Recently we took part in a card industry Dragon’s Den day. A chance to meet retail buyers for the greeting card industry and pitch our designs and brand. Even though we are really long in the tooth, we felt like newbies, rabbits caught in the headlight. We were completely out of our comfort zone and more than a little giddy with nerves! The experience was interesting on lots of levels, but possibly, the unexpected takeaway from the day, was the chance to focus and think.
The current question at Little Dog Towers is How do we discover areas that we do not cover? In fairness, we have asked ourselves this on many occasions over the years but this time, when we shook the magic 8 ball decision maker, the answer came back with YOU. Lovely, loyal fabulous you!
Retail trade has been tough going for a long time. Trade shows are the traditional way to meet potential new customers but these have possibly had their day or are, at best, in a dip. For many small card publishers, trade shows feel a lot like the safari animals drinking from the same, ever decreasing water hole. So while we practise our rain dance to encourage the monsoon season, we wondered if you fancy being our eyes and ears?!
Could you look around your local area with us in mind and think, is there anywhere these cards and gifts might suit?
We have always happily supplied to the big and small, from the National Trust to our local Post Office. From Bookshops to Garden Centres. From dog friendly Cafes to Farm Shops. Vet Practices to Dog Groomers. Kennels to Catteries. Any dog or pet friendly venue or outlet that you think might like an animal loving brand like ours, we’d be absolutely delighted to hear your suggestions.
If you remember and have the time, send us the business name and location and we’ll investigate. And if the planets align and the postcode is clear, if fate is in our favour and your suggestion turns into a new account, you can be sure a thank you surprise will make its way to your doormat!
You are very welcome to email any ideas to loops@thelittledog.co.uk , comment on this post or drop us a message if inspiration strikes!
Warmest regards
Gavin, Anna and Nathan @ Team Little Dog
Hi, I have just come across your post, eyes and ears. Have you ever done anything with one of the big charities? British Heart, Chest Heart and Stroke etc, they do quite nice cards (no where near as good as yours) you could maybe adapt your cards to incorporate their logo or something alongthat line. So many folk that have these illnesses have pets that keep them focused, so I’m sure they would love to support the charity closest to them.
Thank you Lynn, that’s a great idea. The health benefits of having a pet are all anecdotal but sometimes you don’t need scientific studies to see what’s plain to see. Our animals keep us happy x