Design Company
Meoof seeks concavity, co-creating the aesthetic of life between humans and pets
by PDS Official on Aug 16, 2023
Meoof seeks concavity, co-creating the aesthetic of life between humans and pets
Source: BDDwatch
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The Rise of Pet Product Design
With the improvement of the economic level and the change of ideological concepts among Chinese people, more and more families and individuals have started to keep pets. Since 2019, the pet industry has become one of the fastest-growing sectors in China's fast-moving consumer goods market. Especially during the three-year period from 2020 to 2022, when the pandemic occurred, pets have become an emotional outlet, providing warmth and companionship to their owners. According to the 2022 report on China's pet industry, despite the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and global economic slowdown, the Chinese pet market has maintained an annual growth rate of over 18% in the past few years
I have been closely following the development of the pet industry for several years, and in my opinion, I have noticed three major characteristics:
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Market segmentation is fragmented
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Pet education is of utmost importance
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Being a leading brand is the key to success
1. Market segmentation is scattered into detailed categories
Although the pet industry is a rapidly growing sunrise industry, the ceiling and development strategies of its segmented categories are uneven, making it a relatively fragmented market overall. This industry is mainly divided into three major categories: pet food (accounting for 40%-45% of the market), pet supplies (accounting for 20%-25% of the market), and pet services (accounting for 20%-30% of the market)
"Pet supplies" may be the least mature and most fragmented part of the market, but in the past two years, there has been a clear trend of rapid growth in demand for smart products for cats
2. Pet education is of utmost importance
With the popularization and development of knowledge platforms such as Xiaohongshu, Zhihu, and Bilibili, emerging lifestyles such as "empty nest youth" and "stay-at-home life" have become fashionable. The pet-raising concept of the new generation of users has shifted from the previous "just being alive is enough" to "exquisite pet-raising" and "scientific pet-raising," and pets are treated as family members. Consumers are starting to learn about pet care and nurturing through various means, hoping that the products they use are more scientific and professional, and they are becoming increasingly picky about the products
3. Brand leadership is the key to success
In my opinion, creating a successful pet brand is the key to victory, and there are four crucial elements:
1. Product research and development capability
With the maturation of consumer concepts, product differentiation and leading technology/product technology are about to become the key factors in attracting and retaining users
2. Customer Acquisition and Consumer Education Capability
Enhance brand trust and increase brand and product value through consumer education
3. Production and manufacturing capacity
Improve product manufacturing capability and productivity, enhance the product quality and production efficiency of the brand itself
4. Channel strategy
During the stage when traffic costs are high, it is necessary to balance online and offline customer acquisition channels in order to balance growth costs
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From product innovation to entering the pet brand entrepreneurship track
Meoof is a brand of human-pet lifestyle aesthetics founded in Guangzhou in September 2021. Its founder, Chu Pengcheng, graduated from the Industrial Design School of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in 2011. After undergoing a transformation from a designer to a design executive, and then to a corporate manager over the course of 10 years, he decided to establish this independent brand company. After leaving Vision Source, he embarked on three years of more frequent "social practice". First, he co-founded "Advantage Technology" with former Huawei leader Liu Jiangfeng, experiencing the baptism of "big capital" and a "luxury entrepreneurial team", but failed to realize the business plan for whole-house AIOT. He then worked as a VP at two listed companies for two years. Later, he established a robotics company and obtained millions of shares that were about to be monetized, but ultimately gave up, always struggling to balance the tension between ideals and reality. Looking back on his ten-year career, the entire process seems to be fluctuating and lengthy, but in retrospect, it was a calm and gradual progression. Every effort made at each stage served as an important foundation for future practice
Just like supporting any talented and ambitious student around him to start their own businesses, he also supports designers in their entrepreneurial endeavors. When it comes to designer entrepreneurship, he expresses several key viewpoints:
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1. If one day fails, as long as it doesn't lead to a complete downfall, dare to adjust in the face of variables and go ahead with what you want to do as soon as possible.
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2. Every profession has similar entrepreneurial attempts, which are extensions of inherent abilities. It is risky to focus solely on design, marketing, supply chain, or other singular resources and stereotypical experiences. Therefore, he rarely encourages designers to start their own businesses. Among the designers he has worked with, only a few have ventured into entrepreneurship, while the majority have found success in large companies such as Huawei, OPPO, Honor, and Xiaomi.
Entrepreneurship is a means rather than an end. Choosing the path of entrepreneurship, building a company, and creating a brand allows one to discover more unknowns at a faster pace. It is a more efficient way of personal growth.
During the conversation with Mr. Wu Shichun from Meihua Venture, there was a statement that resonated strongly with him: Entrepreneurship is the most vibrant and exciting way of life during peacetime. Regardless of success or failure, he has already maximized the depth and breadth of his life
Chu Pengcheng is a person who is both idealistic and rational in his thinking
His idealism lies in placing a certain sentiment in the shaping of a brand, while pursuing this sentiment, he hopes to balance the highest efficiency and quality of business. "Behind a brand are the values of an individual or a group of people, maintaining sincerity, passion, and foresight, and through products and services, engaging in more efficient communication with the world. Together, we explore what a better life should be like, convey beauty, and collectively maintain a longing for a beautiful life."
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1st step in entrepreneurship: Talented Individuals
Past experiences have made Chupeng Cheng deeply aware that in order to establish a company that can thrive in the long term, it is essential to gather a group of talented individuals, preferably with complementary professional backgrounds, who can leverage their respective strengths and work together in a sincere and cooperative manner to collectively shape the most efficient entrepreneurial endeavor
Shi Yuan Corporation is the company that gives him the strongest sense of belonging. Idealism, striving to create the best products, pursuing perfection, equality, freedom, sharing, honesty, long-term value, and so on, are all states that he is eager to achieve through hard work. He reviewed the colleagues who left Shi Yuan and sought out those he considered outstanding, engaging in conversations, meals, and discussions about future directions. "If we can align our fundamental values from the beginning, many trivial issues would not arise."
Chu Pengcheng said that he would never poach employees from Vision Source. Firstly, he has a deep emotional connection with Vision Source and has maintained a good relationship with the founders and his brothers. Secondly, it goes against his values
On the eve of founding the company, Chu Pengcheng first approached the former deputy chief engineer he had worked with before. However, the latter had already moved his family to Suzhou. Every time he came to Guangdong on business, Chu Pengcheng would make an appointment to meet him. He even went to Shanghai and Suzhou specifically to talk to him about reality and dreams. After several months of communication, this colleague from the research and development team moved back to Guangzhou and joined the entrepreneurial team
Wang Wukun, a master of industrial design, joined Shiyuan immediately after graduating from South China University of Technology in 2009. He had originally planned to start his own business after graduation and was still searching for direction when he was recruited by Chu Pengcheng to join the team
Robin Liang, a graduate of South China University of Technology in 2010, joined Shiyuan and has been responsible for the company's overseas business for over a decade. He is also one of the original shareholders of Shiyuan. When he left the company, he posted a message on his social media circle. Upon seeing it, Pengcheng Chu immediately arranged a meeting with him. After having a meal together and envisioning the future, Robin promptly decided to join. He said, "Although I'm not sure what exactly I'll be doing for now, I believe that with the right direction and team, success is inevitable!"
Chen Yun, also known as CC, graduated from Wuhan University in 2012 with a combined bachelor's and master's degree. By the time she left Shiyuan, she was already in charge of the company's human resources. Later, she became the deputy general manager of another well-established listed company in Guangzhou. Chu Pengcheng considered her to be the most outstanding candidate in the field of human resources that he had ever met. Although they hadn't been in touch for many years, after their first conversation, CC decided to join the team
Jia Cencen, brand manager, is a girl who owns 7 cats and 1 dog. She has an infinite love for cats and dogs, and has been deeply involved in the pet industry for many years, always striving for perfection
In September 2021, they established "Meoof" in Huangpu District, Guangzhou
Chu Pengcheng said, "They are all better than me because I am not very capable, so I must find brothers and sisters who are much better than me." For a founder, it is necessary to clearly understand what they are good at and what they are not good at, to scientifically and rationally build a team and allocate tasks, and to maintain a consistent underlying value system. The talent structure advantage of the team he has assembled lies in: shared values, comprehensive execution ability, internationalization, design excellence, product development advantage, and after-sales service management advantage. Most importantly, the several partners of meoof have 100% trust in each other and never consider personal gains and losses. They work together with a "benefit others" mentality, focusing on what they believe is valuable from the perspective of organizational interests, company, and brand. They seek high-level interests and passions with like-minded people, create excellent products, do meaningful things, create a brand that brings happiness to people, make more friends, and constantly see the richness of the world that was previously unseen. This is the reason why they come together
At meoof, nobody is the boss, yet everyone is the boss
They are still constantly searching for like-minded people, and in 2022, they attracted another marketing expert. It is estimated that the next time we see meoof, there will be new member names appearing
Criteria for selecting partners:
1. Values and patterns;
2. Significant contributions or long-term value to the organization.
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3. Strong ability to sustain long-term development with the organization, think independently, learn, and solve problems.
The "strict selection" criteria for partners also reflect the attitude of "pursuing excellence" - "excellence is not about giving it your all, but reaching the limits of your imagination." Since its establishment over a year ago, Seekao has encountered many pitfalls and losses, facing new challenges every day. There are times when there is a sense of powerlessness and extreme anxiety, requiring strong internalization abilities. However, Chupengcheng rarely looks back during this period
"Every step is like walking on thin ice, every day is filled with anticipation."
Many people in the company arrive at work at 7 o'clock every day and don't go home until late at night. In everything he does, Chupengcheng always strives to be the best. He chooses to fight side by side with entrepreneurs who are strict with themselves and cannot afford to be lenient when it comes to their ideals
"Choice, passion, and talent may seem more important than effort, but effort is the fundamental threshold. We must excel in both the difficult and basic aspects."
The strictness towards oneself and the team, and the pursuit of being the first, are not for the sake of satisfying the desire for victory, nor are they solely about being "the first", but rather because these may be the most efficient ways to achieve our ideals. Broadening our perspective, before reaching the mountaintop, both the good and the bad are part of the scenery. Of course, this does not mean that we can achieve excellence
By the end of 2022, the ambitious meoof team, which initially started with 30 members, has streamlined and condensed to just over 20 individuals. This decision was made due to two reasons: first, the growth rate was not as fast as anticipated, and second, the team firmly believes in focusing on their strengths and pursuing endeavors with a higher level of certainty
"Everything revolves around the user as the center."
The founding team, which possesses a strong design DNA, outsources all design aspects of the product because it increases efficiency. There is no product manager within the team, but there are many product designers. In Chupeng Cheng's view, designers are the product managers who create the best products in the industry. "Designers need to design comprehensively, considering the final sales and lifecycle of a product from the moment the decision to design a product is made," he says. Behind this, besides maintaining a keen sense of the product, accurate judgment is also required in understanding user psychology, technology, production, costs, and competitive analysis, among other factors
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Entrepreneurship: Setting a Direction
When choosing the direction of the category, it is observed that the consumer upgrade in China has not yet deeply reached the pet industry. The efficiency and quality of most pet brand startup teams are not high, so it is a relatively large opportunity for entrepreneurship. Although the industry's growth rate was high at that time, as mentioned earlier, the popularity and penetration rate of intelligent pet products were still very low, especially for products that highly integrate technology and aesthetics. In this aspect, there is still a lot of room for expansion in both technology and appearance. And this industry is the direction in which the meoof team can leverage their interests, abilities, and possibilities
Like most startup teams, meoof, which started its business in September 2021, encountered many challenges in its first quarter. The speed and efficiency of product development were relatively slow, and the understanding of the pet industry was not deep enough at that time. "Before entering the industry, I thought everyone was a fool. After a while, I realized that I was the fool." The first three months were extremely difficult, with only 7 million yuan in revenue, and both the product and the team fell far short of expectations. As we entered 2022, the situation did not improve. The company's revenue in 2022 was only 15 million yuan, far below the expectations and requirements of the founding team. However, it still became the fastest-growing startup brand in the pet supplies industry in the eyes of investment institutions
In 2023, just after the recent 618 shopping festival, the one-year-old meoof continues to explore its initial operational approach while reaching the milestone of being among the top ten players in the industry
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Meoof's entrepreneurial methodology
During the year and a half of entrepreneurship, Chu Pengcheng constantly reviewed and analyzed every key decision he made, trying to form his own entrepreneurial methodology. He shared the following insights with BDDWATCH:
1. Product is the primary life force
"Creating the best products in the industry is the bottom line for the meoof brand. However, we should not compare ourselves to the industry, but rather strive to meet the highest global standards. Each time, we must exceed the expectations of our customers."
2. Continuous stability
Continuously doing things that earn the trust of users, the growth of a brand itself is a process of building trust; in the current environment, stability and gradual progress are particularly important, as consistent effort is stronger than blind trial and error
3. Brand mission, philosophy, and target positioning centered around the lifestyle of pet owners
"A brand of the lifestyle of being pampered" is the brand positioning established by the Meow Team after careful consideration. They firmly believe that creating a design-driven brand and clearly planning the brand positioning, as well as its related brand mission, philosophy, and goals, from the beginning of the entrepreneurial journey, is the most effective way to make the team and future new employees understand and promote the company's growth in line with the brand values
These statements presented in text convey the brand definition of meoof:
Brand Mission: To enable every pet-owning household to enjoy the wonderful life brought by technology and art
Brand concept: Be good friends with users, discuss life's ways and attitudes through products, services, and user interactions, and jointly maintain the yearning for a better life. Altruism is the starting point for everything, seeking the best way to satisfy the needs of both humans and pets between art, technology, and business
Brand objective: Explore the present and future around the concept of "the aesthetic of a scientific human-pet lifestyle"
Four, everything revolves around the user
"Putting user experience at the center" is a core element of design-driven brands. It is crucial to clearly define the target users and product positioning from the beginning of a startup. Meoof positions its users as primarily "knowledgeable women aged 20-35, who value quality of life and are not highly price-sensitive." Meoof aims to impress users with sincerity, passion, and foresight, prioritizing giving before receiving. Through continuous innovation and optimizing user experience, Meoof strives to pursue a better life together with this group of users
Therefore, focusing on cultivating users is the key to growing a brand into a towering tree. Meoof divides the process of acquiring users into three stages:
New User Acquisition Phase: Creating Strong Value Propositions, Capturing the First Wave of Users
Repurchase stage: Users must receive a product that exceeds their expectations, delivering a "complete product" and generating a strong sense of trust in the brand
Retention stage: Exceeding expectations in service experience, making users feel like good friends
Fifth, search for "differentiation that is helpful to users."
"Whether it better addresses the issues users encounter in the process of raising pets" is the first factor that the meoof team considers in their product strategy
In this regard, the meoof team has its own ideas, following the "user-first principle", believing that what users care about may not necessarily be whether the product is intelligent or electric, but rather whether the problems encountered in the process of raising pets can be effectively solved. Therefore, meoof's product positioning will pay more attention to "seeking differentiation and market scarcity based on market data and user needs"
The rapidly growing pet industry has seen a proportional increase in market size and number of competitors, indicating the emergence of "industry consolidation". New entrants in the entrepreneurial space often find that this race is not as profitable as they had imagined. Regarding this phenomenon, Chu Pengcheng commented, "The essence of consolidation lies in the fact that when these products have low penetration rates among user groups, they are crowded with various competitors, resulting in a proliferation of homogeneous products. Meoof only focuses on creating differentiated products that are useful to users. If there are better products in the market or solutions similar to Meoof's ideas, we should genuinely applaud them. This industry is vast and requires more good products and excellent teams to work together and create more value for users. It is also more interesting to compete with the best."
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Meoof Product System
1. meoof cat litter box
Follow the cat's natural preference for an open bowl design. The square and round outer contour provides stability, while the smooth and rounded inner wall makes scooping and cleaning easy. The edge of the litter box is designed with a 5cm wide rim and a 35-degree inclined surface, along with a unique texture design, to effectively prevent litter from being carried out when the pet steps on the edge of the box. It comes with a litter scoop that can be placed on the rim, designed like a cat's tail, practical and lively. We hope it can retain some of life's fun in its unique style, seamlessly blending into the home environment without being obtrusive or ostentatious
2. Meoof Time Tower Cat Climbing Frame
Time Tower, a building that allows cats to feel the flow of time. Flowing lines adorn its structure. When sunlight shines into the open space of the upper spiral, one can feel the passage of time through the changing light and shadows. It provides a place for cats to hide and bask in the sun, allowing them to feel both secure and embraced by sunlight. The vertical design satisfies cats' climbing and hiding habits, with a diameter of 40cm, making it comfortable to place anywhere indoors. It seamlessly integrates cats' habits with home life
With the growth of the cat-owning user group, "cat climbing frames" have become a "must-have" product in cat-owning households. However, the aesthetic appeal of the majority of cat climbing frames is relatively low. Meoof hopes to differentiate its product through the "Time Tower," while also considering the home environment and the cat's comfort experience
3. meoof Vacuum Crispy Bucket
This grain storage bucket adopts an innovative pressure relief design, allowing the lid to be opened in one second without any extra steps. When the lid is closed, it automatically starts a vacuum suction, without the need to wait, allowing you to leave at any time. The goal of this design is to provide a natural and simple operating experience, just like the ordinary process of storing and accessing food. This is how the design should be - natural and clever
This is also meoof's first innovative product with "smart" technology, featuring six major functions: independent charging, intelligent constant pressure, one-second pressure release, automatic vacuuming, safe material, and large capacity. The difference between the Vacuum Crispy Bucket and other vacuum grain storage buckets is that it does not require manual vacuuming by pressing, as the electronic pump on the top will automatically sense and vacuum when the lid is closed
After the launch and sale of the Vacuum Crispy Bucket, many cat owners were pleasantly surprised to discover that this product not only serves as a storage container for cat food, but also provides a much better user experience compared to all the grain storage containers currently used in households. As a result, they have decided to purchase an additional one for personal use, and some even bought it to store cigars, cameras, and other items, expanding the range of applications for meoof
There is another detail about the sustainable concept - the packaging of the grain storage bucket. The packaging of the vacuum crispy bucket is not just an outer packaging, it brings a different surprise to the cat users: because cats like all kinds of cardboard boxes, meoof designed the packaging box of the grain bucket to be convertible into a cat bed. This clever packaging design not only embodies the concept of environmental protection, but also brings a sense of surprise to the users, making other brands in the industry follow suit
4. Mousse Feeder
"Feeding pets with fresh and crunchy food at any time."
In order to meet the diverse nutritional needs and fresh requirements of our furry friends, the Mousse Smart Feeder has upgraded its feeding mechanism for households that feed large-sized freeze-dried pet food. It has overcome the issue of traditional feeders getting stuck when dispensing dry food larger than 12mm, ensuring smooth dispensing of even 18mm freeze-dried food. In southern cities and during the rainy season, food is prone to moisture and spoilage. Therefore, the dispensing opening is designed with a double-layer seal with zero gaps to ensure the freshness and dryness of the pet food. It serves as both a feeder and a storage container. In shared living spaces between humans and pets, it is important to maintain a tidy home environment. The pet's dining area should not be restricted by power outlets. Mousse uses lithium battery for wireless power supply, allowing real-time online feeding through the app, achieving truly wireless feeding
5. GULU Bowl
The food bowl has a shallow concave and a slight arc, gathering cat food without spilling. The water bowl has an extra-large opening, allowing the cat to drink without bending its whiskers, ensuring a more enjoyable drinking experience. It is made of high-quality kaolin clay fired at a temperature of 1280 degrees, with a delicate and lustrous ceramic glaze. The detachable A-grade oak stand not only provides a more comfortable eating and drinking height for cats but also makes it easier for owners to clean and handle the ceramic bowl. The gulu bowl not only offers practical and functional experiences but also embodies a pursuit of a sense of ritual and quality in life, adding a touch of color and cuteness to everyday life
6. Other products
7. Meoof Visual System
In order to enhance brand consistency and user experience, meoof will collaborate with HEA in 2023 to upgrade its brand image and develop brand experience strategies
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meoof supply chain cooperation model
meoof is a brand that operates with light assets, and close cooperation with the supply chain is required for the production and manufacturing of all products. In terms of cooperation models, meoof seeks to adopt a win-win collaborative approach with suppliers, involving joint research and development and sharing of product sales profits
Meoof and its partners have established long-term, trusted, and mutually supportive cooperative relationships. They strive to be open with each other and share all information possible. "Sincerity is the most effective way of cooperation, simple and direct. Win-win is the foundation of cooperation, to the extent that one would rather incur losses themselves in order for their partners to profit. When you treat others well, they will undoubtedly wish you well."
In the conversation with meoof, you can once again feel their "stinginess". From the early stages of entrepreneurship, they carefully consider the control of supply chain costs and the calculation of input-output ratios. Whether it is the development cost of electrical product molds or the transportation cost of products, meoof meticulously weighs every penny
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meoof channel deployment
1. E-commerce platform
Meoof's sales channels are currently mainly focused on self-operated flagship stores on Tmall, JD, and Douyin e-commerce platforms. 80% of the revenue comes from the Tmall flagship store, followed by partnerships. Meoof has also maintained a long-term "gold medal customer service" on Tmall, as it highly values user experience
meoof has a very limited budget for marketing every year. "If the marketing expenses are high, the product will be expensive. It's better to sell slowly and let users buy the product at a suitable price. Rely on the product and service to let users spread the word themselves."
2. Participate in domestic and international exhibitions.
In 2023, with the comprehensive recovery of the market after the pandemic, meoof also embarked on the process of expanding its overseas channels
To maintain sincerity, passion, and consistency in words and actions, to do good things, to explore the essence and meaning, and to constantly gain insight. This is Chupengcheng's personal requirement for himself
Meoof wants to be a respected company, establish a trusted brand, and focus on its own development in order to benefit the world in the future. It aims to build a brand that represents a "pet lifestyle" and become the top choice in the minds of users, covering various product categories. Meoof's expectation is to use its products and services to connect with consumers and society, creating a harmonious and wonderful life for both humans and pets
Through products and services, be good friends with users. Discuss ways and attitudes towards life, and together maintain a longing for a better life. Maintain the team's continuous growth and curiosity, continuously explore more possibilities, and keep that inner flame alive. This is meoof
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Afterword
The growth of the pet industry comes from its unique consumption characteristics - its consumption is multifaceted, with the buyer (human) and the user (pet) being different individuals. Therefore, when designing pet products, one must consider the "selling points" from the perspective of the pet owner and the "needs" from the perspective of the pet user. Users are initially attracted by appearance, loyal to quality, and driven by emotions. While capturing the front-end needs of pet users, it is also necessary to consider exceptional quality and service. Despite the significant information and cognitive biases in the pet product industry and among pet owners, it is important to consider the "cognitive upgrade" of pet owners towards pet products, while also considering the underlying functional requirements of the supply chain and technological research and development. How to combine commercial profitability with product utility and pet owner satisfaction is also an important issue that the pet industry needs to consider
"Stability leads to speed" is the motto. Brand competition is a comprehensive battle, and a stable foundation is essential for business growth. The pet industry is fundamentally a consumer goods business. When consumer goods reach a certain level of development, the strength of the supply chain becomes a crucial factor. Any flaws in the supply chain will ultimately impact the front-end brands. Therefore, the win-win cooperation between Meoof and the supply chain undoubtedly serves as a significant measure to enhance the safety factor of brand development
From the current state of industry competition, it is evident that due to its low popularity and penetration rate, the pet industry is still in its early stages. It is easy to observe that there are many imitators in various areas of the pet industry in a short period of time. Whether it is within the same category or the same type of product, they will all face long-term competition
Believe that meoof, with its strong product design advantage and collaborative business model in the supply chain, will quickly establish a prominent position and stand out in the pet supplies industry, thanks to its highly effective people management capabilities
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