Pet racing is a relatively new field that has received more and more attention and investment in recent years. It is worth noting that in this track, foreign-funded enterprises entered the market relatively early, have relatively more advantages in technology and products, and have higher brand awareness and market share. This is a problem for domestic enterprises/brands that entered the market late. higher requirements.

However, this is not a long-term problem. Rather, it is related to the development stage of the pet market and the investment environment at home and abroad. Today, the “pet economy” is prevalent and is in a period of rapid development, which means that the opportunities and competition landscape in the market are still changing. Coupled with the continuous development and maturity of the domestic pet market, the success of brands such as Petkit, Vetreska, and Petwant has not only heated up the pet market, but also attracted more Investment institutions have increased their investment in this track.

According to the information disclosed on Pidan's official website, its brand proposition is "Cats First, Public Welfare Plan", hoping to help cats entering human families live a better life, and also for Cats moving through society do something. Based on this, the brand Pidan was officially born in 2015.

It is not difficult to see that Pidan is a design-first lifestyle brand that focuses on pet cats and aims to provide cats with a better life experience and health care through interesting, innovative and design methods.

Global Pet Industry Overseas Insights learned that since its establishment, Pidan has been continuously exploring the topic of "human-pet relationship". In his opinion, unlike dogs, which are often active in diverse outdoor scenes, cats are relatively independent and more adaptable to living indoors and sharing a space with people. Pidan takes this special relationship of "people and pets living together" into consideration and uses this as the basic concept to design products.

In terms of brand building, Pidan attaches great importance to brand positioning, values, image and communication, while focusing on providing high-quality shopping and service experiences. It is intended to help people build a better "human-pet relationship."

This is just as Pidan founder Ma Wenfei said: "The first step of a brand determines 70% of things."

In addition, when talking about the origin of the brand name Pidan, There are not too many complicated procedures. It is understood that the brand name is taken from the pinyin "pidan" of the name "preserved egg" of a black Bombay cat raised by founder Ma Wenfei. Interestingly, he also appointed his pet as the "chief experience officer".

In the pet track, design-driven brands are rare. Pidan, as one of the typical representatives, has experienced two brand upgrades so far. Perhaps many people's initial impression of the brand is a cat's head turning to the right. Pidan has adjusted its development strategy and upgraded its brand to strengthen its brand proposition and express that its products give pets a better life, advocating pet owners to improve their pets' quality of life.

Brand name upgrade:

Pidan has decided on the Chinese name "Bishan", which means "born from each other", that is, the relationship between human pets, Pidan and pets We were born for each other. In addition, the brand slogan of "Better Pet Life" has been added, which further clarifies its brand proposition and conveys the value of the brand and products to users while establishing a closer "human-pet relationship".

Brand visual upgrade:

For the first upgrade in 2018, Pidan cooperated with ABCD of Langjing Group and used 8 geometric figures, corresponding to each of its brand product lines. 8 pet categories. Different shapes and colors can deepen users' perception of the brand and quickly distinguish product types.

For the second brand upgrade in 2022, Pidan has removed all decorative elements, leaving only the most basic letter information. It continues to use black and white and uses common fonts for modification, making the overall look more prominent. And pure.

It is worth mentioning that Ma Wenfei personally participated in the brand upgrade work. He said:

“I started to promote this brand upgrade, hoping to free us from the atmosphere. Come out and form a system, a system that puts the needs of cats as the first priority to create products.”

Judging from the importance Pidan attaches to the brand, its brand tone is destined to suit it. Developing overseas is especially suitable for consumers in Europe and the United States who value ritual. Through global brand positioning, innovation and design (we will also explain Pidan’s product design in detail below), we can better establish emotional links with them.

In 2015, Pidan launched its first product-Igloo cat litter box (igloo cat litter box). Its design is inspired by the igloos of the Arctic Inuit. It uses white as the main color, with rounded curves and simple lines, creating a fashionable and simple visual experience. Different from the common square and basin-shaped closed litter boxes on the market, the igloo litter box has a semi-open arc structure and a curved corridor, which is suitable for cats of different sizes.

The following are some functional features of the Pidan igloo cat litter box:

Semi-open: convenient for cats to enter and exit, avoid overflow of cat litter, better ventilation effect, reduce Odor and bacterial growth.

Extra large capacity: can accommodate more cat litter, meet the cat's toileting needs, and reduce the frequency of changing cat litter.

Arc-shaped structure: It can better adapt to the cat’s body curves and behavioral habits, making the cat more comfortable and natural when entering and exiting.

Easy to Clean: The bottom and side screens can be easily removed, making it easier for pet owners to clean and keep the litter box hygienic.

Environmentally friendly materials: The shell is made of environmentally friendly materials such as recyclable PP resin, which reduces the burden on the environment and ensures product quality and safety.

While participating in the R&D and design process of this product, Ma Wenfei recalled that it took a long time from the first draft design to proofing and testing, to production and launch. Among them, mass production is the most difficult, because in the early stages of entrepreneurship, sales volume is difficult to predict and there are not many suppliers willing to cooperate. Fortunately, the product design was recognized, and the igloo cat litter box won the 2016 German Red Dot Design Award. This award also provided strong endorsement support for Pidan's subsequent cooperation with suppliers and channel partners.

Awards are not the only factor in its success, but so is the price of the product. In China, the average price of a cat litter box is between 30-200 yuan. At that time, Ma Wenfei decided to sell the igloo cat litter box at a price of 365 yuan, which was much higher than the industry price. Facts have proved that Ma Wenfei made a wise decision. He positioned the product as an "affordable luxury". The high price earned Pidan widespread attention in the industry. Although it was once controversial, it finally impressed consumers with the value of the product. By.

Judging from the current selling price on Pidan’s overseas official website and platforms such as Amazon, the product is priced at US$149.99 (approximately RMB 1,082). Although it supports payment in 4 installments, compared with domestic JD.com and Tmall. Considering the official selling price of RMB 365, it is indeed not cheap.

Due to the interaction of awards and high prices, Pidan’s products are shared by many KOLs in social circles, which invisibly increases its exposure. After that, Pidan successfully opened more sales channels, and in 2018, it reached cooperation with more than 2,000 domestic pet stores.

In Ma Wenfei's view, the key to creating a product from scratch is differentiation, which is not limited to product functions, but also leaves something with emotional value. The most important thing is to be meaningful.

Product sales:

It is reported that more than 6,000 igloo cat litter boxes were sold within half a year of being put on the shelves, making it Pidan’s most popular product. In terms of audience group, more than 90% are young women who are chasing trends.