What to Expect at the 2015 Global Pet Expo: Cardinal Laboratories
Barbara Denzer, vice president of marketing for Cardinal Laboratories shares what attendees should expect from Global Pet Expo.
Which areas of the pet grooming and health care category is Cardinal Laboratories planning to focus on this year?
We continue to focus on healthy foods and treats that are highly appealing to dogs, like Pet Botanics Healthy Omega Treats, which now are being made in the US. These are unique five-layer treats, packed with Vitamins A, D & E and Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids, which are made with a total of eight human-grade food ingredients that you might actually find in your own diet. They’re available in three flavors – chicken, duck and salmon – with meat being the number one ingredient. Dogs find them irresistible, while owners can feel great about giving their pet such a high-quality, health-beneficial treat.
On the grooming side, we’re introducing a new line of dog shampoos called California SunShine Factory. The “Shine” is for the shininess they add to canine coats, and the “Sun” signifies that they are made completely with solar power. The shampoos are available in four varieties: Oatmeal for Itchy Skin; Oxygenated for Extra Dirty Dogs; Shine for Dry, Damaged, Dull Coats; and Deodorizing for Odor Removal. All California SunShine Factory varieties have two uniquemain ingredients: Coconut Water (instead of the standard deionized water) for addedhydration and Sunflower Oil forshiny coats.
How are Cardinal Laboratories’ latest innovations addressing consumer demands?
Consumers continue to demand and trust pet products that are made in the US. This is why we have introduced new made-in-the-USA Pet Botanics Healthy Omega Treats.
Another thing today’s pet consumers are looking for are “green” products that are made in an earth-friendly environment. Cardinal has been an industry pioneer in this area; we have converted our Azusa manufacturing/distribution campus into a 100% solar-powered facility, becoming the first business in our city to go off the power grid. Cardinal now has “net zero” energy usage; we actually harvest enough power from our solar-collection system to send electricity back to Azusa’s grid.
Consumers tell us time and again that they feel good about buying Cardinal’s products, not only because of the quality of the products themselves, but because they’re made using sustainable, environmentally-friendly practices.
What would you like retailers to get out of their experience with Cardinal Laboratories at the show?
We are always advising retailers that they should know:
1) Who the specific pet consumers are in their market
2) What types of products these customers are looking for.
When retailers visit the Cardinal booth, they will see that we offer many different product lines designed to appeal to varying consumer segments. For instance our Pet Botanics line focuses on health and natural products. Our French-themed Viva La Dog Spa is an upscale brand targeted toward people who enjoy pampering their pets. Furrever Devoted is built around the slogan “Devoted to Pets, People & The Planet,” emphasizing the love and loyalty we feel for our pets and our desire to be socially responsible and give back to our planet. Our Crazy Pet brand celebrates the fun and joy of pet ownership, with a cast of colorful dog and cat cartoon characters as “spokespets.” Remedy + Recovery fills an often-overlooked niche with an entire selection of medicated lotions, styptic powders, e-collars and other home first aid products for pets.
So what we would like to convey to retailers at Global—and in general—is that there no “one-size-fits-all” pet product consumer and that Cardinal offers many options they can choose from to target the specific customers in their market.
How has Cardinal Laboratories applied what they’ve learned to help them build momentum and create enthusiasm about your latest product offering leading up to the show?
Cardinal reaches out to retailers, pet professionals and pet owners in a variety of ways, including ads, social media and email blasts; we publish and send out a total of four very unique, quick to read e-newsletters on either a monthly or bi-monthly basis. And sometimes we like to do things that are a little more dramatic and unconventional—as our BotaniFits “doggie singing group” illustrates.
We also feel it’s important to be involved in programs that engage and support pet professionals such as trainers and groomers, since these are the “influentials” who drive sales to pet owners. For more than 25 years, we have sponsored the Cardinal Crystal Awards, which honor grooming professionals for outstanding achievements. We will be announcing some exciting changes to the Cardinal Crystal Awards program at Global, including the addition of cash prizes.