Although the Obama family has hinted that their next dog will be a Portuguese Water Dog, Del Monte selected a Great Dane as their spokesdog to celebrate 100 years of Milk-Bone dog biscuits.
After Michelle Obama stated that a Portuguese Water Dog is her breed of choice because it’s a small, hypoallergenic dog, the breed has received widespread attention on the Internet. It’s thought that Milk-Bone would use that buzz for branding purposes, but instead, they selected a Great Dane, which is huge, sheds, slobbers, and probably outweighs every single Obama.
Fun fact: At one time Portuguese Water Dogs were almost extinct--only 25 dogs were known to exist in the world. Dog experts are puzzled at how so many varieties of Portuguese Water Dogs now exist, considering their once-rare nature.
High-Profile Spokesdogs
Despite Buzz Over Portuguese Water Dog, Milk-Bone Picks Great Dane
Trend Themes
1. Diverse Dog Breeds - There is a trend towards using dogs of diverse breeds as spokesdogs for brands, disregarding popular choices.
2. Unconventional Marketing - There is a trend towards using unconventional marketing tactics, such as selecting a different breed of dog than the one popularized, to gain attention and stand out.
3. Dog Marketing - There is a trend towards marketing products through canine spokesdogs, particularly for dog-related products or companies.
Industry Implications
1. Pet Food Industry - The pet food industry can explore using atypical dog breeds as spokesdogs for their products to gain attention and differentiate themselves from competitors.
2. Marketing Industry - The marketing industry can incorporate unconventional tactics like using diverse dog breeds as spokesdogs to help build brand recognition and stand out from other campaigns.
3. Breeders - Breeders of atypical dog breeds can leverage the trend towards diverse dog breeds being used for marketing and partner with companies like Del Monte to have their dogs become spokesdogs and help bring attention to their breed.