ProDog Raw
Serious Nutrition, Serious Results: Transforming ProDog Raw’s Brand Presence
ProDog Raw, a premium dog food brand, approached Fantastic Media to review its newest line of products as, after 2 years, their range of high-quality powdered dog supplements wasn’t achieving the traction they were hoping for and they required our help to re-position and solidify the brand in a crowded marketplace and to facilitate growth across their product ranges.
The Brief.
ProDog Raw initially asked Fantastic to audit and review all existing marketing activity in relation to a relatively new range of premium powdered supplements. This involved analysis of creative execution, messaging, tactical channels as well as looking at UX, user flow on the ProDog website along with reviewing the supporting cross-sell opportunities already in place.
INSIGHT.
Our initial Diagnosis & Research phase confirmed ProDog were operating in an ever expanding and crowded marketplace for both supplements and raw food. Whilst an established brand, ProDog were still some way behind bigger name, bigger budget rivals with longer trading histories. Contributing to our research and overall understanding we found:
- Search volumes for key terms were static or in decline, suggesting stiffer competition for audience attention
- Brand search was relatively static. ProDog were doing a good job of retaining customers but not necessarily doing enough to grow awareness with audiences not already aware of the brand
- ProDog’s premium positioning wasn’t fully reflected in its creative output
- Too much of the brand’s messaging was centred on trying to educate dog owners who were never really likely to make the switch from kibble to raw or to invest in powdered supplements
- The position of the brand could be better solidified across all channels and stages of interaction with existing past and prospective customers
Fundamentally our research identified that we needed to look at the ProDog brand as a whole and not just at the supplement product line. From this it was clear that as a premium brand selling high-quality raw dog food and supplements, ProDog needed a stronger suite of messaging and creative execution that better resonated with discerning dog owners.
The Big Idea.
To win over our target audience, we needed to sharpen and clearly define ProDog’s positioning. ProDog is made specifically for working and performance dogs. These are not just pets, many are dogs that perform serious roles and they need to be fuelled and looked after in the very best way so they can stay fit, strong and healthy. Typically, if you own a dog in this category, you are serious about them, their health and their performance.
Born from this understanding was the hero message that as a whole, ProDog provided “Serious nutrition for serious dog owners”. Complementary to this, our supplement range could also be communicated as being “Seriously good supplements for seriously healthy dogs”.
With our clear positioning in place, we were able to develop a set of bold, clear, and impactful messages, supported by a stronger, dynamic and, importantly, unique visual identity.
The Activity
To optimise budget and exposure we put in to action an integrated plan of tactical activities. These included:
- Product packaging – a complete overhaul of all packaging for their Raw, Supplements, Treats and Bone Broth ranges
- Ecommerce website – Improved UX, messaging, and visuals
- Paid search & paid social media – Consistent, high-impact campaigns utilising multiple ad formats across brand, raw and supplements
- Email marketing & organic social – Engaging and on-brand templates and content
- TV & Radio – the launch campaign and beyond extended beyond digital, including national radio and ITVx Pause advertising, ensuring maximum reach and brand recall.
“Fantastic Media helped us transform how we present what and who the ProDog brand stands for. The laser focused positioning and creative direction gave us the confidence to stand out in a crowded marketplace and connect more directly with dog owners who want the very best for their pets. They were the first agency I’ve worked with who were able to get across what I’d always felt but in a way that resonated on our packaging, website, advertising and way beyond.”
Heidi Maskelyne, CEO, ProDog
“When I say that the team behind ProDog embody the word “passion” I am being 100% genuine and it was a pleasure to work with them. They already had a fantastic product and loyal customer base, but the quality, benefits and emotional association behind the products and the brand wasn’t quite coming across. After a considered period of research, analysis and in-depth thought we realised that we needed to do more to set ourselves as a brand dedicated to owners who were serious about the health, vitality and performance of their dogs.”
Gary Pattison, Director of Strategy & Insight, Fantastic Media
