First in Show Pet Foods, Inc. Case Summary

Key Issues/Background:
First in Show Pet Foods, Inc. faces the daunting task of introducing a new brand of dog food to the Boston area, and then the rest of the nation. This is a difficult challenge, not only because the brand, Show Circuit is unknown, but also because this dog food is frozen, unlike nearly all other dog food, which is either bagged as dry or canned. This packaging difference affects First in Show because their food will be stocked in the freezer section, away from the rest of the dog food. Show Circuit dog food was originally developed to improve the coats of minks on farms, and then after success, it began to be fed to show-dogs. The product is made of 85% fresh meat, …show more content…

Also, advertising during the evening news, or Animal Planet would be more effective than David Letterman. 4. Further refine the target market of dog breed. The original market encompasses owners of all breeds – from mongrels to purebreds, and it is illustrated on the can label. Dog owners who have mutts aren’t very likely to consider their dog a show-dog, and therefore probably won’t be interested in super-premium dog food. First in Show should consider changing the packaging to show more purebreds. 5. Offer the distributor a nice incentive to push the supermarket managers to add the product to the freezer section of the supermarket. 6. Since Show Circuit is organic, selling the product in more earth-friendly stores such as Whole Foods or Trader Joes is a good idea. Their clientele are typically affluent, early-middle-aged yuppies who care for the environment, and the wellbeing of their pets.

Recommendation/Conclusion:
Breaking into a new market with a completely new product and company name is a steep task. It is especially difficult when the product is very different from its competitors. Show Circuit is a frozen dog food that is trying to be introduced into a dry and canned dog food world. In order to gain market share, I believe that the $700,000 marketing budget should be used, but it should be tweaked from Marketing