MxMIndia

Tag: Pedigree

  • Pet parent Sanjeev Kotnala suggests a win-win intervention for businesses and himself

    Bow-wow! An Opportunity for Pet-Friendly Marketing

     

     

    By Sanjeev Kotnala

     

    Sanjeev KotnalaMilo Kotnala turned four on December 11, 2021. In the last four years, he has properly trained us. Now, we understand each of his gestures. We react to his command, anticipate his needs, and stay in his house. Everything at home is timed and made as per his needs.

     

    In four years, Milo has converted me from a cynophobic ‌to a pet lover. My daughter is lovingly called KD, short for Kutta Devi, as she takes care of strays. The strays around our block – the way they welcome and meet us -is the epitome of affectionate loving.

     

    Last Month Milo Kotnala met Dadi (Grandmother) for the first time, making a long road trip- 1300 km one way. The last time he had dome an intercity trip was a no-halt run to Indore- a mere 634 km.

     

    It all started with a call from Dadi, my mother, who is 80-plus. She said, ‘Milo se mila do- phir pata nahi kabhi mil paye’ (make me meet Milo, don’t know when and if ever I will see him). My mother has heard a lot about Milo but never met him. She did not leave Jabalpur, and Milo did not travel.

     

    THE PROBLEM.

    We are first-time pet parents, but it did not take us long to realise that we have limited options. Dadi was anyway not going to travel to Mumbai. It is not easy to travel with a pet on a flight in India. There are restrictions and daunting procedures. In fact, one or two airlines allow pets on board too if they are less than 5kg, on a leash and take the last seat. Procedurally, the train is a lot easier. One has to go a day early to the luggage department, show the documents and get a ticket for the pet. Despite the requests, you submit there is no surety of getting the first-class AC couple coupe. Or buy all four tickets of the first-class AC coupe because if the co-passengers object, the pet goes to the breakvan, and that was something we were not ready for.

     

    The Solution

    It left us with no choice but to drive the distance.

     

    So, we decided to take a break at two places. Phase 1, Mumbai-Aurangabad, a 7.5 hr, 365 km run. Phase 2 Aurangabad-Nagpur, 477 km demanding a 9-hour plus ride. And the last phase  Nagpur-Jabalpur, a mere 254 km was done quickly in five-odd hours. We decided to do with a stop at Pachmarhi on the return leg. This planning aided with Google Maps seemed fine.

     

    The Second Problem

    The problem was finding accommodation that allowed a pet stay. All the travel sites from Agoda, Booking.com. TripAdvisor, MakeMytrip, Goibibo – have this filter. The surprise was finding not many possibilities in Nagpur, Aurangabad and Panchmarhi. These included homestays or hiring of the complete villa or living in tents. If that was not enough, there were limited eating spaces where a pet is allowed.

     

    We did find some places and tried picking the best possible solution. We stayed in Treebo Lalji and Taj Vivanta on return leg in Aurangabad. The Royal Palms in Nagpur and the Adventure Camp in Panchmarhi.

     

    The Experience

    Our experience was mixed. We realised that ‘Pets Allowed’ means nothing. It is a superficial filter and an obligation. What we need is pet parents to re-classify and tag hotels differently.

     

    The accommodations could be further classified and tagged. ‘Pets Allowed’ is the basic level. ‘Tolerate Pets’ as in Treebo. ‘Welcome Pets’ as in Taj Vivanta. ‘Love Pets’ or ‘Real Pet-Friendly’ loved as in ‘The Royal Palms’ and ‘Adventure Camp’.

     

    A pets allowed or pets accepted hotel was a pure business proposition, and it was a con job. They were ill-equipped for even treating the pet well enough. The authentic pet-friendly accommodation went out of its way to ensure food was available. Pets were allowed access to various areas, and there were not too many restrictions. Actually, one wanted an ambience like Café PeFe  at in Andheri, where Milo went for his birthday celebration. It is a pet café- where humans are also allowed in. Or one wanted the feel of Manas resort, Igatpuri  on Mumbai Nashik Road or the Forest County at Panchgani where a pet is respected – cared for and loved like they should be.

     

    The Need

    Like most other pet parents, I am part of a few social groups of pet owners and do meet pet parents. It is not too tough to understand the level of love care for their pet. For us, Milo Kotnala is the third child in the family. We are always on the lookout for proper care, be it food, medicine, toys, or spending time with him. And that is not special. I think that is true for almost all pet parents.

     

    The Offer

    The marketing person in me has clearly experienced and felt the need for some pet-friendly intervention for travelling pet parents on major routes and in holiday destinations. Yes, there are many claiming to be pet-friendly, however they need a basic rejig to transform the experience. And I am willing to take it further. I have clear images and thoughts, design and demands. One is looking at is some companies or brands like Pedigree or Drools joining, spearheading or funding to create the experience. It will be is a perfect CSR activity/ initiative for them.

     

    The Request

    Trust me, pet parents will be willing to pay a premium for the experience. You know where to contact me. If you know of authentically pet-friendly places or have first-hand experience- one would love to hear and amplify them. And please do always write your reviews from a pet point of view. It will help many pet parents make the right calls.

     

  • To promote Pedigree’s Small Dog pet food range in India

    Mars Petcare films campaign for Pedigree dog food

    By Our Staff

     

    Pet food company Mars Petcare, has introduced a new advertising campaign promoting Pedigree’s Small Dog pet food range in India. The new 15 second advertising campaign promotes the concept of feeding the right food to the small dogs. This ad camp has been conceptualized with the tagline “Small dogs, live large”.

     

    Said Ganesh Ramani, General Manager, Mars Petcare India: “Dogs, from a very young age, need to be fed food according to their size and nutritional requirements. Keeping in mind the rapid growth and development that takes place in the initial life stages of pets, we need to provide variants best suited to provide vital nutrients and minerals. We are delighted to announce the launch of PEDIGREE®’s Small Dog pet food for puppies and adults in India. These are bite-sized, easily chewable, come in many colours and are packed with vital nutrients and minerals. They are manufactured in flavours such as lamb and chicken and with milk and vegetables to give complete health to pets from a very young age and improve their wellbeing.”

     

     

  • The ad film for the campaign has been conceptualised and produced by Zee5 and the initiative is being supported by DonateKart

    Pedigree ad urges India to ensure stray dogs don’t ever go hungry

    By A Correspondent

     

    Petfood major Pedigree, a brand of Mars Petcare, has introduced a new advertising campaign promoting the health and care of stray dogs. Conceptualised and produced by Zee5 the ad film for the campaign will be aired Zee5 and also on YouTube. Strategically supported by BBDO India, the initiative will be amplified through collaborations with DonateKart, key influencers, as well as through social and digital channels.

     

    Said Ganesh Ramani, General Manager, Mars Petcare spokesperson: “India has a large number of street dogs estimated to be more than 2.5-3 crores in number. They were dependent on the people for their food and care. The pandemic has rendered strays helpless as they search for food and shelter on empty streets. Many dog lovers and kind hearted people stepped up to support them during the last few months. With this advertisement, we wanted to spread awareness about caring for and feeding strays and giving them their due importance. To intensify the effort, we have partnered with DonateKart to amplify the #FeedtheStrays initiative and both Pedigree and DonateKart would together be providing 9000 meals free for feeding the strays. Zee5 has amazingly captured the essence of the cause and we hope that it inspires dog lovers across the country to participate in the initiative.”

     

    Speaking about the initiative, Rajeev Dhal, Chief Revenue Officer, Zee5 India added: “The pandemic has been tough for all of us, especially for our stray furry friends. Needless to say, the prospect of partnering for such a cause was close to all our hearts and we are really happy to see how well the film has turned out. Being a part of ZEE’s 27-year-old legacy, ZEE5 has always had a nuanced understanding of human emotions which reflects in the content we create. The same ethos is visible in this ad film too. We hope the initiative witnesses widespread participation and we are all able to contribute in our own way to make the lives of our four-legged friends better.”

     

     

  • The TVC urges people to bring home joy by adopting a dog

    Voot Studio partners Pedigree for campaign on Mother’s Day

    By A Correspondent

     

    Voot Studio partnered with Pedigree to celebrate Mother’s Day in an unconventional manner. Through this campaign, Voot Studio and Pedigree along with Mediacom as agency partner, urged people to adopt dogs.

     

    Pedigree has tied up with 25+ pet NGOs to drive the cause of adoption for stray dogs.

     

    Speaking about the initiative, Akash Banerji, Business Head–Advertising Video Platform, VOOT, said: “We recently launched our Voot Studio programme, an industry-first initiative that partners with brands around compelling storytelling and platform integrations, to drive their brand narrative for the new-age consumer.  Our association with Pedigree is with the aim of creating ROI for a brand much beyond the 30 second ad spot..”

     

    Added Mohit Arora, Marketing Director, Pet Nutrition India: “BringHomeJoy campaign was visualized keeping our vision of “making a better world for pets” in front &center.  As category leaders we take pride in driving responsible pet ownership, one such initiative is creating awareness and consideration around pet adoption. By involving & directing all digital engagement to 25 partner pet adoption agencies across 16 cities,  we hope to start an initiative to find more loving homes for all pets.”

     

    Said Navin Khemka, CEO – South Asia, Mediacom: “Pet lovers know that pets are like their own kids. We dedicate this campaign to every pet caring person and are confident that many families will come forward and adopt a dog. In todays world we need more compassion, care and understanding. We are fortunate to be involved in co-creating this campaign with Voot Studio & Team Pedigree.”