For dogs who think they are people…complicated people.
I knew that launching the Cesar brand in the United States was going to be a challenge, but it never occurred to me that it would also be really fun. Because it was imperative that we understand what motivated people to buy a tiny tin of canned dog food that cost at least double the price of anything else on the shelf, we needed to understand the owners of Cesar dogs.
We were fortunate to have access to an extensive pet owner segmentation analysis that explained the four key types of dog owners and their primary concerns regarding their pets’ welfare. We weren’t sure, however, which type of dog owner was actually buying Cesar. First, we applied a tiny survey (four questions and a $20 incentive for participation) on the bottom of 15,000 Cesar containers. The Cesar factory associates ensured that cases of those special tins were sent out to all regions of the country. We were astonished that 2,500 customers responded to the questionnaires. The research team contacted 200 of them to participate in a much lengthier survey. Perhaps the most important thing we learned was that people who bought Cesar were extremely loyal and frequent purchasers. Furthermore, when asked what brand they would buy if a store didn’t carry Cesar, 70% said that wouldn’t buy another brand.
But we also learned that people who bought Cesar did not think of their pets as dogs. They were wonderful companions and were much more like people than dogs. We were not in the dog food business. We were in the relationship business. People bought Cesar to express appreciation for their dog’s companionship. We didn’t even show the product in our first print campaign, “Food for sophisticated dogs.” The ads ran in fashion magazines, Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, and Town & Country. We didn’t start advertising on television until the brand had been on the market for nearly five years. Here are some of those early ads.
The Cesar Launch Campaign
Year 3: Celebrity Print Campaign
The Cesar TV Campaigns
“Cocktail Party”
The first Cesar television commercial went on air nearly five years after the launch. The product is the star of a lighthearted story that demonstrates the product’s uniqueness without saying a word.
“I will always be your co-pilot.”
About two years later, the next television campaign focused more on the relationship between the pet and his companion, reinforcing the message conveyed by the new celebrity print campaign.