CJ
Class:Marketing Strategy
September 06, 2014
Breeder’s Own Pet Foods, Inc. Case Analysis
Case Recap
Breeder’s Own Pet Foods, Inc. proposes to adopt a market penetration strategy due to having identified a growth opportunity in the dog food market, for its nutritionally balanced, high quality dog food brand, Breeder’s Mix. This premium product has been sold traditionally, to the show dog kennel market, but company executives are now convinced it can be repackaged and offered as a frozen premium product, to picky pet owners via general retail distribution channels. Since the product is considered premium, it should fetch premium prices because of its ingredients and its claimed benefits to animals: it consists of 85% fresh meat, 15% high quality fortified cereal with no additives or preservatives and will dramatically improve the coats of animals. (Kerin and Peterson, 2013). One of the major challenges for Breeder’s Own is convincing customers that frozen dog food is the wave of the future. Based on positive feedback from food brokers, the company believes it can carve out a substantial market share with this product. The initial plan involves test marketing in the Boston area and if successful quickly ramping up production to make it available nationally (Kerin and Peterson, 2013).
Problem Identification
Traditionally, dog food is produced as dried, canned, or treats; since this new product is intended to be frozen, one of the first impediments will be to get customers to think freezers i.e. nontraditional location when making their purchases. A second hurdle to overcome will be to convince the target market that Breeder’s Mix is a healthier and thus a superior product for their pets than current offerings. Thirdly, the competitive environment poses another hindrance. Currently there are over 350 dog food brands produced by about 50 different manufacturers. Its most serious competition will