How much do you love your dog? Enough to pay for a monthly subscription for dog toys and treats? Bark Box has found plenty of people willing to spend money to see their dogs happy.
Treats for man’s best friend.
When Carly Strife started Bark Box with Henrik Werdelin and Matt Meeker, she never imagined how successful it would become. Each month Bark Box sends thousands of boxes with curated themed dog toys and treats.
Although the founders were obsessed with their dogs, they never realized how many other dog lovers were equally obsessed with their pets. The company started with Carly selecting items from pet stores and Amazon. When Bark Box continued to grow, Carly began bulk-ordering special toys from artisans.
Customers began to respond, which inspired a unique marketing tactic. Carly realized that real videos from customers of their dogs tearing into the boxes were the best testimonies. Few can resist a video of owners laughing at their ecstatic dogs. So, Carly created BarkPost: a place where dog lovers receive curated posts and articles.
Bark Box eventually grew into Bark & Co. They have a second property called BarkCare. Customers pay $199 to connect with veterinarians at any time.
But how exactly did Carly Strife become involved with Bark Box and how did the company start? Carly was searching for a job. A friend referred her to Henrik Werdelin and Matt Meeker. They came up with the idea but lacked the ability to execute it. Werdelin and Meeker decided to invite Carly to help them start the business.
“I think it was because I was eager to do whatever… it took. I have a lot of energy and I’m kind of like a bulldozer when it comes to doing things. I don’t have a ton of experience but I like to think that I learn from my mistakes quickly and am risky enough to take them.”
The founders took their love of dogs and built Bark Box. It provides similar services as other subscription boxes but caters to dog lovers. Strife found the special niche enthusiastic and capitalized on customers’ emotions.
Read more at Innovator | Carly Strife, co-founder of BarkBox | ZDNET
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I love that this company took a product that is commonly seen marketed towards human use and opened it to the world of pets, too. Subscription boxes for pets are also a great idea for pet owners who may not live near a pet store but want to give fun gifts to their pets.
I actually saw an ad for Bark Box on my TikTok once, and I sent it to my family recommending we get it for our dog! Bark Box is a great innovation for fellow dog lovers. I think it’s cool to see the progress of the Bark & Co. and BarkCare, how it can start just from a small idea, and slowly become and huge company. As someone who doesn’t have a pet store close to their house, but also loves to spoil their pets, I would buy Bark Box for my dog!
As a dog owner and as someone who is probably a little too obsessed with my pet, I love this idea! I think over the past few years especially, the overall obsession with buying dog products, toys, and even clothes, has increased amongst our generation. So, why not make a subscription box service that is typical for humans but create a dog version! I think this was very creative due to the surprisingy large and increasing target market!