Pet Product News Editorial Blog:
Monday, April 19, 2010
GUEST BLOG: A Day in the Park
By Brian Hutchins
Pet Product News International News Director
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One of our sister publications, Dog Fancy, recently unveiled its annual top 10 list of America’s Best Dog Parks. (Congraulations to Jackass Acres K-9 Korral in New River, Ariz.)
Lists can be a great deal of fun to read: to root for your favorite, to agree or laugh at a publication’s choices.
Yet more fun than lists is spending time in a park itself—and I’m not thinking just of dog parks.
From a business perspective, I suspect we’d all benefit from spending some extra time in parks. This holds true whether we are a frontline retailer or primarily stuck in an office in another capacity.
The benefits are many, not the least of which is time to mentally, physically and spiritually recharge and to shift our perspective—to lose the blinders of our business focus and take in a broader view.
On one of my recent visits to a park, I walked along a path and was struck by the number of folks walking their dogs. No news here: People walking their dogs tend to be friendly, approachable, outgoing.
But what a great opportunity also, from someone focused on the business-to-business aspect of the business, to watch dog owners as they interact with their dogs, to observe which products they use, to see what challenges they may face.
From a retailer’s perspective, I imagine this would be incredibly useful insight. To step away from the store (and the products you know so well) to watch how people use the products you might not stock.
Along these lines (and as I prepare to head off to the World Pet Association’s America’s Family Pet Expo in Costa Mesa, Calif.), I’m thinking of how well some companies do these events. They send key employees to interact with pet owners, to learn what works and what doesn’t work, and to find out what they’d like.
This can be the foundation for future innovation, and well worth a day at the park or fairgrounds.
« All Editorial Blogs
Give us your opinion on
GUEST BLOG: A Day in the Park
Industry Professional Site: Comments from non-industry professionals will be removed.