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This concern for canine welfare is a strong feature of all elements
of brand communications. The quirky voiceover on the
Pedigree.com website leaves the visitor in no doubt about where
the priorities of the dog-food brand lie: “Some people are for the
whales, some are for the trees. We’re for dogs.”
Another good example is the Pedigree Adoption Drive, a global
campaign that began in the US three years ago and was launched
in Ireland this year. This programme, which is expected to become
an annual event, raised €100,000 by donating a certain percentage
of the sale of each Pedigree product to the Irish Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) and 20 dog shelters
across the country.
Fronted by brand ambassador and Off The Rails presenter
Caroline Morahan, the through-the-line campaign ran from January
to March and was supported by on-pack promotions, TV, outdoor,
internet and PR.
The creative, which was done by Cawley Nea, the Irish subsidiary
of Mars’ global advertising partner TBWA, included locally pro-
duced television commercials shot in the ISPCA National Animal
Centre in Longford.
“We shot three commercials,” says Adam Clarke, Pedigree
account manager at Cawley Nea. “The first highlighted the problem
of abandoned dogs. The second was a story about a specific dog.
The third showed that dog being rehomed, so it was like a success
story. Between them, the commercials highlighted the plight of
homeless dogs in Ireland. As well as raising a lot of money for the
dog shelters and the ISPCA, the campaign increased Pedigree
sales by 8pc during the period it ran.”
Such local sourcing of commercials is relatively rare for
Pedigree’s Irish marketing team, which for cost reasons takes most
Brand timeline
of its brand communication templates from other markets and then
localises them, rather than making commercials from scratch here.
1957 – Chappie Ltd renamed Pedigree Petfoods Ltd
The TV commercials for the new product, ‘Better by Nature’, are a
1960 – Chum dogfood launched in the UK
case in point. The commercial, which features a dog loping through
1964 – Chum renamed Pedigree Chum and begins long-
a field, was shot in the UK and has been given an Irish voiceover.
However, Looney emphasises that the local input remains very
standing association with Crufts Dog Show
important. “Being one of the most successful Pedigree markets
1965 – The Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition is estab-
anywhere, we have a big part to play in terms of European copy
lished in the UK to identify the dietary needs, preferences
developed. So we might be small in size but we punch above
and behaviour of pets
our weight.”
Looking ahead to the coming years, Looney is confident that not
1968 – Kal Kan Petfoods is acquired in the US and Mars
only can Pedigree maintain its position in the Irish market, it can fur-
begins its association with US pet owners and pets
ther tighten its grip. “We continue to expand both within this mar-
1989 – Pedigree dog food launched in Brazil
ket and globally. The brand is growing and will continue to grow and
increase share. We’re pretty aggressive in terms of where we think
1995 – Production of Pedigree begins at Luzhniki, 100km
we can take the brand over the next five to 10 years.”
from Moscow, and Huairou, China — Russian and
Competitors might have something to say about such bullish
Chinese consumers are introduced to the brand
predictions but even they would have to admit that, by any meas-
ure — market share, innovation, brand communications —
Pedigree is anything but a dog of a brand.
38 Marketing Age May/June ’08
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