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PIA Dogswell Profile:

The holy grail of "functional foods" has been the ability to extend the nutritional benefits and disease fighting properties of such foods to target very specific conditions with very accurate dosage and efficacy parameters.

For Marco Giannini of Dogswell, functional foods have been a prime motivator and a business vision.

Growing up in San Francisco, he experienced Java Juice, a solution-oriented orange juice on steroids that not only tasted good, but also proved to be good for you.

Although his career  trajectory included technology sales among others, he found that his lack of business success mirrored his lack of passion for these businesses. He was a man without a mission.

Expediency and a love of pets made him realize that he could  translate a  passion for functional pet foods into an innovative growth business. Once he defined his operating niche, he took the plunge by talking to 50 vets and personally visiting 200 pet stores. He also worked closely with the governing boards of the key associations and  trade publications writers.

This research unearthed the common causes of life quality degradation for pets. For example, hip dysplasia was the #2 cause of death in dogs. So, he came up with "Happy Hips" as a specific functional food to improve the health and quality of life for susceptible dogs. While he cannot prove scientific results of therapeutic benefit, he boasts of "countless testimonials: attesting to the efficacy of the product.

While the science may be sketchy, he does  take care to ensure that the benefits of the key active ingredients -- glucosamine and chondroitin -- are not negated by other ingredients, and that the product is kept at the right temperatures and is subject to strict shelf-life guidelines.

In the first year of operation, he launched 4 products and despite a competitor immediately copying the complete product, he is able to keep his brand alive and differentiated due to his efforts to build  brand equity.
His  strategy is to keep launching niche products that target yet-unmet needs. A year ago he launched "Biscuits With Benefits" (no corn, wheat or soy) and is expanding into canned and dry foods. The niche plays also focus on brand extensions as evidenced by the broadening of the Chicken Breast Jerky Treats  into Duck and Lamb and Rice Jerky Treats.

Giannini also uses price and profit potential as a competitive advantage. He claims to produce his product "at the right price" and ensures that his distributors and retailers make a reasonable profit.

He has 25+ employees at his HQ in LA and they are in their sixth year of operation. A proud achievement was making the Inc. 500 Fastest Growing list  for every year since inception and he hopes to keep his growth vision alive with continuous innovation ad branding.

The North East and South West regions are his biggest markets at present and  other regions in the US represent significant growth potential. He currently does some business in Canada, so Canada and the rest of the world also presents huge future growth. After all, Japan was the country that invented the term "functional food."

In his words, "..a Snickers Bar used to be the number one dessert until it got re-named as an Energy Bar and in later evolutions morphed into something that became good-for-you..." His vision is to be the man who makes this evolution happen in pet foods.

One secret to his success that he feels is more important above all else is his constant visits to pet stores in every corner of the country to get a pulse on trends and customer needs and preferences.

Pet Industry Advisory research engages many entrepreneurs and visionaries and each makes a compelling case as to why their product will be the one destined for market leadership and explosive growth. Our research shows that this sector is poised for significant growth, but our research also indicates that competition will become heavier. So, branding and market connection will be paramount in maintaining market share.  It is up to Marco Giannini of Dogswell to show us how well he can prove our research wrong.