The Marketing Plan Of The KONG Company

Submitted By TWISTEDSTRAW
Words: 1849
Pages: 8

The Marketing Plan
PART ONE
MGCR 352-003 INDUSTRY: PET CARE

Contents

SECTION I: INTRODUCTION
The KONG company is an American private corporation with an international presence and a mandate to create innovative dog toys that are the best in quality, originality, variety, safety and value (“Kong Story”, n.d.). The toys are differentiated mainly through the use of natural KONG rubber, known to be ultra durable, safe, and built-to-chew (“Kong Rubber”, n.d.).
KONG's latest innovative dog toy, Scented Bounzer, will incorporate the KONG rubber, the main factor distinguishing KONG toys, but also a scent releasing technology, activated through motion of the toy. It will be small and compact, easy for the dog to play with and the owner to carry around. Scented Bounzer will focus on creating a calming effect on dogs using the smell of lavender as studies have shown that this relaxes canines and makes them feel at ease (Deborah, 2009). A dog's olfactory system can be up to 1,000 to 10,000,000 times more sensitive than a human's (Maguire, n.d.), depending on the breed. Hence, the product will be designed in such a way that the scent is strong to the dog but hardly noticeable to the owner. If the product is successful, a line of such toys will be introduced with different scents and purposes. For example, peppermint can increase mental stimulation and psychological well-being of canines (Deborah, 2009).
Scented Bounzer aims to satisfy pet owners in need of calming their dogs but more importantly, helping dogs that suffer from separation anxiety and keeping them happy. Although a large number of factors cause anxiousness, the most prominent one is separation from their owner. Hence, this product will appeal to dog owners that cannot spend enough time in their pets presence and have a need to quell their anxious or destructive behavior.
Dogs love interesting smells and sniffing around so this is guaranteed to keep them engaged, especially because it is also a toy, fitting in with KONG's strategic aim of keeping dogs happy. It’s a win-win situation for the owner and the dog because it is more convenient for the former in comparison to taking the dog to a dog care centre for example. Also, in accordance to the aim of developing safe toys, it is guaranteed that this product uses no drugs or tranquilizers and pose no threat to the dog as the natural scent of lavender scent will be used.
Scented Bounzer will be positioned primarily based on the convenience it offers to the dog owners as well as the competitive advantage with the product features. Performance of the scent releasing technology and the dog’s satisfaction will be ensured. The economic price and ideal design will be highlighted. Furthermore, quality and safety will be guaranteed due to the KONG rubber. In addition, KONGs positive corporate image for putting a pets’ needs first and long line of satisfied customers with previous products will help to reinforce this.
SECTION 2: CONSUMER PROFILE
Scented Bounzer is a product for the pet product industry aimed at dog owners that have anxious pets. Potential buyers include any Canadian dog owner as anxiousness is caused by a variety of factors including separation from owner, change in the household structure, thunderstorms, travel, trips to the vet (Dr. de porter, 2013) whereas the level of destructive behavior can be influenced by age and breed of canines. Scented Bounzer is not a premium product and is economical so it will be affordable to dog owners of all income groups. Although any Canadian dog owner is a potential customer, the market can be segmented in terms of demographics, psychographics, and geography to identify what kind of dog owners would find this product most useful and convenient. See APPENDIX page 8 for table
Demographic segmentation: Market can be segmented in terms of occupation because working dog owners have less time to spend with their dogs and