and dogs. Hill’s awesome Balance Breakfast Medleys are waffle shaped and are meant to be breakfast treats for your dog. They are naturally made with no grains or wheat, proving that even dog treats are made healthy now.

 

 

Gluten-free

With the popularity of grain and gluten-free options for humans, it’s no surprise that the trend is creeping into the dog food aisle. Theoretically, there is no reason dogs couldn’t be gluten intolerant. And “wheat is not an essential food for dogs,” says Marion Nestle, professor of food studies at New York University, so there’s no harm in trying a gluten-free diet if your dog has allergies, skin problems, digestive issues, or other health ailments. Nestle-branded Organix know grain-based foods don’t work well for all of our dog friends, which is why it uses tapioca (a gluten-free starch) as a substitute.

 

When it comes to dog food, humans are your best focus group.

 

Since our pups are basically our children, when it comes to selecting food we only want the best for them – just like us. While humans see the word “healthy” flashed on numerous puppy chow bags, the real print we should be paying attention to is the nutrition facts. So when it comes to marketing healthy pet food to humans, the key is being upfront about all the great benefits of a premium and specialty brand. It’s also about embracing the trends and varieties that consumers crave. True pet parents want what is best for their pets. The trick is figuring out what that is.

Paleo for Pets? Can Pet Food get anymore human?

You don’t have to be an expert to see that marketing pet food and human food is becoming more and more similar.

 

The intense dietary demands that we are beginning to put on ourselves have started to bleed into the realm of our pets.

 

That means expectations of quality ingredients aren’t going away any time soon and that “wellness” is a concept for our pets too. Not really that surprising when you think about how much a part of our families pets have become.

 

Also not surprising when you realize that the same factors that are taking their toll on us and our kids, are also effecting our pets.

 

Domestic animals are not only more overweight and inactive than previous generations, but they are suffering more from disease like diabetes and obesity.

 

When you closely examine the ingredients, a lot of pet food is basically the animal equivalent of highly processed snack packs, loaded with grains and various different chemicals.

 

And with all the access we have to information, we now know that none of this is good for our families, human or pet.

 

So like human food companies, Pet food companies are starting to pay attention.

According to the bark magazine, trendy diets like raw food, home-made and dietary rotations are gaining in popularity.

 

Similarities exist even through weight loss regimes for those pets that need them (an estimated 44% of dogs in the US). Brand, are certainly reacting as well. One look at Beneful’s packaging shows hoards of cascading vegetables, while Purina’s “Beyond” line comes in cans and juice pouches with a very artisanal design feel. Brands like Hill’s offer a line called “Ideal Balance” that has “natural ingredients perfectly balanced”. It includes lean proteins, vitamins and minerals, brown rice for natural fiber, and even Omega 3 and 6. Sound familiar?

 

And marketing to our furry friends is filled with familiar buzz-words like Paleo, GMO free, high protein. I even heard “small batch” in a dog food commercial this past weekend..

 

What’s out in Pet food marketing are claims that use language like “scientifically formulated.” Today’s health conscious consumers equate that to the notion that ingredients aren’t natural. It appears as if “Nature has overtaken science as a reason to believe” and we know consumers now trust nature over science for themselves and for their pets.

 

And when you really think about it, why wouldn’t this healthier generation of humans want the same healthy lifestyle for their pets?

 

After all, pets are people too.

Paleo for Pets? Can Pet Food get anymore human?