This work is relevant for CREATIVE STRATEGY because it changes the mainstream strategy on how and for whom dog food is marketed, turning a traditional outdoor ad for humans into an innovative experience designed for the main consumer of the product: the dog. It provides a new way for the consumer to try the product and the shopper with information before committing to a purchase decision, establishing communication between the brand and the end-consumer (your fluffy best friend!) that has previously not been possible, a strategic way to understand the difference between consumer and shopper within the pet food category.

SITUATION: Hau-Hau Champion is a dog food brand with the mission of providing every dog with the perfect food option. The brand's philosophy states that every dog has the right to enjoy great-tasting and healthy food. Every aspect of the brand’s operation is designed to make sure this way of thinking comes to life. Hau-Hau Champion hosts a vast range of products with varying options for different diets, breeds, and dog sizes. Finding the right food option for your pet has proven to be challenging according to pet owners.

OBJECTIVE: Hau-Hau Champion set its sights on finding new and innovative ways of helping dog owners find the perfect food options for their beloved pets.

BRIEF: Using tech and a strong insight to develop an innovative way to allow dogs to try their food before it's bought, and to match the trite and healthiest king of kibbles for each dog,

Relative to the population, Finland has the most dogs in the world. It is estimated that there are up to 950,000 dogs as pets in Finland. Needless to say, Finns love their dogs and see them truly as members of the family. This fact puts pressure on brands operating in the pet product category to prove that the brand understands dogs and has their best interest at heart. Ultimately, the brand that manages to understand the owner-pet relationship the best will win in this highly competitive market. Second, this ground-breaking initiative tackles the issue of food wastage in the canine culinary world. When dogs reject purchased food at home, it often leads to nearly full bags of dog food going to waste. The vending machine acts as a solution to this problem, providing a fun, safe, and practical way for dogs and owners to find the perfect match, allowing dogs to taste food in advance will reduce the amount of food waste in the future.

CHALLENGE: Hau-Hau Champion faced a growth challenge. The brand found it difficult to find new buyers and incentivise dog owners to give new and potentially better food options a try.

INTERPRETATION: The category is traditionally known for its high level of loyalty. Dog owners tend to find a suitable food option and stick with it for years to come. The barrier to changing this food option is extremely high. Changing foods is perceived to be risky and potentially resulting in a waste of money and food. The challenge was to find new and inspiring ways to lower the barrier of purchase by understanding the dynamic between the pet and the owner better than the competition.

DESIRED OUTCOME: To get dogs to try a new food option, and help owners understand that the dog is ultimately the real customer of the brand, not the human.

STRATEGIC PROCESS & RESEARCH: We set out on a mission to study the dynamics between dog owners and pets by interviewing dog owners around Finland. The interviews focused on deepening our understanding of what makes a suitable dog food and how the search process progresses. The key insight discovered was that all dog food advertising is designed with the owner of the dog in mind. Just as in any other food category.

INSIGHT: The fact is that the consumer and shopper dynamic is vastly different in the dog food category. We had to set our sights on the main consumer, the pet, and find a way for the pet to inform the shopper whether a specific food is to their liking.

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENT: Realizing that the human is the shopper, but the real customer, is the dog.

The idea took the form of a vending machine in the shape of a cartoonish dog house, providing an enticing product trial experience for the "consumer".

A canine face recognition system, powered by AI, scans the dog's head resulting in an algorithm recognizing the dog’s size. After this, the system selects the tastiest and the healthiest kind of kibbles according to each pet. The AI canine facial recognition ensures that the vending machine dispenses kibbles only to dogs, not, for example, to cats or children playing near the machine.

A sample of the selected food is served for the dog to try and react to. After every product trial, the machine disinfects the bowl with a sanitizing blue UV light, making the bowl ready and safe for the next customer.

By syncing their smartphones with the machine, owners could buy their best friend’s new favorite food with just one touch.

Over 10 million media and social reach

+25% sales increase - compared to last year - equivalent to €650,000

35% of Finnish dog owners reached

Food was home-delivered from more than 2000 partner stores across Finland.

The machine served as a pilot project in Hau-Hau Champion’s quest to reduce the waste of dog food, and in the future, we’ll see it in use not only in Finland but also in other parts of Europe.