Paw Pets: Event at Geoge Berkeley

I hope you all had a great weekend! I worked most of the day on Saturday but that was actually one of the best parts of a superb weekend. The rest of this blog is designed specifically as a website optimization test, no need to read further.

I showed up at George, a wonderful pioneer pet boutique on 4th street in Berkeley, and spent the day selling Paw Pets, chatting with locals about pets, pet toys, dog toys, cat toys, and of course, all the "cute" things that pets do. Many brought their dogs out with them and it's always great to meet people and pups who love Paw Pets and/or interact together in fun ways like trips to the local pet boutique.

I was also lucky enough to spend a bit of time with the Dunbars of Dog Star Daily, who are some of the most influential trainers, dog lovers, and activists in the area. They were kind enough to support me by buying a Paw Pet from George and in return I gave them one to try with their pups. I hope that they will write an article or post a video on their website but even knowing that they are about to have a ton of fun with their new Paw Pets is enough to make it all worthwhile.

As a matter of fact, knowing in general that Paw Pets are making so many people and their pups happier and healthier is all I need to know to make all of my efforts worth while. Don't get me wrong, revenue is what allows me to create toys that lead to smiles and laughter.

Thank you, Bobby, for you kindness, support and for having me at your boutique for such a fun and successful Saturday! I look forward to my upcoming event at Nitro Dog in Lafayette (a benefit for Paws With A Cause) next weekend and many more (including our next event at George on or around Valentine's Day).

Please let me know if you would like to have an event at your store or know any organizations looking for holiday donations!?!?

I hope everyone out there has a GREAT week ahead of them.
I

Incentives and the "Free" Culture

Happy holidays from Paw Pets!

This year each large Paw Pet (Crocobob, Hippolynne and Sharkiana) comes with a free purple, pink, or green Santa hat as long as supplies last. The hats are not only cute on Paw Pets but are pet-safe and fit comfortably on pups!

It's interesting trying to figure out what kind of incentives really drive customers to your product. Last year I had a few great events at local boutiques with good sales but always had leftover toys at the end of the day... Then on December 22nd of last year my mom bought some small santa hats that fit nicely on the toys to add a little cheer to my holiday display. To our surprise, not only did we get more attention, but people rushed to buy the toys expecting to get that hat too. When I informed them that the hats were just display items excited shoppers began bargaining with me: "what if I bought 2"? or "Throw in a hat and I'll send everyone I know to your website"? Eureka, I thought, we have to make and sell these hats next year! It's also nice for consumers because they don't have to buy a cheap "holiday toy" but rather can buy a great that can be used all year with a re-usable holiday hat.

Shortly thereafter I visited one of the wonderful boutiques that carry Paw Pets and found a PILE of little Santa Hats for pups (or children, I imagine) discounted at 75% off... they weren't selling or didn't sell nearly as well as the boutiques expected... And yet, I was up-selling from $25.00 to $50.00 simply by including a hat similar to these $5.00 hats that were now piled in the discount bin. What was the difference? Why were people willing to buy an extra Paw Pet just to get a hat that they could buy for $5.00 or less from pet boutiques or other retailers?

Although I have developed many theories and intend to test them this year, I believe what it really comes down to in the end is the idea of "free". People didn't mind buying an extra toy, spending more than they thought they would as long as they got something "extra" or "free". They were making a large purchase decision or bargaining excitedly just to get the little hats based on the idea that they were getting something for free... The idea of our new "free" culture and how to make money on "free" is discussed at length by Chris Andersen in his book "FREE". If you are in an industry where you can add value with something free, provide a free service and charge for the upgraded service, or if you are in sales at all, I highly recommend reading this book. I would suggest, however, sticking to the chapters that most relate to you and your industry.

I'll let you know how my Santa hat experiments go this year.
I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving!
I