Hats off to Walmart who in an uncanny, or should we say uncanine twist, recently introduced a new ultrapremium dog food at a much lower price than comparable brands found in boutique pet stores or many veterinarian offices.
We also like the more contemporary and with-it name, Pure Balance, than its predecessor, Ol’ Roy.
Ol’ Roy just had too much of that “country bumpkin / good ol’ boy” feel while Pure Balance comes across snappier and seems to convey an almost healthy aura. It strikes the right “balance” between a descriptive, easy to understand name and a more aspirational, upscale brand-like name.
Pure seems to allude to the product’s emphasis on better, higher quality ingredients and the fact that the dog food is free of “soy, wheat, corn, artificial colors, preservatives and chicken byproducts.” Balance touches on the true differentiating side of the brand: achieving a great nutrition / taste balance at a low consumer price point.
Whether the brand will truly go toe-to-toe with the larger, big-box pet supply retailers (i.e. Petco and Petsmart) or even cannibalize profit margins of independent retailers as discussed in this reference article (Walmart Launches Store-Brand Premium Dog Food) remains to be seen. However, one thing seems pretty “dog-gone” clear: Walmart’s new name should help this new dog food jump off the shelves and wag all the way home.