Kong toys are a brand of dog toys that have been around since 1976. They are a bit like the Hoover vacuum cleaner of the dog product world. Although Hoover is a brand of vacuum cleaner people often refer to the vacuum cleaner itself as a Hoover. Kong toys have established themselves in the dog toys world and many dog owners I have come across in person and online referrer to their dogs toys as Kong Toys. The purpose of my article is not to add more superbalitives to Hoover or Kong Toys but it is to offer a reasoning why brands can establish themselves so firmly within a genre.



The most common way to have a brand name associated strongly with a genre of merchandise is to take a particular product to a new level, or to be a revolutionary in that industry. Products can seem to be selling well and lots of manufacturers are all selling the same thing but what if one manufacturer comes up with a unique idea and turns that industry on its head? In 1976 that is exactly what Kong did to the dog toys industry and thus embedding their brand name in the brain of every dog owner in the world.

This type of imaginative thinking sets a buzz going around an industry and general people on the street start to talk about your product and before long everyone is looking out for your brand name when they are looking for the item. The fact that many manufacturers may copy the idea later does not dampen the effect of the original brand name being the name that was spread about when the buzz first started.

The idea that Kong Toys had in 1976 was for a dog toy that incorporated a rubber chew and treat all in one. The dog toy was made out of rubber and was hollow which enabled a soft treat paste to be squeezed into the middle. Dogs could then chew on the rubber toy and the treat would be slowly released into the dog's mouth over time.

This type of dog toy was revolutionary at the time and dogs would go crazy for the chewy toy with a surprise treat inside. Soon dog owners everywhere were talking about kong toys and it was that customer buzz that built the foundations of their brand. This goes to show that word of mouth probably is the best form of marketing.

Now for a brand such as Kong Toys or Hoover to be successful there needs to be some sustenance after the initial buzz. Kong toys made their dog toys out of the finest rubber and trial tested many different types and shapes before they finally opted for the chosen one. They also consulted experts in the pet industry such as vets and leading pet authors and document writers. This type of research works on two counts as firstly it makes sure that your product has no flaws and secondly you can add the seal of approval from these specialists to your marketing campaign.

Kong toys is still going strong and has now branched out into a wide range of different dog toys which shows that a brand built on solid foundations will last the test of time.