The pop-up shop is part of a month-long event that unites pet lovers, provides easy ways for visitors to help pets in need and engages customers with the Halo brand and mission to give back to the community.

People are being encouraged to “pop in and do good,” for pets by supporting the Halo Pet Foundation in a variety of ways including charitable donations, pet adoption, raffles and more. Since the Halo Pet Foundation has no overhead costs, because they are covered by Halo, Purely for Pets, every dollar raised through the pop-up — and overall — goes directly to help pets.

Halo’s commitment to philanthropy is one of the many reason’s retailers I spoke to last night told me they stock the company’s products.

“I want to work with someone who wants to help save the animals,” Paul S. Leonard, owner of Animal Appetites Ltd. in Wantagh, N.Y., explained. “It puts in your mind the company is behind us. To see a company that wants to help the animals is an important thing.”

Paul told me Halo is “possibly one of the best foods for allergies out there,” adding that he sells “a lot” of their canned cat food.

Various members of our staff spent the past two days at the new pop-up shop, getting an up-close look at how the pop-up works and the company’s dedication to pets, as well as their retailers. Last night’s event kicked off a full month of public events, which includes pet adoptions, a pet fashion show and a book signing by Dr. Marty Becker.

Those types of events, which help build brand awareness and introduce consumers, to their products is one of the reasons Stefanos Tsartsalis likes working with Halo.

“This event they are doing is going to raise the awareness of the brand, and the direction the market is going,” Stefanos, the general manager of Pet Central in Manhattan, explained. “It helps educate the consumer on what they should, and shouldn’t feed their pets, and in a location where thousands and thousands of people pass by in a day. It educates people about the brand so people will come in [to a retail store] and ask about it.”

A controversial video explaining what you are doing wrong and how to succeed in the pet business.

The 10 Signs are:

1. You Have 1 SKU

2. Your Marketing Budget is $0

3. You Think Posting Cute Dog Pictures on Facebook will drive Demand for your Product

4. You Think You Can Get Into a Major Account without a Rep

5. You Have No Brand Recognition and Think Petsmart will Carry Your Product

6. You Believe the Ridiculous Category Stats that Pet is a $50 Billion Industry

7. You Think You can Build Your Business with Distributors

8. You Don’t Know How to Pay for Marketing & PR

9. You Write Dealer Orders at Trade Shows

10. Your Packaging Looks Like a 4th Grader Designed It

It’s not your fault, but you need to get help. Drop the rubber nose and big shoes and give us a call.

Contact Bulldog Marketing & Sales Today for a FREE 1/2 Hour Consult info@bulldogms.com.

Learn more about Bulldog Marketing & Sales and check out all of the FREE pet marketing advice at:

http://www.bulldogms.com

The show floor takes up the entire Javits Center. Anything and everything having to do with retail is there.

It is the perfect place to find used POS equipment, carts, time and attendance software, fixtures, sign making software and hardware, mobile solutions, credit card processors, literally anything you can think of to help retailers, and not just for the big boys. I got plenty of ideas and names for stuff I may be able to use.

The NRF also puts on a whole day of sessions especially for independent retailers. For me, it is the highlight of the show. You cannot feel anything but inspired after you listen to a few of these folks. I don’t care who you are, you need to feel inspired every once in a while. For me, it is nourishment. I come away with a gazillion ideas (most of which will never work) but my mind is recharged and ready to try and make my business better and more loved by my customers.

Since you are an avid reader of my columns, you know I am on the board of the NRF. This was my third meeting, so I am now pretty comfortable with my board “peeps.” The board meeting was very interesting.

What struck me as the biggest “duh” was every retailer in the room has the same problem – getting employees. Did you know that retail employs one in four people in the U.S.?

So there is a pretty good sized outreach to colleges, and even high schools about trying to raise the perception of a retail career. Retail is not on the “sexy” list for most young people. The image is standing behind a register for the rest of your life. Fact is, retail is lots of IT (somebody has to design and run the computers), design, manufacturing, management, logistics, etc.

I chuckled to myself as I listened to our chairman, Terry Lundgren from Macy’s, talk about what they are doing to encourage young people to go into retail. Why did I chuckle? He has, are you ready, 170,000 employees! Can you imagine?

I sat next to the chairman of Tractor Supply, who is a very nice guy. On the other side of me was the CEO of BJ’s Wholesale Club. I asked her where she was staying.
Where do you think? She is CEO of an $11 billion company. The Four Seasons? The Ritz? Maybe The Plaza? Nope, the Comfort Inn. I said, “You’re kidding, right?” “Nope, BJ’s is a value conscious business. How would it look to my customers and employees if I stayed in a fancy hotel she said?”

Right, silly me. It’s that culture thing. The cool thing about her is she walks the walk. Look her up on Google – Laura Sen. Read her history and interviews, it is a wonderful lesson on leadership.

Getting back to the sessions, it blows my mind that there aren’t more indie retailers there of all industries, to take advantage of all they offer. I am not preaching to you, I am stating a fact. You cannot learn new things sitting in your store. There are conferences all over the country that have great speakers. I was in sessions with folks from our biggest competitors. They understand how important it is to know how to reach today’s consumer. I heard case studies from companies that use all kinds of marketing tools. These folks don’t give away secrets, but they give you enough basic ideas of how, and why you need to do certain things.

Even at our industry shows the folks who put these on go to great lengths to get speakers who are there to help you grow your business. I don’t believe there is a single reader out there that won’t learn something from at least one of the sessions at a trade show.

This year I learned how to get the attention of customers who are walking down an aisle. I also learned how to get folks to walk down an aisle that is getting no traffic. Most importantly, I learned how to engage with my customers on the level they want to be engaged with. That info is worth untold dollars. It will become my secret weapon in my stores.

What to do instead: Advertise in trade magazines while you are building distribution.

2. Not testing your product concept with research.  Everyone loves their creations, but do consumers?  Also, the first thing a retail buyer is wondering when they review your product is – will consumers buy this?  Should I take a risk on this product?

What to do instead: It is really smart to consider doing a small research study among consumers in your target market.  Use best practices to find out if there is a market for your product.  If people hate it you will save a ton of money moving a bad idea forward.  If the results are positive, you can use them in your sales presentation.  It helps take the risk out of your product in the buyer’s mind.

3. Not getting help NOW!  Many of our clients try to do everything themselves first.  They spend a ton of money sending out samples and advertising in consumer magazines (without any distribution of their product) and making other mistakes.  They come to us exhausted and desperate and broke.

What to do instead: Hire an expert in the pet industry.  It doesn’t have to be us, but someone that can help you navigate the pitfalls and get you back on track.

Of course if you want a free consult, contact us at: info@bulldogms.com or call 718-218-4PET (4738) to set up an appointment.

Visit www.bulldogms.com for more FREE pet marketing & sales advice.

Curating these stories allow you to worry about your business, while we deliver you the best of the web. Typically, we share them in real-time on our Twitter feed, and sometime Facebook page. Eventually, we hope to share these with you daily right here on our blog.

Here are several stories we think are important to check out:

- Just because you are a small company, it doesn’t mean you aren’t vulnerable to a cyber attack. Entrepreneur’s John Patrick Pullen takes a look at a company where laptops were stolen during a break-in causing numerous issues, including a payroll mishap.  It also includes tips on how you can protect your business.

- Same-day delivery is going to change the retail world, and independent retailers are going to have to change their tactics if they want to compete, according to an article in Ad Age.

- Oh Facebook! Here we go again. TechCrunch is reporting that during a big press event tomorrow, Facebook will announce another new update that will change the “timeline” as we know it. According to the article, they will be launching content-specific news feeds, as well as bigger photos and ads. While we can only speculate how that will impact the way you interact with customers, you can be sure we will update you on the latest after the announcement.

They cite a study by  Dr. James Oldroyd, the world’s top researcher in the mathematics of selling, that says the days of jetting off to Los Angeles to meet with a client and then Miami the next to see another potential lead, is obsolete.

His study showed that hiring for “outside” sales positions had gone down to .5 percent annual growth and “inside” sales has grown fifteen times faster. Even salespeople who do meet with customers face-to-face are doing so less and less and over two fifths of all customers conversations conducted by “outside” salespeople are done over the phone according to Oldroyd.

It’s something we even see in our own company. Our sales people, as well as our publisher Craig, spend a lot of time on the phone. Even in the office we hear them always switching from their cell phone to the office phone while also checking their emails. Then, when they go out to meet a client, they are constantly on the phone talking to other clients during their free time.

Although they might be “on the road” all the time, they are always accessible.

The same should go for retail business owners.

Many times they only think about the customers that walk into their store. While these are customers you must constantly think about and give great customer service to, you also can’t neglect the vast amount of online shoppers, as well as those who are interacting with your social media sites. You should give them an easy, personal purchasing experience.

Social media is a great way to talk to these customers that you may never see in the store. If a customer takes the time to thank you for your product or services on social media, you should take the time to thank them back. If a customer emails you with a problem, try your best to respond as quickly as possible.

Recently, there was a discussion in our offices about the acceptable time of returning an email. I remember years back when, if you got back to them in the same day, that was acceptable. Now-a-days, email is almost being treated as a formal way of texting someone. Even in our offices some people expected an answer back within the hour, others said all day was fine. Whatever you may feel, you have to expect that your customer will want a quick and timely response.

While working with your customers face-to-face is still extremely important when they come into the store, your market and reach to customers must be much larger than that. While you continue to give excellent customer service to people in your store, don’t forget to give excellent customer service to those online as well.

2. Multiple Items (SKUs – Stock Keeping Unit). It is extremely rare for a single item to a) get sold in and on shelf (the buyer doesn’t want to bother doing the new vendor paperwork for one SKU!), b) survive if it does get on shelf. The reason is the lack of a brand block. You simply won’t be noticed. The big companies create multiple SKUs and use the 1/2 rule. Present 6, get 3 in, present 8, get 4. When I was at HJ Heinz on the Pounce Brand, we made up several flavors just to get more shelf presence. You can easily create more SKUs with more flavors, sizes or scents.

3. UPC Codes. Yes, the little code on the back of every product you buy is essential for the retailer to scan your item through their register.YOU CAN NOT BE SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT IT. They are somewhat expensive, but they are an essential cost of doing business. If you want to be taken serious by any major retail you must have a UPC code on your product. Here is the website to get you started on the road to having a UPC code. UC Council Link.

4. Product Liability Insurance. Yes, you need it and you need a minimum of $1 million for most retail chains. This is a policy you buy to protect the retailer from claims made against your product due to a defect, harm caused by your product, etc. You can find out more info about this type of insurance at this link. You can Google “Product Liability Insurance” and get a ton of sites that will give you quotes. There is no way around this requirement.

5. The Right Relationship. It is next to impossible to get your product in front of a major chain buyer without the right relationship. You can cold call and send samples to the buyer until you are blue in the face and get nowhere. You need a rep that goes to the buyer’s barbecues on the weekends. This relationship will cost you, but it’s typically 5 – 8% of wholesale sales into the chain. Yes this is an ongoing cost but worth its weight in gold and cheaper than hiring a dedicated salesperson.

While you may be stationed at your booth, and frankly, unable to personally engage with the media; a strong, informative media kit can extend your brand’s presence and increase the potential for media interest…if done right.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind to make a good first impression when preparing for your next show.

• Be sure to have a clearly identifiable label at the front of your kit. If your company has a vague name- clarify what your product is front and center. Your media kit will not be the only one in the pressroom; in fact, it will probably be one of thousands so it’s important to be distinguishable. This doesn’t mean you need to max your budget on light up, music playing, sequined kits (although that would be awesome). However, an easily identifiable and informative kit….is where it’s at.

• Identify and explain what your company does, what products you are showing, with photos, and what its place is in the industry. You may think people know who you are, but a brief statement saying who you are and where you want to be will make it that much more informative for the press.

• Include NEWS! More times than not, media attend trade shows to see and report on “what’s new.” So, tell them! Find a news angle and use it! Maybe you aren’t debuting a new product this year, but your product last year sold amazing, or you are highlighting an important feature of your product that the press may not know about- find something newsworthy and worth mention in the press.

• Tell them where you are. Any opportunity to make your booth easy to locate, the better. Put your booth number front and center, try to identify other location points to include as well, e.g. “Booth 3342 along the wall near the south entrance.” Many times you can view the show floor map prior to the show so you can tailor press materials accordingly.

• Update your releases for each show! A generic press release appears lazy and you may find niche opportunities at different shoes. Update your press releases accordingly.

• And remember, a press kit…is for the press. Press materials and other company literature are not the same. Avoid including past articles, advertising or direct mail samples and heavily data-driven sales sheets and focus on developing backgrounders and editorial-friendly materials. Save the sales sheets for the distributors and the ads for the consumers.

If dealing with the media seems like something you have no time or interest in handling on your own, consider the help of a PR firm to ensure your press kits are ready for show time!

Cheers to the 2013 trade show season! I’m sure I’ll see you around!

-Kerry

Tip: If you can get a professional to design your branded Powerpoint template — do it. It makes your presentation look so much more professional than a generic clip art job. These can be created inexpensively so look around.

1. Title slide – your company and the account logo. Include the date of the presentation/appointment. No need to include your name or the buyer’s name.

2. Agenda – not really necessary. You will want to keep your slide deck to no more than 10 slides, so this one is up to you. Sometimes it helps to have it in there for you as a guide when you are setting. You can delete it later.

3. Company Overview – who are you and your company? How long have you been in business? Why did you create the product(s)? What is the purpose of the product. A few sentences is all you need here.

4-5. Product Overview – What is your product(s)? Show some packaging graphics, etc. What flavors do they come in? What sizes, shapes, colors? What type of Point-of-Purchase display options do you have?

6. Features/Benefits – describe the top 3 features and the benefits associated from them here.

7. Consumer Research – show any research you have saying people like and will buy the product. If you have scan data from another account you can speak about it generically. You don’t need to say “Selling 4 units/week/store at Petsmart” if you are speaking to the Petco buyer – but he/she might ask if he knows you are there too.

8. Competition – who is your competition? Why are you better? Feature(s)? Price? Quality? Let the buyer know you recognize the competition, surely he/she does so get this right out of the way.

9. Pricing – you can simply state the MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) that you believe consumers are willing to pay for the product. If you know the buyer’s margin for the category you can show a simple table…See example:

MSRP $9.99
Cost $4.99
GM (gross margin) $4.99
GM % 50

The above table us usually presented at the unit, not case level.

If you don’t know the margin the buyer wants just state the price and have the discussion. Most accounts will also want 5% MDF (marketing development funds). The definition of MDF varies widely depending on the account. In grocery it usually means “slotting” or the price you pay the retailer for putting it on the shelf. In Pet retail it is usually a % of wholesale that will fund circular ads or other promotional activity. Again if you know it, list it, if not discuss it with the buyer.

10. Thank You/Next Steps – a place to write some notes and followups right in the presentation.

You could also include some specs such as how your product is casepacked, but you would typically have a 1 page sell sheet with this info that also includes your UPC codes, etc.

Good luck and Good Selling!