How does a legacy pet food brand differentiate a DTC Approach?

Industry leader IAMS™ needed to create a direct-to-consumer experience that’s unique from the retail experience while still providing the value and reliability that their customers love. The goal? Minimize channel conflict and convert new customers.

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Strategizing the On-Shelf vs. Online Experience‍

We began by defining our overarching goal: to establish a winning value proposition for IAMS™ that would differentiate the DTC experience from the retail experience and position IAMS™ as the choice for both. A few subgoals that laddered up to our main objective:

• Minimize channel conflict
• Reach new audiences
• Modernize the brand experience

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‍Mitigating Risk with Prototypes & Validated Solutions

To de-risk the DTC launch, we tested and validated which value proposition would resonate most with this consumer. We developed prototypes of ads and landing pages to test variables including product features, customer experiences, messaging, brand initiatives, and pricing. These prototypes were the stimuli that guided the research. We conducted around of qualitative in-depth interviews and three rounds of quantitative testing using facebook ads, landing pages, and surveys. The prototypes were updated based on the findings after every round of research.

Example: Would personalization or a custom blend message test better?

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Results

Based on the findings, we recommended IAMS™ launch its DTC presence with a convenience-based value proposition which focused on product bundling options and a simple quiz. The solution was feasible for IAMS™ to execute immediately, differentiated it from the retail experience, gathered first-party data, and elevated the brand in the mind’s of the consumer. What’s more, the DTC approach parallels the IAMS™ brand benefit of Unique Best.

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And looking ahead, our team laid out a product roadmap for MVP2 that IAMS™ can execute over time.