Debbie Phillips-DonaldsonDebbie Phillips-Donaldson is editor-in-chief of Petfood Industry magazine and Petfood Forum.From the Author - Page 77Market Trends and ReportsSomething to Chew On: Joining the App revolutionOnce upon a time, not all that long ago, a mobile phone did what its name said: It let users talk on the phone while on the move, away from the house or office. Soon most of these phones gained the capability to also send text messages, take photos and play music. And now more and more people around the world have so-called smart phones.HomeOverby Farm takes pet treats to the next levelA growing body of research shows that in humans, tart cherries can act as an antioxidant and help people suffering from various conditions and forms of inflammation. “Our family found relief from arthritis and gout through cherry concentrate, and that got the ball rolling,” says Carol Jones-Adams, describing how her functional treat company, Overby Farm, was born.Pet Food PalatabilityUpdate: measuring petfood palatabilityPalatability has become as important to petfood formulation as the core ingredients. After all, those ingredients can’t provide nutritional benefits if pets won’t eat the food or, perhaps more importantly, their owners don’t perceive the pets are enjoying the food. Thus, leading organizations invest heavily in research and work to ensure they can accurately measure the palatability of various formulations and flavor enhancers.Market Trends and ReportsSomething to Chew On: Consumers no longer a captive, passive audienceThe American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has posted an online FAQ about the recent spate of Salmonella-related petfood recalls online FAQ. I for one am glad to see it and especially gratified that the very first entry attributes the rise in recent incidents to increased awareness, renewed vigilance by petfood companies and regulatory authorities and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Reportable Food Registry.Market Trends and ReportsNature’s Variety makes petfood with a purposeA brand should have a purpose, a reason for being, says Erin Mulligan Nelson, VP/chief marketing officer for Dell computers, in an article for Advertising Age. “It should make a difference in the world in some way.”Pet Food RegulationsSomething to Chew On: Petfood needs regulatory common senseIt seems every day brings notice of a new US petfood recall due to potential Salmonella contamination. Most people in the industry would say this is not because petfood manufacturers are making unsafe products or failing to follow safety protocols.Market Trends and ReportsSurvey: consumers drive sustainability in petfood“Top consumer groups turn to sustainability.” That was the headline for an Entrepreneur.com article by Bill Roth, president of NCCT, a San Francisco-based consulting firm specializing in sustainability marketing and business strategies. Roth, writing about last year’s Sustainable Brands Conference, was referring to US youth, women and CEOS. Representing an annual buying power of about US$10 trillion, these three consumer groups are “shifting their purchasing criteria toward sustainability,” Roth wrote.Market Trends and ReportsSomething to Chew On: Petfood stands strong at InterzooEveryone in the world who has anything to do with the pet industry converged on Nuremberg, Germany, the week of May 10—or at least that’s how it seemed. Actually, more than 38,000 pet trade visitors from 117 countries attended Interzoo 2010, according to its organizers, in addition to 1,052 companies from 53 countries exhibiting their products for cats, dogs, small mammals, birds, fish and reptiles or supplies for companies manufacturing those products.HomeSomething To Chew On: Pet retailers fight off recessionThough the economy was starting to show signs of softening a year ago, hardly anyone foresaw the huge crash coming in the fall. Now everyone is wondering if we're starting to recover from what we now know is a recession that began even earlier.Market Trends and ReportsSomething To Chew On: Sustainability comes to petfoodA group called the Social Investment Forum issued a report earlier this year showing a more than 33% increase in the number of leading publicly traded US companies reporting on their sustainability initiatives. Specifically, 66 of the firms in the S&P 100 in 2008 issued a formal sustainability report with performance data, compared with 49 companies producing such a report in 2007.HomeThree Dog Bakery bounds into pet stores"I always joke with our employees: It's not the best business model to say no over and over to people who want to buy your products." That's how Scott Ragan, president and "chief dog lover" of Three Dog Bakery, explains the impetus for the company's first foray into selling its baked foods and treats outside its bakery franchises.HomeMore news from Three Dog BakeryRead the entire interview with Scott Ragan of Three Dog Bakery and why he likes the pet industry so muchPrevious PagePage 77 of 83Next Page
