Branding, Packaging, Ecommerce, Ads and POP
Kick has helped transition client Next Level Pet Food from a promising idea to a contender in the national pet food market. Within just a few months, the Minneapolis-based strategic creative agency, orchestrated a launch for the brand, shaping every element of the branding system and packaging to ecommerce and retailer tools, as well as a dynamic omnichannel campaign.
Founded by pet food industry veterans, Scott Glover and Antoine Albin, Next Level was born from their desire to create a product that leveraged every manufacturing and nutrition learning the duo had picked up over their decades of experience. The challenge for Kick was to craft an identity system and launch strategy that clearly communicated the unique differentiators. The result of the collaborative effort is the most nutritious scientifically formulated pet food available at a common-sense price, made in a facility purpose-built to control quality and consistency at every step. “We came to Kick with a handful of products that we were really passionate about, and they helped us turn those separate pieces into a solid brand that continues to grow and evolve,” said Glover. “We’re leaning on their expertise to take what we know about pet nutrition and the product we’re putting in the bag and turn it into something that retailers and customers can immediately get behind.”
As brand elements took shape, the marketplace shifted to create a unique opportunity. According to the principals, Next Level and Kick pivoted to accelerate go-to-market strategies. Kick was tasked with rapid development and deployment oflaunch elements, including a website, ecommerce capabilities, trade show collateral, sales tools, retailer pieces and more. “Because we had a solid strategy and identity in place, we were able to act quickly, double down on ad spend and take full advantage of the opportunity with a dynamic, full volume launch,” said Stefan Hartung, Co-Owner and Creative Director of Kick. “Just a few months later, we’re already transitioning from driving awareness and interest to line expansion.”
The collaboration’s success is evident in the numbers. Since its launch in August 2023, Next Level Pet Food has expanded from zero distribution to a retail presence in more than 45 states and is experiencing double digit monthly increase in retailer partnerships. Direct ecommerce sales aregrowing by double digits month over month, and digital communications are surpassing click-through benchmarks. In addition to Next Level, Kick clients include 3M, Becton Dickinson, Blackwood pet food, Cargill, Compana Animal Health, LonoLife, Pace Labs, Prestige Beverage Group, Spryng® veterinarian medical devices and Triple Crown Nutrition.
