Dogs and their sayings

An experience in a new marketplace

“That dog won’t hunt”; perhaps you have heard that expression which refers to an idea that will not work or an explanation that is not acceptable.

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”; this expression refers to an individual, frequently a family member or employee resisting new ideas.

Norm, on the television show, “Cheers”, would walk into the bar and say, “It’s a dog eat dog world and I’m wearing Milk Bone underwear”. Obviously, a statement after a challenging day.

And the last one to be shared comes from my father as an expression about customer loyalty. “A dog with a full food bowl does not go looking at other dog food bowls”.

Interesting how we frequently use our four-legged friends as the basis for explain what is happening, not happening, or should happen in our lives and businesses around the world.

With each new addition of technology we hear how the world is getting smaller and smaller. Yet, the uniqueness of a border or an ocean causes it to feel like we are world’s apart.

A recent trip to Global Pet Expo had me addressing a group on how to implement multiple strategies for pricing products. Unknown to me, in attendance was a manufacturer from Europe who was taking very detailed notes.

Within a week, I received an email asking for additional information about the session. Within the message, I was told this manufacturer was laying the groundwork for bringing their products to North America.

You can easily say the manufacturer has already “conquered” Europe as they have a 33% market share throughout the European Union and several nearby countries. With a population of over 500 million in the European Union, it makes sense for the manufacturer to be looking at North America with over 580 million residents as the next area of business growth.

The manufacturer, Bartex, makes pet beds. With that many felines and canines enjoying these products in Europe, their North American relatives should be looking for the same comfortable nap or sleep. Rusty the wonder dog, and Ayla the princess cat, are frequently resting on office furniture or a rug. I am thinking about something far more comfortable for each of them.

More from a curiosity factor, I asked the contact person how their company was going to distribute products. We discussed direct to consumer (including Amazon), direct to retailer, working with independent sales reps or sales rep teams, wholesalers, as well as focusing on chain stores and the mass merchants.

This is where I first saw the opportunity to provide input. With that much market share in Europe, I envision this product line as being the “next great” introduction to this continent. Asked to comment by Bartex, I shared thoughts, experiences, and financial considerations for each of the possibilities.

We invited others into the conversation and began to chart the positives and negatives for each of the methods of distribution. The end goal being North American pets enjoying restful sleep on what could be described as beds that looked like a combination of what a veterinarian and interior designer had created.

A trip to meet at the PIJAC show in Toronto was scheduled so as to help the Bartex staff experience a North American trade show first hand.

We may be on the same planet, but the road from manufacturer to consumer is very different in Europe from what is experienced in North America. Fortunately, the Bartex staff was very quick to pick up on this and the discussions began to add what were the new and necessary components.

As the Europeans explain it, a manufacturer develops a product and then offers it to the appropriate wholesalers. Once the wholesaler agrees to purchase the product, the manufacturer returns to producing and delivering the products as well as working to develop new products.

North American manufacturers know the responsibility of the manufacturer does not end at the loading dock. Look at a grocery store, convenience store, liquor store, clothing store and many others to see the manufacturer is greatly involved in influencing the consumer to purchase their particular brand of products.

Only days of the PIJAC show, Bartex was working with their first North American wholesaler. And why not? North Americans are mesmerized by European products.

While many wines are produced in North America, we love European wines. Drive along a highway and how many Porsche, Ferrari, VW, BMW, Jaguar, Volvo and other European brands do you see.

There is a mystique about European brands; there is an expectation of quality in products that come from the continent to our east.

What wholesaler or retailer would not want to be a part of this western expansion?

And here we are; Partnerships are being forged. Unless you have purchased a WIKO bed in Europe and brought it to North America, the first four beds were at the home of this writer. Two are upstairs for Rusty and Ayla while the other two styles are downstairs. Neither pet has shown a preference for either as it seems where to sleep depends on where they are at the moment or who they want to be near. With each bed they do quickly fall asleep.

We do have an oddity that occurs. Our twin sons have each come home to visit. While there is a very comfortable guest bedroom, we find them sleeping with, or borrowing one of Rusty’s WIKO beds for themselves. It is understandable. When you unzip the cover, which is machine washable, you find the bed is more than just a slab of foam.

The inside is multiple layers of different types of foam. The inside of the bed is designed for the comfort of your pet. The exterior is also designed for the comfort of your furbaby, while being a very attractive addition to the décor of your home.

My 12 year old Rusty and 11 year old Ayla have done a lot of napping and sleeping in their years. They both know a comfortable sleep when they feel it.

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