Butcher’s Pet Care has re-packaged its famous blue cans in an ambitious bid to win the hearts of consumers and become Britain’s favourite canned dog food brand by the close of 2010.

The re-design by leading FMCG design house, Springetts, follows a major round of customer research by Butcher’s which saw owners talk about their dog as ‘one of the family’ whose health and happiness is integral to family life.

The wet can dog food category, the largest in the dog food market, grew by £16.1 million last year largely due to increased sales of Butcher’s, whose growth accounted for 45% (£7.2 million) of the overall total (source IRI October 2009).

Butcher’s can sales have also grown 80% more than the market leader, consolidating their position as the number two brand in the wet canned dog fixture.

Keen to build on its own year-on-year growth of 17.3%, the new designs are part of the family-owned Butcher’s plans to grow its market share. As a result each pack features a family dog, specially selected for their engaging ‘dog next door’ qualities who will remind owners of their own beloved pet.

Still displaying the famous ‘Fit as a Butcher’s Dog’ slogan which has featured on its packaging for nearly a quarter of a century, the cans also celebrate Butcher’s heritage and roots in the British farming and meat businesses.

Telling the Butcher’s Pet Care story, including the company’s commitment to “use fresh meat and natural ingredients ensuring your dog is full of life…naturally”, the designs reflect Butcher’s appreciation that healthy eating remains top of the agenda for feeding those you love at mealtimes.

As a result, the nutritional benefits of ingredients used in Butcher’s recipes, including the fact that they are gluten free, is now highlighted by paw prints on the new packs. Meanwhile, tripe, an ingredient used by Butcher’s since 1987, is flagged on the new cans as a ‘Superfood for dogs’ for the first time in order to educate consumers on its nutritional benefits and challenge any pre-conceived negative perceptions of tripe.

Sarah Alexander, Head of Marketing at Butcher’s Pet Care said: “We’ve built our business on feeding generations of family dogs and are so confident about our recipes that we guarantee a clean bowl every time. However we also understand that it is important for customers who love their pets to know that they are feeding their dog with naturally nutritious food which keeps it healthy, fit and happy (if a little mischievous at times).”

The new products will be stocked by all major multiples including Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons as well as suppliers in the independent marketplace.

The re-launch is being particularly well received in the village of Quainton which has a new top model, Tom Bragg. The two and a half year old Chocolate Lab has become the face of Butcher’s Pet Care – seeing off competition from hundreds of other dogs, all seeking to become the face of the dog food brands new cans. Tom was selected because of his “dog next door qualities” who will remind Butcher’s customers of their own beloved pets.

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