Bottle Dog Toys: Wine Not?

For self-declared oenophiles, a bottle of wine symbolizes celebration, companionship, and the good life. But sometimes you don’t need to pop an actual bottle open to experience all three. You can, instead, keep interesting memorabilia of wine products, like keychains or prints. One such product that may prove to be a big hit is a wine bottle-shaped dog toy.

You may be in the business of selling wine-related products, like your own vintages. Or perhaps you’re part of a food, drink, travel, or lifestyle brand that offers your customers a taste of luxury and sophistication. If either situation applies to you, why not try something different and tap into the pet niche?

This could be your opportunity to create an impression of your brand as one that cares for animals and sees them as part of a life well-lived. It’s also one of the best ways to build positive and organic brand engagement among your customers—many of whom may already be dog owners.

Consider launching a line of promotional products that your dog owner customers and their pooches will enjoy. Here’s everything you need to know about crafting your own wine bottle dog toys.

They’re Unique

There are a lot of dog toys out on the market, but there’s little variety to be had among stuffed toys. Many of the stuffed toys that your customers see on sale come in the same generic shapes, such as dog bones. You can catch their eye with something classy, fun, and out of the ordinary in the form of a stuffed wine bottle toy. It’s something they’ll look forward to taking home to their dog.

They’re Adaptable and Easy to Use

Stuffed toys aren’t very difficult to use, which adds to their appeal. They’re also a breeze to carry around, wash, and repair. If you want to sell branded toys to your dog owner customers, remember that the simpler, the better. Indeed, your customers will be satisfied with such a straightforward toy, as long as it’s visually appealing and made with quality in mind.

They’re Fun for Dogs to Play With

Some of the bestselling dog toys in the market are stuffed toys, and that’s for good reason. Dogs love to snuggle up and playfully chew on their stuffed toys. They get even more excitable if the toy comes with a squeaker. With that in mind, you can produce a pet toy that will be a surefire hit among dogs and a worthy investment for dog owners.

They’re Photogenic

Dog owners love to chronicle their favorite moments with their pups. As such, they’re always looking for the perfect photo and video ops. A wine bottle dog toy is perfect for photos and videos that feature lighthearted, comedic moments between dog parents and their fur babies. The moment they see your toy product, your customers will know that it’ll look great in their dog photos.

How Can Your Customers Use Their Own Wine Bottle Dog Toys?

For Playtime

You can advertise your wine bottle dog toys as being ideal for doggie play sessions. Using your toys, dog owners can entertain their dogs and fulfill their dogs’ daily quota of attention, physical exercise, and mental stimulation.

For Training

Outside of playtime, your customers can use your wine bottle dog toys for training. Let’s say that a customer wants to teach a dog to sleep in their crate at night. Owners can put the toy inside of the crate to create a warm and relaxing environment for the dog. This, in turn, will motivate the pup to rest in their crate.

For Comforting Their Dogs

Just like children, some dogs like to cuddle with their stuffed toys during storms. They may also seek out a stuffed toy when they’re feeling anxious. Your customers will be able to comfort them and get them in a better mood with a squeaky wine bottle dog toy.

For Photo Ops

Wine bottle dog toys sport highly unique shapes, which make them a great addition to photo or video ops. Customers can bring them out during celebratory occasions like birthdays, family reunions, and weddings. Featuring the dog and their toy in those photo ops will showcase the dog’s part in their owner’s life milestones.

For Gifts to Other Dog Lovers

If your customers are part of dog-loving communities or have family, friends, or neighbors that are also dog owners, a wine bottle dog toy will make an awesome present. Recipients will think of it as a useful and thoughtful gift. At the same time, the toy’s distinctive shape, as well as your brand’s custom colors and fonts, make them more visually appealing than more generic offerings on the market.

Make Safety and Quality Your Priority

Safety and quality should be paramount when you’re launching your own line of wine bottle dog toys. Ensure that they’re made of sturdy fabric and that their stitching can hold in place even after frequent use. Ask about the raw materials involved in the production of the toys, and get your suppliers’ assurance that none of those materials are toxic to dogs.

Pick an Eye-catching Design

Next, you’ll want to arrive at the perfect design for your toy. It should incorporate your brand’s visual identity and look natural on a shape as unique as a wine bottle. Try different aesthetic styles—like realistic versus comical or cartoonish—before you settle on the final design.

Ask Your Designer for a Mock-up

Once you have your design, you’ll want to make sure it actually looks good on a wine bottle shape. To do so, ask for a mock-up from your design partner. This is where you can make the final calls about which fonts, colors, and other aesthetic elements to display on the toy.

Determine the Best Size for Your Toy

Lastly, you’ll need to decide on the size that’s best for your wine bottle dog toy. You can produce your toys in one all-around size, or release both small and large options for smaller and larger-sized dog breeds, respectively.

Sell Them at Your Store or a Partner Establishment

The most straightforward way to earn off of your wine bottle dog toys is to sell them in your store. You can stock them at a physical location or sell them online. There’s also the option to sell them from another establishment’s storefront, offering them a commission per sale in return. This is especially good for when you’re just starting out in the pet niche. An establishment that already has a loyal following of pet owners can feature your brand and help you get your name out there.

Feature the Toys in Related Promotional Materials

Your dog owner customers will be most inclined to buy your product if they can visualize use cases for it. Thus, it’s a good idea to feature your wine bottle dog toys in how-to training videos, pet vlogs, “best of” listicles, and other pet-related content. Aside from drumming up interest in your toy, this kind of material can also build your brand’s influence in the pet industry.

Give Them Away as Freebies or Prizes

You can also take these products with you to your next corporate event, or to a company booth at a pet fair or pet expo. Your customers may be pleased to receive them as a freebie if they buy another product of yours, or as a prize for being the booth’s first visitors. If a raffle or contest is being held at that same event, you can offer a wine bottle dog toy as one of the prizes.

Hype Them Up as Commemorative or Limited-edition Items

If you want to produce a small number of the toys or test the waters for how well they’ll sell, you can offer them as commemorative or limited-edition items. This can broaden the appeal of the product and speed up your sales, as the toys will be seen as an exclusive item from your company. Open sales during a holiday, your company’s anniversary, or a pet-related event like National Pet Week.

Are you nervous about your first forays into the pet niche through your own line of wine bottle dog toys? Feeling out of your depth is normal, as it will take you time to adjust to a new promotional strategy and establish relationships with a new demographic of customers. But with a company like PrideBites behind you, you’ll be able to turn your product launch into a profitable endeavor and win the trust of your dog owner customers.

We’ve been featured on the hit show Shark Tank for our innovative approach to designing wholesale custom pet products for brands and retailers. We’ve also won top pet industry awards for the work we’ve done with our clients. Choose PrideBites to conceptualize your new custom pet products and help you earn strong sales off of them. Contact us now to get a free virtual mock-up of your wine bottle dog toy!