Beneful “complete dog food” was a new brand launched by Purina PetCare, USA. The decision was a controversial one. A number of senior executives believed the company had already too many brands in pet food. Purina management knew it had problems in the medium segment of the dry dog food category. In the high-end, super premium segment both the Purina One and Pro Plan brands were performing well. The company also had a strong presence in the low segment with its Dog Chow range. However, there was a large, potentially profitable segment in the middle in which it was not present. Mars, a major competitor, dominated this segment with the Pedigree brand. To make matters worse, Procter and Gamble (P&G) had successfully shifted a newly purchased high-end brand to compete in the middle segment. Initially, Purina tried to stretch its low-end Dog Chow brand into the medium segment but with little success. But Beneful’s innovative segmentation, uncovered through consumer research, allowed Purina to create a unique positioning and value proposition that made the new brand succeed against formidable competitors. The case highlights the power of strategic marketing built on keen market and competitor analysis and deep consumer insights.
