What to Expect at the 2015 Global Pet Expo: Sojos
Pet Insight spoke with Ward Johnson, owner and president of Sojos, to hear what Johnson is looking forward to at Global Pet Expo.
What kind of innovation can retailers expect to see from Sojos at this year’s Global Pet Expo?
We’ve chosen Global Pet Expo as the launching pad for Sojos Wild™, our new ultra-premium, grain-free line of exotic protein dog foods. The high-protein, forager fresh recipes are made with raw, freeze-dried venison, wild boar and wild-caught salmon as the number one ingredient. Like Sojos Complete, Sojos Wild is shelf stable and easy to prepare—and none of the natural, raw nutrients have been cooked out. Pet parents just add water, soak and serve.
Which areas of the raw consumables category is Sojos planning to focus on this year?
At Sojos, our focus begins and ends with one overarching goal: transforming the lives of pets. To that end, we’re going to stay the course and continue creating shelf-stable mixes that define the “sweet spot” between kibble convenience and the uncompromised nutrition of raw.
How are Sojos’ latest innovations addressing consumer demands?
Obviously, exotic proteins are growing in popularity. But we think concerned pet parents are looking for more than just novel ingredients and wilderness package imagery. That’s why, above all, new Sojos Wild™ is lean, healthy and, of course, raw. The high-protein recipes are made with USDA-inspected, free-range venison, wild boar, and wild-caught salmon as the number one ingredient. But equally important, like all of our meat-first recipes, the freeze-dried proteins are balanced with just the right complement of human-grade fruits and veggies.
What would you like retailers to get out of their experience with Sojos at the show?
Global Pet Expo is a great venue for renewing long-standing retail relationships—and forging new ones. We look forward to sharing the thinking behind our latest new products—and introducing retailers to the newest additions to our growing national sales team.
How has Sojos applied what it has learned to help build momentum and create enthusiasm about its latest product offering leading up to the show?
We’ve been previewing Sojos Wild™ at pre-launch meetings with our distributors over the month leading up to Global Pet Expo. As a result, many will have products in stock and ready to fill orders placed at the show. At the same time, we’ll begin introducing Sojos Wild™ to the world through our website, promotional mailings, trade advertising and, of course, the Global Pet Expo’s new product showcase. We’re excited to pull back the veil on our new ultra-premium line, and Expo is a great springboard for the launch.