Being an avid cynophilist, I have always tried to research areas that seem appealing to my furry friends. One of the things that caught my eye was the different types of dog foods that are available in the market. Pedigree has surely been a popular choice for decades. My dogs have been fed Pedigree ever since I can remember. Finding out about Royal Canin and Drools made me question myself, “Why did we jump to buying Pedigree directly, instead of comparing it with other dog foods?” Let me tell you ‘why’.
Royal Canin was launched in 1968 in Gard, France whereas the Pedigree brand name came into play in 1988 when Kal Kan Foods changed the name of its dog food. At that point in time, the former had already marked a significant expansion in the area of research and development. Now a subsidiary of Mars Inc, Pedigree faced several challenges since the beginning of its launch. What’s amusing is how it became the most popular dog food.
For many years, Pedigree was making its position in the market through the slogan “Top breeders recommend it because it’s solid nourishment”. The original slogan in the United States was “Recommended by top breeders”. But the turning point came in 2007 with their “Dogs Rule” campaign which became a cornerstone of Pedigree’s brand image.
“When you buy Pedigree, we make a donation to help shelter dogs find loving homes.”
This was the message shared through the commercials of Pedigree after their Dogs Rule campaign, which was a huge hit. No cute little happy puppies were playing and drooling for pedigree bites, which used to make us go “Aww”. Instead, the commercials featured under-nourished homeless dogs. They promoted the concept of adoption. Through these campaigns, they raised more than 5 million dollars for shelters and rescue organizations. Now it was not only about our privileged pets. It was more about all those needy unsheltered ones whose life could become better with our little donation (by buying Pedigree).
In terms of brand imagery, Pedigree thus became something larger than just food and this helped the brand differentiate itself in the dog foods category. The shift from direct product messaging to sharing the brand’s beliefs in adoption brought about a huge increase in advertising effectiveness as doing good for the dogs (both through food and shelter) started resonating really well with customers.
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”
Simon Sinek
Pedigree showcased their reason, strengthened their belief, and enriched their marketing goal by giving a powerful message to society. As a consumer or rather an owner of a consumer, I really admire Pedigree’s humane way of dealing with the sufferings of animals.