OVERVIEW

• People tend to buy the product because they fear that their pets will get infected with the Lyme disease. NexGard targets the owners of puppies that are eight weeks old and weigh four pounds or more.
• According to Boehringer Ingelheim, the company uses a sell-in strategy based on supplier diversity.
• NexGard offers several coupons and free monthly reminders on its website.
• The company guarantees that the product will kill the infected black-legged ticks before the bacteria can harm others and cause Lyme disease.
• The active component of the product is called Afoxolaner. They have always made the use of this component transparent so that people can conduct research on it and feel safer.

MAIN MESSAGING

• NexGard's main tagline is "FDA-approved chew that also prevents infections that cause Lyme disease."
• The company points out the effectiveness of the product using the tagline, "Powerful flea and tick control in one little chew." According to them, Lyme disease can be prevented with just one chew of the product per month.
• According to NexGard, puppies enjoy the taste of their product.

PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION

• The company claims that a single beef-flavored NexGard chew provides flea and tick protection that is approved by FDA for puppies that are as young as eight weeks and weigh four pounds or more.
• The product is effective when served with or without food. These factors differentiate the product from its competitors.

PRICING

• According to Petco, the pricing of NexGard is based on the dosage for four different animal weight classes. The four weight classes are 4 to 10 lbs, 10.1 to 24 lbs, 24.1 to 60 lbs, and 60.1 to 121 lbs.
• The price of the product for the first weight class (4 to 10 lbs) is $53.19. The price for all the remaining weight classes is $54.14. 

SELL-IN STRATEGIES

• According to Boehringer Ingelheim, the father company of Merial (the company in charge of NexGard), NexGard's sell-in strategy is based on supplier diversity.
• Therefore, they distribute their product to all kinds of companies, including small, medium, and large companies. The product is placed throughout the market.

SELL-THROUGH STRATEGIES

• The sell-through of the product is not easy because NexGard requires an active prescription from a vet visit done within the last 12 months. Therefore, the people that need the product must visit a veterinarian first.
• People can also contact the veterinarians directly from NexGard's website. 

TARGETED PET OWNERS

• NexGard targets the owners of puppies that are eight weeks old and weigh four pounds or more.
• It is important to note that the safe use of the product in pregnant, breeding, or lactating dogs has not been evaluated yet.

Product Messaging

• Heartgard's messaging attempts to bring readers' attention to the dangers of mosquito bites in dogs and offers its product as a solution.
• The product messaging also points out the advantages of the product as well as visibly placed safety information. Also, various discounts and refunds are exhibited as a part of the product description.
• Heartgard's primary messaging tagline is "Protect your dog with the #1 Choice of Vets" alongside "One bite is all it takes".

Differentiation Messaging

• The brand's differentiation messaging focuses on the product ability to prevent heartworm disease together with treating and control of preexisting hookworm and roundworm infections, as well as the "real-beef" flavor.
• Also, the brand differentiates itself by claiming that the product needs to be administered once each month to protect the dog throughout the year. In addition, the company offers discounts when 12 doses of a product are bought.
• Additional differentiation taglines include "#1 vet-recommended heartworm disease prevention for dogs", "Safe for puppies as young as 6 weeks" and "Offers convenient, monthly dosing that’s easy to coordinate with other monthly medications".

Product Pricing

• The company offers a $12 discount when 12 doses of Heartgard Plus are bought, redeemable by downloading the coupon and taking it to the vet.
• A pack of 6 Heartgard Chewable tablets for cats weighing up to 5 lbs are sold at $35.89.
• A pack of 6 Heartgard Chewable tablets for cats weighing from 5 to 15 lbs are sold at $35.89.
• A pack of 6 Heartgard Plus Chewable tablets for dogs weighing up to 25 lbs are sold at $31.49.
• A pack of 6 Heartgard Plus Chewable tablets for dogs weighing from 26 to 50 lbs are sold at $40.49.
• A pack of 6 Heartgard Plus Chewable Tablets for Dogs weighing from 51 to 100 lbs are sold at $49.49.

Targeted Pet Owners

• Heartgard's target customers are owners of dogs older than 6 weeks.
• The company also offers various discounts on larger purchases (yearly supplies) which indicates the target customers are those looking to save money.

Additional Information

• Heartgard is one of Boehringer Ingelheim's three best-selling products in the animal health department, as stated in their 2018 financial report.

RESEARCH STRATEGY

MAIN MESSAGE

• Their main tagline is "The only 6-month heartworm disease protection".
• ProHeart 6 claims to offer the most effective heartworm disease protection. One shot of ProHeart 6, provides the dog with 6 months of protection against heartworm.
• Only two shots of ProHeart 6 is needed to provide year-round protection for the dog.
• The brand also claims to provide 100% safe and effective solution against heartworms.

TARGETED PET OWNERS

• ProHheart 6 is targeted towards healthy dogs that are six months or older.
• It is only for "healthy dogs" Dogs that are sick, underweight or have a history of weight loss cannot take ProHeart 6.

PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION

• ProHeart 6 is injectable and lasts for six months. Dogs would only need injections twice a year of ProHeart to stay protected from heartworms.
• It provides sustained concentrations for six months, enabling compliance, convenience and assured protection and helps the client to monitor its pet's health.
• One dosage of ProHeart 6 is equivalent to six monthly dosages of chewable tablets.

PRICING

• According to ProHeart 6 FAQs and Petmed, the price of a ProHeart 6 is about the same as 6 months’ worth of a monthly heartworm disease preventative.
• Six-, and twelve-packs for dogs weighing 6-12 pounds cost $32.96, $59.52, respectively.
• Six-, and twelve-packs for dogs weighing 12-25 pounds cost $32.96, $59.52, respectively.
• Six-, and twelve-packs for dogs weighing 25-50 pounds cost $41.33, $76.66, respectively.
• Six-, and twelve-packs for dogs weighing 50-100 pounds cost $48.76, $91.56, respectively.

SELL-IN/THROUGH STRATEGIES

• According to Zoetis, their sales representatives visit veterinarians to provide information and to promote and sell their products and services.
• In markets where they do not have a direct commercial presence, they generally contract with distributors that provide logistics and sales and marketing support for their product.
• Their sales and veterinary operations specialists usually partner with customers to provide training and support in areas of disease awareness and treatment protocols, including through the use of their products.
• The website of Zoetis products contains promotional videos for ProHeart 6, which contains reviews and testimonials of clients and reasons why people should use the product.
•  Veterinarians like Carolina Value Pet Care make the product available to their customers in their clinics upon request.
• Zoetis sell their pet products (including ProHeat 6) to veterinarians which in turn, sell the products to pet owners.

RESEARCH STRATEGY