Marketing Plan for Dog-Feeding Device Marketing Plan

Marketing Plan for Caninantics' "Pooch Pantry"

Situational Analysis

It is well documented that Americans love their animals and dogs lead the popularity charts for pets (Watters & Ruff, 2013). Indeed, many people grieve over the loss of a dog to the same extent they do over the loss of a close human loved one (Watters & Ruff, 2013). It's estimated that 70-80 million dogs are owned in the United States. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates that there are around 80 million dogs in the United States and that nearly half (47%) of all households in the United States own at least one dog (Facts about pet ownership, 2014).

The dog food-dispensing product developed by Caninantics provides busy pet owners with the ability to feed their dogs during their absences. The device, known as "Pooch Pantry," automatically opens dog food cans and empties the contents into a dog food bowl on a timed basis or through mobile user initiation and then dispenses the can in a trash receptacle. The device has an approximate 3- to 6-day limit (six cans), depending on the size or number of dogs. A SWOT analysis of Caninantics' Pooch Pantry is provided in Table 1 below.

Table 1

SWOT analysis

SWOT category

Analysis

Strengths

* Owner/operator/inventor has lifelong experience with dogs.

* Pooch Pantry has proven reliability.

* Pooch Pantry has unique feature of being able to open and dispense dog food cans.

Weaknesses

* Higher cost of unit compared to competitors' models that do not feature automatic can opening and dispensing.

Opportunities

* Nearly half of all American households own at least one dog, representing an enormous target market.

* Automatic dog feeding allows dog owners to avoid expense and trauma of boarding pets during extended absences.

* Following establishment of Pantry Pooch, a comparable model for cats ("Kitty Kitchen") could be developed.

Threats

* Device failure due to unexpected events (e.g., pet attacks or battery failure) could result in product liability litigation.

Although there are no current vendors offering pet food dispensers that automatically open and dispense canned food, there are some models available that provide timed feedings of portioned meals that…