Dog Obedience School Marketing Plan

Canine Critter College

Situation Analysis

Canine Critter College is entering their second year of operation.  The training classes have been well received, and marketing is now critical to its continued success and future profitability.  Canine Critter College offers a wide range of group and private dog obedience classes.  The basic market need is to train owners on ways to communicate with and control their dogs.  Canine Critter College will serve two basic market needs.  The first is a need of new dog owners who are looking for training for their new dog.  This target segment recognizes the value and efficiency of training their pet early on.  The value will be recognized over time when less time and effort is required in communicating with the dog.

The other market need comes from people who are having difficulty controlling their dog. Both groups, the proactive pet owners, and the reactive pet owners, will recognize the value of proper training.  Canine Critter College's customer centric service offerings will meet these market needs.

Market Summary

Canine Critter College possess good information about the market and knows a great deal about the common attributes of the most prized and loyal customers. Canine Critter College will leverage this information to better understand who is served, their specific needs, and how Canine Critter College can better accomodate them.

Market Needs

Canine Critter College is providing its customers with a high-quality service offering of dog obedience training for both human and animal.  Canine Critter College offers several different courses.  CCC seeks to fulfill the following benefits that are important to customers.

• Selection: CCC offers several different levels of training.
• Accessibility: the majority of the group classes occur in the evening, allowing working people to attend.  Private sessions are available at whatever time meets the customer's needs.
• Customer service: the customer will be impressed with the level of attention that they receive.

Market Trends

The trend for dog obedience is a growing market.  Pet owners are becoming increasingly aware of the value of more sophisticated communication techniques between human and canine.   People are recognizing that there is a science or methodology to training a dog that is far more efficient and effective then trying to do it yourself.

There is also the trend of dog owners desiring increased or more sophisticated control of their pet.  This allows the owner to have the dog in a multitude of situations/environments that they (previous to the training) did not think that they exerted enough control over the animal to subject them to that situation.

Market Growth

In 1999, the American dog obedience market reached $25 million dollars.  Dog obedience schools are estimated to grow by 10% for the next few years.  This growth can be attributed to several factors.  The first factor is an appreciation for general control over their animal.  As people see dogs and owners that have graduated from obedience school, they are increasingly envious of the level of control that the owners have with little effort expended.  Another factor is Americans are working longer and longer hours, while their dogs are at home by themselves.  The dog owners desire a way of communicating with the dog so expectations are known and clear signals are always sent.  Without this dogs get angry and act out.

Another variable that is contributing to the increase of dog obedience school attendance is the trend of people getting a dog before they have a child.  In this situation, the parents want the dog to be well trained so when they do have the child, the dog will remain a seemless and safe member of the family relative to the new child.

SWOT Analysis

The following SWOT analysis captures key strengths and weaknesses within the company and describe the threats facing Canine Critter College.

Strengths

• Strong relationships with breeders and kennels.
• A logical, intuitive, proven, psychological based methodology.
• High customer loyalty among repeat customers.
• A training service that exceeds customer's expectations.

Weaknesses

• Access to capital.
• Limited amount of time that can be dedicated to the business.
• Limited marketing budget to develop brand awareness.

 

Opportunities

• A growing market with a significant percentage of the target market still not aware of Canine Critter College.
• A superior service offering relative to the competition.
• A degree of flexibility of service offerings unmatched by competitors.

Threats

• Competition from local trainers that respond to Canine Critter College's superior offerings.
• Internet-based training that is perceived by the customer as being equivelant to in-person training.
• A slump in the economy reducing the amount of disposable income people have to spend on their pets.

Competition

There are many different competitors in the dog training industry in Eugene.  Each one uses their own philosophy for teaching.  Some have day classes, others have night classes.  Some are large classes, others are individual sessions.  Consumers typically choose trainers based on word-of-mouth referrals.  They will typically ask dog owning friends what trainers they used and if they would recommend them.

Service Offering

Canine Critter College provides dog obedience classes for groups as well as individuals.  CCC offers three levels of classes:

• Puppy Kindergarten: this class is used to teach dogs basic commands, as well socialization skills with other dogs and humans.  This course will have an introductory explanation of proper communication techniques.

• Household Obedience Level 1: the goal of this class is to have all members of the family work with your dog in a positive and consistent manner.  The family will be taught to establish a leadership role with the dog.  Much of the curriculum uses the American Kennel Club's (AKC) Canine Good Citizen Test.  This course will offer an intermediate level of communication techniques.

• Household Obedience Level 2: this class will perfect the standard commands such as sit, down, stay, come, and leash walking.  This level will also work on healing.  This course will also offer advanced communication techniques.

Canine Critter College courses are all based on a basic idea which can be summed up from a quote from R.D. Shaw, Chief Archaeologist for the Alaska Department of Natural Resources: "If societies are judges by their systems of order, justice, land rights, and family, the kingdom of the wolf is one of the most sophisticated."

With this in mind, the courses are used to establish the human owner's role as the leader of the pack.  Unless the owner establishes dominance, the animal will.  Dominance is not punishment, dominance is the law of the pack.  It is instinctively understood by all dogs.  By showing dominance to the dog in a responsible, consistent way, you are setting the dog at ease because he/she knows their place in the pack and are always at ease around you because they know that you are in control and you will protect them.

The courses will also detail different types of canine social behavior as well as body language providing the customer with insight into ways in which the pet is trying to communicate with. 

Keys to Success

The keys to success are providing a reasonably-priced service that customers value.  A customer centric business model is the tool to achieve success.   Additionally, Canine Critter College will:

• Generate repeat business.
• Receive positive feedback.
• Constantly improve the program.

Critical Issues

Canine Critter College is still in the speculative stages as a dog obedience service provider.  Its critical issues are:

• Continue to take a modest fiscal approach, expanding service offerings at a reasonable rate, not for the sale of growing in itself, but because it is economically wise to.

• Continue to build brand awareness which will drive customers to the classes.