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Pet brands are fetching owners via the Web (Excerpt) February 2007 by Christine Champagne Del Monte Community Del Monte, which owns pet brands such as Snausages, Pupperoni, and Meow Mix, is blazing trails in mining the Web for consumer data. Using MarketTools’ Insight Networks, Del Monte launched an online community called “Dogs Are People, Too” last fall. Slated for a six-month run, the community is made up of 300 specially selected dog owners and hosted by a Del Monte moderator. “This is a pretty unique approach [to market research], using a very new technology that enables the kind of interaction with consumers not many companies are getting,” says Del Monte director of marketing research Walt Wdowiak. Useful insights have already been gleaned from the community, including the desire for safer pet transportation. “We’re actually talking with one of the major car companies about a partnership opportunity based on this insight,” reports Del Monte marketing director Geoff Tanner. Elsewhere, Del Monte pet brands Web sites have also made a significant shift in strategy in the last 18 months. Whereas the sites once focused on product features and benefits, they now engage consumers on an emotional level, Tanner says. For example, 9Lives.com centers on homeless cat rescue, with brand icon Morris (an adoptee himself) leading the charge with his new sidekick, Lil’ Mo. Proud parents of adoptive cats can post pictures of their kitties on 9Lives.com. “The great brands of the future,” Tanner maintains, “will engage consumers in a two-way conversation.” |