Brand evolution is continuously improving or changing a brand’s image. Many companies do this to stay in line with emerging trends or adjust to environmental and global changes, new technologies, communication channels, customer consumption patterns, or just a change in their competitive landscape. There are many reasons to evolve with the times when we are managing a company’s brand. As marketing professionals, this is another reason we need to stay updated with market research and keep an eye on what is happening in our industry if we want our brands to stay relevant. Let’s talk about some brands in the pet industry that have evolved successfully since their start.
Mars Petcare
Mars Petcare started out acquiring brands like Pedigree and Whiskas because their focus was on affordable pet food for pet parents. They then decided to grow through acquisition and wanted to cater to premium pet food trends. This was when they started to evolve and decided to acquire Royal Canin and Iams. These brands allowed them to compete in high-end and veterinarian-recommended pet food categories, positioning Mars Petcare as a leader across multiple segments.
Chewy
Chewy came to the market as an online retailer of pet products as a competitor in the e-commerce market. They offered a wide variety of pet foods, pet toys, and accessories for many different species and breeds. They evolved by introducing Chewy Pharmacy, which would offer prescription medications and pet health products, and even offered pet parents the convenient option of having telehealth veterinary consults through their Connect with a Vet platform. Mixed with their outstanding customer service, Chewy has successfully evolved its brand into a name that carries customer loyalty with it.
Purina
Purina has been a recognizable name in the pet food arena since its start. However, when pet parents starting to change their preferences to natural and organic pet food options, Purina needed to evolve and adapt to meet the demands of their customers if they wanted to keep their level of relevance in the pet industry. This was when they created Purina Pro Plan and Beyond. These brands focused on the natural, grain-free, and high-protein pet ingredients that pet parents were looking for in their pet’s food. They also evolved their packaging into more sustainable and recyclable options to help reduce the environmental footprint they previously had because they saw that pet parents held this as a consideration factor when shopping for their products as well.
As you can see, even these big names in the pet industry have had to experience their own brand evolution process along the way. Many of us know the names but may not have realized where they started and what they have had to do to become the brands we know and love today. We can also see how successful brand evolution comes in many forms, from responding to consumer trends by becoming more innovative with our product and service offerings to adopting new distribution channels and acquiring new brands. So next time you do market research, if your brand’s metrics are beginning to slow or flat line, consider options for evolving the brand into other markets or offerings that can better meet their target audience’s needs. This can keep them relevant and keep them having “Pawsitive Results”!
Did you enjoy this post? Read about using the power of comparative messaging to help brands stand out in my last post!
