photo credit to Jordan Probst
It’s no surprise that human eating habits are trickling down to their pets.
Case in point is the mainstreaming of raw food diets. Raw pet foods come with the promise of broader health benefits, and is experiencing strong growth.
Brands like Bold by Nature, and also its immediate competitors Mountain Dog Food and Big Country Raw, are reaping the benefits of spiking pet ownership amidst lockdown, and trialing new products to find the best way to dote on their cats and dogs.
“With humans, we’ve seen a real transition to focusing on more natural ingredients in the past few years – and now we’re seeing that focus turning over to our pets,” says Bold by Nature owner and founder Caroline Bolduc. “We recently issued a survey of Canadian pet owners, and 96% consider their pet a member of their family.”
The Erin, Ontario-based Bold by Nature – previously the separate Bold Raw and Mega Dog brands – is rebranding, completely updating its packaging to be more user-friendly, informative and visually engaging, according to Bolduc.
The resulting visual aesthetic is one that’s more premium tea than bag of kibble.
The move to combine two sub-brands into one master brand is for a more modern feel to attract a millennial audience. And Bolduc says that with over 40 product SKUs and multiple lines, the redesign worked to provide a more cohesive identity across the product portfolio and messaging that spoke boldly to break down consumer barriers. Key features of the packaging include a custom die-cut brand emblem, spot UV finish of the brand pattern on Bold by Nature Select boxes and integration of freezer-safe materials.
The packaging is being supplemented by in-store marketing collateral, including branded social distancing stickers for store lineups and window clings.
“Bold graphics and messaging help to guide the consumer on the brand’s new name and packaging, with assets also created to help facilitate the overall shopping experience in-store,” Bolduc says.
According to Bolduc, the brand has always believed in empowering its retail partners, and giving them all of the tools needed to feel confident about serving its products to their customers.
“We’ve provided education to our retailers and are encouraging them to send customers to our easy-to-use website to learn more about how to make the switch to raw and understand how simple feeding your pet raw can be,” she says.
The messaging emphasizes that serving a raw diet needn’t be a challenge. A recent survey the brand conducted reveals 42% of respondents haven’t explored raw pet food, “because they think it’s complicated – and that’s just not the case,” Bolduc says.
The interactive website to help break down barriers commonly associated with raw pet food, and comes complete with a questionnaire to help determine the right raw diet for a pet, and a feeding calculator to help people determine feed quantity.
According to Bolduc, supplementary messaging will also come through its newly branded Instagram and Facebook channels, which will speak directly to its brand pillars, focusing on on product and education, pet love and wellness, and key partnerships.
Toronto’s Apt. Agency helmed the re-brand, including the strategy, positioning, naming and an updated visual identity. The agency also brought to life the brand’s new website experience, packaging, paid and organic social content, and all marketing materials. Media Profile is executing the PR and influencer components of the Bold by Nature rebrand.