By Daily Press staff
A local advertising firm is going to the dogs. Kastner & Partners beat out 10 competing shops, including McCann Erickson and Brand Architecture International, to become agency of record for the newly launched Isle of Dogs, devoted to improving the health, beauty and well-being of dogs.
With offices in Atlanta, Santa Monica and New York, Kastner & Partners in America is part of an independent, international network providing creative, strategy and media under one roof. The company works for a select roster of top brands and operates on one principle: to improve its clients’ business.
In initial meetings, the client was looking for an ad agency partner to help handle the U.S. launch of a shampoo from the U.K.
“We selected Kastner & Partners based on their strategic prowess and the level of interest and commitment that took their approach far beyond classical advertising,” said Kailas Rao, CEO, Isle of Dogs. “We admit to being curious about what the creators of Red Bull and the energy drink category could do to help us recreate the pet grooming sector.”
Using the strategic insight that every dog owner views their pet as a unique member of the family, and leveraging the proven product ingredients, Kastner & Partners recommended not introducing just one new dog shampoo to the U.S. market, but instead helped develop a complete canine grooming system tailored to the individual needs of dogs.
“We knew from our experience helping to build the Red Bull brand around the world and successfully introducing it in the U.S.,that there was a similar opportunity to create a bigger picture grooming solution for dog parents with Isle of Dogs,” said Thomas Grabner, CEO, Kastner & Partners in America. “Although nearly 60 percent of small dogs sleep with their owners in the U.S., dog grooming has-n’t caught up with the country’s dog loving craze.”
Kastner & Partners developed the Isle of Dogs brand from scratch, starting with market research to build the foundation for solid strategic positioning of this premium brand, and continuing through name, logo, product and packaging design.
“We’re looking to create the ‘Clinique of the dog world, and Kastner & Partners provided the strategic framework which enabled us to launch not just a shampoo, but a complete canine grooming category,” said Carlos Tribino, Isle of Dogs vice president of marketing and sales, formerly with Brand Architecture. Visitors Bureau reaches for Best
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 3, 2006. Read the original PDF.