Creating Your Pet Industry Brand Identity
Launching your vision into the pet industry can be taxing and stressful. Our expert team understands how difficult this can be as we speak with entrepreneurs nearly every day that are wanting to introduce a brand or product into the pet industry. In those conversations, there is one area that many overlook, and its defining “who you are.”
There are several parts to creating premium pet products, but first, you must create your brand identity. Creating a brand identity is essential to choosing which pet products your private-label business will sell, what channel you will sell in, and who your target audience is. Below are some tips that will help you kick your brand off on the right paw.
1. Your Market
The first step in building your brand is determining your market or target audience. In recent years, the lead consumers of pet products were female millennials. However, as the creator of your brand, you get to decide who you want to sell to. Once you determine your target market you will be able to decide if you want to sell your products in stores, online, or both. Determining who you are marketing to directly correlates to your branding so you can cater your brand to your consumers.
2. The Brand Name
Now that you’ve decided who you want to purchase your products it’s time to decide what to call yourself. Are you a holistic supplement company? Are you going to produce liquid toppers? Or both? There are many avenues you can use to decide on your name but your name is determined by who you are and who you are selling to. In the pet industry, it is very common for brands to use puns to grab the attention of consumers. It is also very common to choose a simple brand name that tells the consumer about your company by using words like holistic, natural or honest to communicate the validity of the products you sell.
3. The Logo
One of the best parts of creating a brand identity is creating a logo. Logos become ingrained in consumers’ minds so much so that there are hundreds of brands that don’t have to put their names on their products because the logo is so recognizable, for example, Nike or Apple. Creating a simple yet visually captivating logo will put your private label brand above the rest.
Not a designer? Neither was Phil Knight, he paid Carolyn Davidson $35 back in 1971 to create Nike’s iconic “swoosh” logo. You’d be surprised how many brands go this route and use services like Fiverr.com or 99 Designs to design their branding.
4. The Color Scheme
In conjunction with creating your logo, you should decide on a color scheme that will set you apart from other brands on Amazon or on the shelves at pet stores. It is essential to focus on your target market. If you are looking for female millennials, it may suit your brand to use colors that are easy on the eye like muted pastel tones of greens and orange or the nostalgic 80’s and 90’s neon. If you are going for the holistic market you may want to focus on natural colors looking colors.
If you are trying to sell to male baby boomers, then using gray, tan, or browns to appeal to a masculine look and feel will be key. Using these colors when selling to females 18-24? You would not see a great return on your investment.
5. The Mission Statement
Your pet brand mission statement is equally as important as your brand name. This will communicate more about your products than the name itself. Oftentimes this can be used as your key differentiator when customers compare your product to others on the market. Do you give back to local charities, or provide something for those in need, like Toms Shoes, or maybe you simply love dogs and want the best for them.
A mission statement doesn’t need to be extensive, many of the best ones are simple. At PetDine our mission statement is, “To create industry-leading pet products and services for our business partners through consultation, innovation, and expertise that improve the lives of pets.” This guides everything we do and is the backbone of who we are.
If there is anything we can do to help your business, let us know. If you already have a private-label brand we are here to back your brand with premium quality products and an expert team.
