Ethical and natural grooming brand HOWND has been named as a finalist in two categories at next month’s PetQuip Awards.
The Hertfordshire based company has secured two nominations in both the ‘Pet Product Innovation of the Year’ and ‘Marketing Project of the Year’ categories.
HOWND’s two new product ranges - Miracle Spa Collection and All-Seasons Skin, Nose & Paw Balms with UVA & UVB Filters for Sun Protection - have been shortlisted for ‘Pet Product Innovation of the Year’.
Plus, two of HOWND’s viral marketing campaigns - #WhenHarryMetHero and #BringYourDogToWorkDay - have been shortlisted for ‘Marketing Project of the Year’.
New Product Ranges
The Miracle Spa Collection launched in May this year. It includes Miracle White & Bright Colour Enhancing Conditioning Shampoo (250ml) and 25:1 Miracle White & Bright Colour Enhancing Conditioning Treatment (5L). Miracle Face Scrub & Natural Tear Stain Treatment (250ml) will be available to trade from the beginning of September (RRP £12).
Using no bleaches, chemical dyes or optical brighteners, Miracle Spa products offer a natural alternative to chemically treated whitening and stain removal products. The range is Cruelty Free International certified and vegan friendly, in line with the company’s ethos and core business values.
HOWND’s All-Seasons Skin, Nose & Paw Balms with Added Sun Protection includes Hemp By HOWND (50g) and Playful Pup (50g). They are packaged in full coloured branded shelf ready trays (6 x 50g) and available to trade from the beginning of September (RRP £10).
“We are thrilled to be finalists in PetQuip’s product innovation category. We have gone to all corners of the earth (almost!) in developing these products which, contrary to seasonable balms, are useful all year round,” explains Jo Amit, co-founder of HOWND.
“Our first challenge was to source organic certified hemp seed oil. We travelled to a couple of farms in Europe last year to find the grade we were looking for. However, our greatest challenge was sourcing ingredients that would not only be cruelty-free but would also be 100% vegan.
“This is the reason we have included Candelilla Wax in our balm formula, which is a natural alternative to Beeswax. Since Beeswax is generally obtained from commercial bee farms, we opted for this vegan and natural alternative which looks and feels like beeswax, but is derived from an ethical and sustainable source.”
Marketing Campaigns
In the last eight months, HOWND has launched two viral marketing campaigns. The first was #WhenHarryMetHero in December 2016 - HOWND’s first official short brand movie.
“Our goal was to use the film to promote HOWND’s central brand values of cruelty-free living and support of the popular animal welfare campaign ‘Adopt Don’t Shop’. At the same time, we used the film to highlight our brand message - ‘Happy. Healthy. For Life.’ - by documenting the life of a puppy with its rescuer as they grow up together," explained Jo.
Within a month of its release, #WhenHarryMetHero was watched over 2.3 million times on Facebook, sparked by a period of mass organic sharing. The film post was shared over 61K times and accumulated 306K engagements. It performed particularly well in Germany and Hundeurlaub - a dog-friendly travel page - posted the film, subsequently generating 39K engagements, 37k shares and 2.2M views.
HOWND’s second marketing project was the fourth national #BringYourDogToWorkDay. On Friday 23rd June, thousands of businesses from across the UK welcomed their employees along with their dogs into the workplace. The goal was to promote the benefits of bringing dogs into safe work environments and raise money for animal welfare.
The event had extraordinary social media engagement culminating in the #BringYourDogToWorkDay hashtag trending at number #1 on Twitter. Verified accounts such as comedian Ricky Gervais, Larry the Cat from 10 Downing Street, The Grand Tour, Coronation Street, Xbox, Shrek the Musical, Tennis TV, London Fire Brigade, as well as regional police forces, hotel chains and recruitment agencies all tweeted their support.
The day also gained significant coverage in the press, including The Telegraph, Metro, Daily Express, Evening Standard, BBC and many more.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL PETQUIP AWARDS FINALISTS LIST
