Although birds are the ones eating the food provided by their
owners, the owners are the ones making the purchase. This is
why the way bird food looks is important.
“Appearance is probably one of the most important
aspects when considering a food for their birds,” said Gail
Shepard, director of marketing for ZuPreem, a brand of Premi-
um Nutritional Products, in Shawnee, Kan. “Also, humanization
of pet food is very popular, and bird owners want to be assured
that their pet’s food is nutritious and also looks attractive and
appealing, just like their own food. This trend is based not just
on sight, but also smell, and many bird owners also report that
they taste the food they feed to their birds as well.
Melanie K. Allen, avian product specialist with Rolf C.
Hagen (USA) Corp. in Mansfield, Mass., has observed that
sometimes appearance seems more important to bird owners
than to the birds.
“However, a food should look appetizing from a bird’s
standpoint and of course be fresh, in-date,” she said. “In reality,
a bird is more interested in taste and texture coupled with
familiarity in flavor. That’s instinctual!”—AP
WHY FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER AVIAN FOOD:
DISPLAY AND
MARKETING
Retailers and manufac- turers use a variety of techniques to display
and market foods in the
avian food category.
“We are well stocked and
offer a large array of food,”
said Edna Bresnaham, owner of the Crystal Parrot in
Southampton, Mass.
“People like having
choices, and we help them
with making the right
ones,” she added. “We’re
very meticulous about
keeping consistency on our
shelves.”
At the Birdie Boutique,
a Durham, N.C., store and
avian veterinary clinic, a
well-organized display also
is important.
“We keep the shelves
very clean and neat,” said
retail administrator Debo-
rah Corley. “Sometimes we
use placards. I think there’s
a trust between us all, so we
don’t have to sell anything
because we’re part of a hos-
pital. Clients put their pets’
lives in our hands, so they
know we’re all about quali-
ty and safety.”
Melanie K. Allen, avian
product specialist for Rolf
C. Hagen (USA) Corp. in
Mansfield, Mass., recom-
mended taking advantage
of marketing materials
available from bird food
manufacturers.
“Retailers need to take
advantage of support materials that are consumer
friendly,” she said. “Many
customers these days are
self-educated, but they still
rely on the expertise of a pet
product retailer in making a
product selection for their
pets.”—AP
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