Know-How Exchange : Taglines/Names

For dogs who travel first class
Robust, stylish and storeable
For dogs who travel in style

First off thank you all for your responses, I truly appreciate them. To address a few things, the name of the product cannot be changed; my client has decided this is what it is. As far as referring to the product as a crate, as a dog owner if someone refers to a crate I know exactly what they are talking about, I wouldn't know necessarily know what a "cabin" is without further details. I have expressed to the client, that I am not a fan of their website url name, logo, or product name, but they are not budging on the aforementioned, hence why I think the need for a great tagline is so important.

I should have posted in the query that the target consumers range from trainers, outdoorsmen, dog agility and training centers, people who travel with their pets frequently (this product is TSA approved), urban dog owners, and those who purchase high end pet products. Your posts had some good ideas, and constructive criticism, and helped me to come up with some ideas on how to market this product.

I really like “Dog Carrier or Briefcase – You Decide” for whatever reason the image of ‘Lawyer Dog’ popped in to my head (if you don’t know Lawyer Dog you can see memes here www.quickmeme.com/Lawyer-Dog/ ). This made me think that there needs to be a little playfulness in the marketing, people love dogs, they post some of silly, lame and bizarre photos and videos of their dogs, so why not use some funny videos, images, and/or create original content for our social media platforms, because let’s face it there are a lot dog carriers on the market and yes this product is portable, collapsible, durable and customizable, however just having a good product doesn’t mean it will sell successfully.

There are other suggestions that I think could definitely work; it depends on how exactly they want to market the product. I also liked ‘For dogs who travel in style’, ‘The Durable, Stylish Folding Pet Carrier’, and ‘High-Tech Travel For Your Pet ‘, again it will just depend on what direction they want to go with.

I really appreciate everyone’s comments, as they sparked some great ideas. Thank you all for your contributions.

regarding your comment of ... "I wouldn't know necessarily know what a "cabin" is without further details."

For branding strategy and clarity in using the FULL suggested name of "1st Cabin (TM) Dog Transporter".

1) "1st Cabin" (or First Cabin) is the brand name conveying quality, comfort and caring etc.

2) "dog transporter" is the generic segment or category name, as a synonym for "crate".

This solution wouldn't work without both parts, working together, to avoid any confusion on the part of the consumer. Not trying to sell any solution, just some information on how brand naming works.

Rachel, when customers start saying the things they said to you, I know they're not going to be a "good fit". Just my two cents. If they're paying by the hour, they can complain as long as they like.

Your're dead right when you say "however just having a good product doesn’t mean it will sell successfully." - even so most advertisers are not using the advertising medium to its full. There are huge opportunities to break into the toughest commodity markets. The real question is how big a slice do they need? Getting one big enough is the hard bit, getting a slice is a piece of cake. (Sorry for the pun, I'm English and they just sort of happen).

Let's take this from the point of view of dog owners who are travelling - and yet don't know about doggie crates. All they have is the dog's lead tied to something in the back of the car. The first time I took Sasha for a drive (I was picking up the kids) I opened the hatch and she jumped in. I told her to lie down on the blanket which she obediently did. I closed the door and sat in the driver's seat to start the car. By which time there was an inquisitive face looking at me. By the time I'd begun to turn into the traffic she was on the back seat. As I changed gear there was a nose on my hand. By the time I'd joined the stream of traffic I needed a parking space as I had a dog on my lap!!

So I belted her into the rear seatbelts. I think you can imagine that there were no complaints about her being there and sitting on Tom or Claire's lap ...

I really hadn't a clue about transporting dogs. So part of your task is to speak to that person I described.

The other issue is that this is a seriously good product. That doesn't mean it'll sell, it does mean you can use it to advantage. What are customers from other dog crate manufacturers saying about their products that are unkind, or what problems do they have? You can tap into this general dissatisfaction with a positive point of view.

Moriarty you bring up great points. I too am a dog owner, and unless I am on a long trip they sit on my lap (his is for short rides only). However I know that's not the safest thing, to drive with them in my lap, one would not put a child in their lap while driving, and my dogs are my kids and they shouldn't be as well. Yes part of our task is speaking to the customer who is not knowledgable about crates, but I also think we need to focus on people who frequently travel with their dog (ground & air). There are several different consumer markets, with different needs, that have to be targeted and advertised to in individual ways, one marketing plan will not necessarily for each demographic.

We are not asking for a big slice of a pie (yet :D ) right now, just enough to get our foot in the door and infront of the right clientele.

I appreciate your comments.

Rachel

Well that's all well and good - only from what you say, you have a hurdle to jump with the management of your business too. That is never positive. For whatever reason, they are making assumptions about their customers that are unjustified. Be it ignorance or be it pride it matters not.

The first responsibility of a business is to communicate what they do in an effective manner possible.

That and that alone will sort sales. It won't help any other parts of a business, it will help profitability. When profits grow, everyone starts to relax - and in these times, relaxing is something few can afford.

Your best kind of customer is someone who needs what you produce. Whatever they're doing, it could just be that when they're out of the house, they want somewhere for the dog to feel secure - and when the owner's home they want it stacked away. For whatever reason, your product meets their needs exactly. The other side of this coin is where are they looking, and does "crate" suggest something that they're going to think is a valuable product. To me a crate is something you use once and once only. It certainly does not evoke thoughts of robust military-spec quality. But that's just me as a non-military person. That I can handle an M16 is another matter altogether.

My first suggestion is a below-the radar strategy to determine the best name for this piece of equipment. When management is faced with raw data, things may change. That's up to you to risk. Not doing so could risk their entire business through lack of sales.

It really is that pivotal. I will warn you that such notions by any client of mine is a disciplinary offence.