Dope Product Packaging And How To Get Started with Michael From Dope Dog(2020 Webinar Series)
Okay, this brand is...well, pretty dope (no pun intended).
If you ever wanted to learn how some of these brands stand out in the pet product industry with their #droolworthy branding and packaging, you can because Dox Design put together the top brands in the pet space and interviewed them just for you, Fur Friends!
As pet industry designers AND packaging design experts, we know a thing or two about what a #droolworthy brand can do for your success.
So, we decided to pull some of the most valuable pieces from each interview in the Master Your Brand Webinar Series and provide you with some tangible steps you can take to master your brand.
For this third interview, the owner of Dox Design, Kaila, sat down with Michael from Dope Dog to chat about their branding and packaging process.
Starting from their own personal story of needing quality wellness products for their pups with joint and back pain, Dope Dog has become the go-to for high-quality CBD dog treats, CBD oils, and CBD shampoos. They’ve been featured on ABC, CBS, NBC, and none other than the O list by Oprah. If that’s not saying something, we don’t know what is!
In our opinion, their packaging and brand guidelines are really what’s helped them stand out above the rest, especially in this new and competitive industry of pet CBD oil.
Let’s dive in because Michael has the best info to share all about their process, the realness behind developing a unique brand like Dope Dog, and more!
Just Put It Out There & Keep Going
As Michael so eloquently put it, you just have to put it out there. Because let’s be honest. We’re not all-knowing. We can never tell anyone with 100% certainty how well their brand will be received. But, that never means you shouldn’t.
You never know until you start. It’s like that saying…
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
So, even if it’s not perfect, Michael recommends putting it out there and actually asking for feedback. Because consumers will be honest with you. They’re craving community, involvement, and a way to feel like they matter. So, make them matter and find out what resonates with them.
That’s when your brand can really come together!
And P.S. You can always tweak your brand. It should be ever-evolving anyways, and by sticking with your mission and knowing your why, you can evolve without isolating your current audience.
Take Time To Do The Work
As has been a big theme developing in this brand series with all of our expert speakers, it never happens overnight.
But, Michael says, don’t let the fact that you don’t have all the answers be a barrier to starting your business and putting it out in the world! No one else really has it figured out, either. Don’t be fooled by the large following on Instagram or the article they were featured in on the news or the customer reviews that get shared. We all started somewhere and it rarely, if not ever, happens overnight.
Here at Dox Design, we’re big on community over competition. So, let’s start working together to help one another in this competitive industry because we all have similar missions. Right? To better the lives of pets, pet parents, and pet lovers.
The team over at Dope Dog spent countless hours developing their brand and packaging. They invested in taking the time to read books, learn about their competition, their mission, vision, and goals. The brand came alive once they knew how they wanted to differentiate themselves from the other CBD/marijuana-focused branding and packaging.
So many decisions went into where they are now and that never happens overnight. It starts with the investment of time, money, research, and trust.
Know Your People
Dope Dog knew they wanted to design something that they themselves would buy. After all, they are their ideal customer, which helped them push forward and get what they wanted.
In the end, they created a bold, colorful brand that is significantly different from other CBD brands out there. Most CBD brands have the green leaf, more natural and marijuana-based vibes, but that’s not what they wanted. They wanted a CBD option for the modern, bold, and younger demographic who simply wanted quality wellness products for their fur babies.
A lot of pet product businesses start from a personal situation with their own pets. So, take some time to develop your ideal market, whether they have similar demographics to you or not.
There are always people you look up to in the business or influencer space, regardless of the industry. As Michael mentioned, it can sometimes be hard to mush it all together and become your own version of that inspiration.
And, sometimes it takes time to figure that out. It boils down to knowing everything about who you’re wanting to serve, whether that stems from your needs or needs of a different audience.
KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid!)
Kaila sees so many clients who want to put a bajillion and one things on their packaging. But, really, the simple brands are the ones that stand out because they are clear amongst all the chaos of the store aisles.
She and Michael recommend being purposeful in what you want them to see. Whatever your features are, you need to emphasize that one thing that makes your brand, your brand!
BELIEVE In A Common Vision
At the end of the day, the biggest reason Kaila believes Dope Dog has been able to build a captive audience and have such stand-out branding (& we’re sure Michael agrees) is that the team has a common vision.
They had to BELIEVE in their branding for it to evolve the way it has.
Michael recommends going back to the why of what you do as inspiration. At Dope Dog, they have a big idea board for future product lines, ideas, packaging, etc. The future stuff is hard and they’re struggling, too!
It can be hard to sever the bond between you and your business to take a step back and see if your brand is communicating well to your ideal customers or if you’re just following along with what you think is best or just choosing what you like. After all, your brand is not just your colors and a logo (we’ve talked about this before in other blog posts). Your brand needs structure, which makes it easier to branch out and evolve from there while keeping your brand at heart.
But, the bottom line is they allow the space to keep the ideas flowing and ensure that everyone has the same path and vision in mind. It’s at the core of what they do, and from our seat, it makes their brand pretty dope, not just their products! ;)
Some tangible steps from the interview:
Just get started. Put your dream out in the world and see what happens.
Get deep into your why. Why are you starting this business? What’s your overarching mission, regardless of the products or services you offer.
Establish the brand parameters early on! That way, it’ll be easier to keep within the boundaries of what you build. Once that’s set, it’s easier to branch out and evolve from there while keeping your brand at heart.
Always make sure your team has the same vision.
Don’t be afraid to do the research and pull inspiration from anywhere you can get it. Kaila and Michael listed some of these places to get started - Pinterest, idea boards, collaborating, market research, competitive analysis, etc.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Inspiration is drawn from everywhere in every brand that’s created. Use what’s out there and make it your own from there.
To learn more, like…the process Dope Dog went through to create their brand, what their plans are for the future, and what his team does to brainstorm, watch the video by subscribing below.
Oh, and guess what!? Dope Dog has decided to offer 20% off for all of our fur friends listening to the webinar. So, what are you waiting for!? Subscribe below.
Stay tuned for more interviews coming your way - let’s Master Your Brand this year!
P.S. If you need some extra help when it comes to mastering your brand, we’ve got your back. Hire Dox Design and we’ll be sure to create a #droolworthy brand, just for you.