Friskies case study

: the dog segment : a practical approach to communication strategies in the Pet Care Market

Abstract

Friskies is part of the portfolio of the biggest player in the Portuguese Pet Food Market: Purina. The brand’s product offers include both cat and dog segments. In 2014, the Pet Care Market registered continuous growth thanks to pet’s humanization. The brand was starting to come across some challenges like its lack of leadership in several pet care categories, mostly in the dog segment. Therefore, there was a need to understand which course of action should be pursued. The focus of this thesis is to review and rethink Friskies’ communication strategy for the dog segment, by applying a strategic view over the current activities, the competition and the future challenges and opportunities of the pet care market. This is done through an overall evaluation of the communication plan through the brand’s success in terms of positioning and line extension performance. The thesis counts with a Literature Review, underpinning major theoretical concepts. It also features a Case Study and Teaching Notes, developed to allow the study of this case in academic environments. Market Research was used to reach relevant conclusions It was found that although the brand occupied a prominent place in the consumers’ minds, their perceptions were not necessarily aligned with the brand’s positioning. Perceived lack of quality and attention to detail seemed to be at the basis of this issue. Furthermore, concerning line extensions, consumers were influenced by familiarity with the product and by in-store environment, an additional factor that underlined the importance of improving the communication strategy for the dog segment. The main factors that Friskies should focus on when strategically planning communication were also unraveled. By the end of research, it was understood that marketing communication could benefit the brand in terms of financial performance, through increased brand performance in several categories.

Date of Award	2015
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Pedro Celeste (Supervisor)