Helping a Leader Disrupt its Own Industry
Innovation Lab
Challenge
The pet food industry was changing fast. Online services were driving down margins while interest in premium food were soaring. Mars knew more about nutrition, pets and owners than anyone, but nothing about selling directly to consumers. They wanted to explore the possibility and uncover what they could offer that no other company could.
Solution
We designed a 7-week lab to identify all the pain points in the dog food buying process, things like hard-to-handle bags, knowing how much is left, and accommodating dog’s changing needs. Once identified, we honed in on the top challenges we could solve then went to work on prototyping solutions to solve them. From text-based reordering and more-convenient packaging to age-based suggestions and food-finder quizzes, we tried it all to see what worked best.
Results
All the learnings from our Innovation Lab process informed the newly-launched Puppo.com. From custom recipes to easy-to-manage delivery schedules, this new platform helps owners know they are getting the right nutrition for their dog at the right time. It’s also a learning platform for Mars to work with their customers and learn how to best serve them.
Services
- 7-Week Innovation Lab
- Prototyping
- Ecommerce
- Texting
- Media Strategy
- Direct to Consumer
- Research
- Strategy
- Packaging
- Messaging
- Copywriting
- Consumer Validation
- See all
Getting your dog food delivered on the wrong day can result in a very sad dog or some really happy squirrels. We solved the subscription problem by letting people manage their delivery schedule via text, and leveraging what we learned to refine their schedules.
In addition to keeping delivery schedules up-to-date, our prototype used data-driven recommendations to ensure dogs got the best and tastiest nourishment possible. From tracking their age to suggesting supplements, we designed to program to anticipate their needs.
Fetch, Puppo, Fetch!
After much testing and refinement, the idea born during our Innovation Lab process is now live at Puppo.com. Our in-house product testers, Stella and Tucker, give it two-paws up for tastiness and convenience.
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