Lucky Lou a huge success

The company, which is based in Fellbach near Stuttgart, has come up with some new ideas for its new brand. It is already unique in that the concept and design of the brand were developed and implemented not by an outside marketing agency, but in house. To make it a success, the management gave considerable thought with the marketing team to the look of Lucky Lou: the brand was to radiate a fresh, modern appearance and fit in with the world of social networks, which are increasingly important to marketing. To convey the brand’s message, the company invented Lucky Lou, an appealing feline with humorous sayings to create a cheerful mood. Advertising slogans and product descriptions are deliberately formulated in everyday language that is comprehensible to everyone while including key information on ingredients and useful feeding recommendations.

Launching the new brand at Interzoo with around 80 products is an indication of the high hopes that Pets Nature has for Lucky Lou. Three product lines are available: Lifestage with products geared to the life cycle of cats, SuperMono, which features products with only one source of protein for each variety, and an Extra Food line with products containing exclusively natural ingredients.

With regard to the price positioning of the brand, Pets Nature appears to be in tune with the current mood of consumers, which is characterised by price sensitivity and restraint in these times of high inflation. Although the products are of premium quality, the price is pitched around 20 per cent below that of the company’s Catz Finefood brand. The company has thereby succeeded in appealing with its new brand to customers who rate quality but are price-conscious when they shop.

Pets Nature has made advances in recent months not only with its new cat food brand. It has also succeeded in getting a grip on its interim supply problems relatively quickly. Its warehouse in Hechingen, which has been in operation since 2005, has now outgrown its capacity and last year Pets Nature secured joint use of the 25 000 m² high-bay warehouse of a logistics company in Ladbergen, north of Münster. This has currently given the pet food manufacturer another 4 500 pallet spaces, with the option to increase this volume if required. This will afford Pets Nature security with regard to its planning for the next few years and the possibility to grow further at home and abroad in the future. 

Although around 90 per cent of Pets Nature’s sales are in its domestic market, the company is also looking specifically for suitable country markets beyond Germany and Austria. Poland and Switzerland are two of its strongest export destinations in Europe. Pets Nature has also developed satisfactorily in Asia, where it works with contractual partners in China, Japan and South Korea. This year the company will exhibit for the first time at the Pet Fair South East Asia in Bangkok.

Although Pets Nature has switched in recent years to steadily increasing its number of own brands, strong outside brands like Schesir, No Hide, Orijen and Acana, which it distributes exclusively in Germany and Austria, continue to provide important elements of the product range. With Vince & Vince, Pets Nature has even added a regional pet food brand to its portfolio. It is important to the company to place external brands on the same footing as its own brands when it comes to distribution.