Research has found that pets ease a person’s loneliness and that living with pets helps people to be more active (Carver 2020; Wood et al. 2015). Most importantly, we are comforted by these non-human companions. The presence of a dog or a cat in the home may be the only thing between an isolated person and despair (Carver 2020; Wood et al. 2015). What was evidenced from the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide there was an unprecedented surge in pet adoptions and fostering (Boseley and Wahlquist 2020; Carver 2020). We found ourselves either working and studying from home or staying at home due to recommendations from health authorities. This resulted in an increase in adoption and foster care applications as we turn to pets for companionship (Boseley and Wahlquist 2020).

However, now that life is changing once more and we are returning to our workplaces, universities, offices, shops, cafes, etc., our furry friends are being left behind. This creates behavioral and psychological issues for both the pets and the owners (Teller 2020; Wells 2020). Resultant behaviors can include mood disorders, excessive barking, howling, crying, obsessive marking, and grooming amongst our pets (Wells 2020). For the owners, it may be anxiety-inducing being separated from our furry companions who we love and have relied on so intimately for so long during a global health emergency (Peel 2020).

Furbo Dog Nanny (Furbo) (https://shopau.furbo.com/pages/furbo-dog-nanny) is an A.I.-supported home system specifically designed with your pets in mind. It is a ‘nanny’ system that keeps your pet safe through the use of video, audio, alerts sent directly to your mobile device, a treat delivery system, Cloud recording capabilities, and more. It allows pet owners to know exactly what is going on at home with their pets and be alerted of emergencies in real time. It provides a sense of connection between owners and the pets they have had to leave at home. In the current environment, Furbo want to expand their operations as Australia is experiencing an extraordinary increase in demand for pet monitoring and support systems.

You have been hired as an independent marketing consultant to help Furbo design a marketing plan to enable them to realize the opportunity the current environment presents. Your role is to develop a 2-part marketing plan consisting of segmentation, targeting, differentiation, and positioning strategies (Assessment 3) and strategic recommendations (Assessment 4) to help Furbo achieve its objectives. The three (3) objectives of the 2-part marketing plan you are required to complete are to:

1. Identify a suitable target market of potential purchasers (individuals, not companies or businesses) for Furbo Dog Nanny.

2. Identify how Furbo Dog Nanny should be positioned within the market.

3. Develop an Integrated Marketing Communications Strategy (IMC) using THREE (3) of the tools from the Promotional Mix element (i.e. advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, public relations, and/or direct and digital marketing) that will enable Furbo Dog Nanny to increase sales.