Something happened at Crufts this year that which really stuck with me; I came across a brand with a huge, impressive stand – but I’d never heard of them, and being in the pet industry for so long I was curious so popped over for a a chat. I found out that this was their first full year of trading, which made it even more mindblowing, how do you launch a brand at that scale!?

But when I asked how the brand started, there wasn’t really an answer and when I looked them up later, there was nothing on their website either. No founder story, no insight into who was behind the business, no sense of why it existed in the first place, and for me, that felt like something was missing, it actually made me a bit suspicious. Maybe it’s just me, but as a dog owner who cares who I’m buying from, it’s important to know the reason for a brand existing and people don’t just buy products, they buy the people behind them. Or as Simon Sinek says “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it”.

Taylor – one of the founders of Fettle Pet Supplements

People buy from people

Most pet brands don’t start in a boardroom, they start with a dog, a problem and an idea which solves that problem. That story is often the reason the brand exists at all. When you can see the person and the story behind the brand, understand what they care about, and why they started, it creates an immediate connection – it builds trust and makes people be able to relate. Take that away and even the most beautifully packaged product can feel a anonymous.

Your story builds trust (before your product does)

When someone lands on your website or social media for the first time, they’re making a decision quickly – not just “do I like this product?” but “do I trust this brand? Founder imagery helps answer that question almost instantly – seeing a real person (you!), with their dog, in a genuine environment, tells your audience that your brand is personal and in a market that’s becoming more saturated, that kind of trust is incredibly valuable.

Sarah – Founder of Send a Dog a Bone postal treats

Founder photos create connection quickly

We’re all used to scrolling quickly which means your audience isn’t always going to read your full story straight away but they will connect with how something feels and a simple image of you with your pet or working within your business, can communicate far more than a paragraph of text ever could. It gives your audience a human connection, and that connection is often what makes someone pause, explore further, and ultimately choose you.

Rachel – Pet business coach & dog friendly holiday cottage owner.

Especially for small pet brands

If you’re a small or independent brand, this matters even more, you’re not competing on scale. or trying to outspend bigger companies – what you have is your story, your values, and your reason for doing what you do. And your story is what sells.

Thinking back to that brand at Crufts, it wasn’t the size of the stand that stood out to me, it was the absence of a story because without that human connection, it’s much harder to engage, no matter how good the product looks. Or is that just me??

If someone landed on your website today, would they know who you are, and why your brand exists? And if not, it might be time to start telling that story a little more clearly.

If you’d like a hand bringing that to life through imagery, feel free to get in touch, I’d love to hear about your brand.

Professional photographer working Worldwide with Pet Businesses

So you have had your professional photoshoot for your pet business. Now what? The images shouldn’t just sit in a folder looking pretty – you have invested in them so they should be working for you.

When I work with pet brands, a big part of the process is thinking beyond the shoot itself. It’s not just about creating beautiful images, it’s about creating a bank of content that supports your business long after the shoot has finished.

And the difference between brands that really benefit from a shoot and those that don’t often comes down to one thing: how the images are used afterwards.

Take Sarah at My Anxious Dog. She has this beautiful gazebo setup that her imagery, and at a crowded event, it stands out. And then you see her photos on social media and you recognise her brand. That’s not by accident, that’s consistency.

Think of the last time you went to a dog event…

Something else worth thinking about, especially if you exhibit at events, is how your imagery works from a distance. Most gazebos and stands are actually quite neutral. Whites, greys, simple branding. Which means everything can start to blend into one another when you’re walking through a busy show – think of the last time you went to a dog event, sometimes it’s difficult to tell one brand from another. 

That’s where strong, recognisable imagery makes a huge difference.

With Sarah’s setup, it’s not just that the gazebo looks good up close. It’s that her imagery catches your eye from a distance. Alongside the text, the image gives people something to latch onto before they’ve even reached the stand and tells them what she does, quickly. People don’t stop at every stand – they’re drawn in by what stands out first, as you will know if you’ve ever been to a dog event. 

So while investing in printed materials or a slightly more considered setup might feel like an extra cost, if you’re exhibiting regularly it becomes part of the visibility of your brand.

Think about what you can give people to take away with them too. 

It’s worth thinking about what you can give people to take home with them, especially if you attend events.

After a busy day walking around a show, people often leave with a bag full of leaflets, business cards, samples and catalogues. And when they get home, they’ll go through it properly, deciding what to keep, what to revisit, and what to throw away, that’s another moment where your imagery is working for you.

If your printed materials look professional, consistent and engaging, people are far more likely to pause, look through them and remember you. It’s not just about handing something out, it’s about creating something people want to keep. And just like with your stand, this is where strong, consistent imagery can make all the difference.

Your images can be used across your website, social media, email marketing, product listings, printed materials, press features, and more. They can help you build a recognisable look and feel that people start to associate with your brand but to do that well, you need to think about usage from the start.

Ruth at Doghouse Bradford on Avon, has used her images to create a catalogue, business cards and more for trade shows that feels high end, consistent, completely aligned with her brand but most of all, they stand out. The images don’t just sit on Instagram, they’re working across multiple touchpoints in her business.

This is why I often help clients build a shot list before the shoot. Not just based on what will look nice, but based on what they’ll actually need; website banners, product in use, seasonal content, negative space for marketing text to be added, lifestyle imagery – it all plays a role.

Because a great shoot isn’t just about the day itself, it’s about what those images allow you to do afterwards. If you’ve had a photoshoot before and feel like you didn’t fully use your images, you’re not alone. But with a bit of planning, those same images can become one of the most valuable assets in your business, and can be reused for years to come.

If you’d like a hand planning imagery that actually works for your business (not just looks nice), feel free to drop me a message at kerry@furandfables.com

Professional photographer working Worldwide with Pet Businesses

I think the first thing to mention, the rule which I stand by, is to go into this kind of event expecting nothing in return. Even before I decided to focus all my attention on commercial pet photography, I was already building relationships within the pet industry. I genuinely loved hearing about the people behind the brands and how they started.

As an example, I got to know The Innocent Pet Company many years ago because their treats were a revelation to me – high end, luxury, high meat content – a quality product which I wanted to gift to my pet portrait clients. I championed the company when I could, and when I decided to go down the pet brand photography path, they were the first people I approached. We’ve now had several shoots together, and more in the pipeline!

Networking has got a bit of a bad rep over the last few years. When I googled ‘what do people think about networking’ the top result was a page by St Olafs collage entitled ‘Why are people often uncomfortable with the word Networking’ The first paragraph reads: “Many people are uncomfortable with the word “networking.”  When they think of networking, they imagine a pushy, aggressive person who connects with people to achieve selfish goals and gives nothing back.  In other words, when many people think of networking, they think of “using” people.”

I was probably one of those people who shuddered at the thought of networking but I’ve realised recently that I have a super power, and that power is called Relationship Building.

I hadn’t really thought about it as a super power, but after speaking to a few people who were impressed that I had clients I’ve been working with for 8+ years, I started looking at what I was doing and why it was working, and after booking a call with FOMO creator May King Tsang on how I can use this to my advantage, we came up with a strategy (another word which usually makes me shudder) on how, as someone who feels a bit awkward about approaching people, I was going to create a buzz around Crufts.

Unleash the Power of Networking: A Mindful Approach to Making Meaningful Connections with Busy Stallholders at Crufts

Pre Networking

About 2 weeks before Crufts, I started searching the hashtag on socials, including LinkedIn and enthusiastically engaging with brands and people whose values seemed to align with my own. I could have just engaged with as many as possible which would have been less time consuming, but there was a point to doing a bit of high end research at the start, which will be revealed later!

I didn’t just ‘like’, and I tried not to leave one word comments because I wanted to start conversations. Again, a bit more time consuming, but if you want to build longer term relationships, people need to remember you, and just putting ‘great!’ as a comment isn’t something they will remember you by.

Make it about them, not you

On the call with May King, I started thinking about how I could actually give some value to the people I wanted to speak to, and so came about a free Crufts content offer.

I know how busy it can get on stalls at this kind of event, and I know that content can go out of the window so I published an offer that I would come and take photos and videos, for free, of the stall, the dogs coming to the stall and interactions with customers – I quickly got my target filled and had to close the offer! This meant that people not only knew who I was, but were expecting me! As an introvert, this was a dream come true.

So think about how you can help those people you want to meet. Remember they are people and not a pay cheque. Can you take a box of sweets or biscuits to keep up their energy? Is there something you, as an expert can, do to help during, pre or post Crufts?

Be recognisable in advance

I got lucky with this one. I attended the Theo Paphitis Small Business Sunday event a week earlier, and before the event someone posted a brilliant glowing lanyard with their logo and QR code from Surefyre Designs. I missed seeing them at the event, but as soon as I got back I ordered one. I’m a bit of a nerd and got far too excited about when it arrived and started posting it on Social – because it was something a bit different it became a real talking point.

The lovely Helena from Poochie Park posted that she had freshly dyed purple hair, and guess what, I spotted her in the vast expanse of Crufts!

Obviously you don’t need to be that extreme, branded clothing can work too, but remember there will be a lot of people with branded items, so can you make it stand out a little? What ever you do, show it on social media before and, talk about it, so you are almost priming people to recognise you.

On the Day

Go early

I got to Crufts as early as I could, it would have been earlier if it wasn’t for traffic! It’s less likely to be busy at the start, I also went on the Thursday to network as that’s a slower day.

Make it about them, not you

I know I have said this before, but it needs saying again. People pay a lot of money for stalls, and the last thing they want is someone selling to them when the reason they came is to engage with new and existing customers and spread the word about their amazing product or service.

Know their business.

If you really want to build a connection, know their business and be genuinely interested – you can’t fake this stuff. Every brand I went to at Crufts, there was something I admired about their product. As an example, I’ve known about The Golden Paste Company for a while and I am blown away by the quality of their ingredients and how they talk about how they source the Tumeric on their website, or the that SnifSnax were being sustainable years before it became more mainstream.

Don’t give out your business card

I know this might seem counter intuitive, but unless someone asked, or showed a genuine interest, I didn’t give out a card. I want to work with people and brands who want to work with me and are at the right place at the right time, and so when I did give out my flyer, I knew it was because they wanted it.

Don’t take up too much time

However you decide to approach and network with brands at Crufts, don’t assume just because the stall is quiet that they don’t have other things to do. Be mindful of the time you are taking up.

Be aware of customers

I was very conscious of customers coming to the stand, and if I was chatting to the people on the stall – I’d excuse myself and say I’d come back later, the customers are much more important than me! Or if they are talking to customers already, I’d chat to other customers who were waiting, talking about the brand (because you have done the pre-networking research!), what we love about them – it helps create an experience for the customers while they are waiting, and also helps keep them on the stand for the stall holders!

Buy from them

If you are able, buy from the brand while you are there. It shows that you really do love what they do, and are willing to spend money on it. It also shows that it’s not about you, it’s about them.

Can you make introductions?

I made several introductions between brands while I was at Crufts, people who I thought might be able to help each other out, have a collaboration or somehow work together.

Create a buzz by meeting with other pet industry proffesionals.

I was lucky enough to be part of a SBS winners WhatsApp group set up by Rachel Spencer who has the brilliant Pets Get Visible membership – so those of us who were going to Crufts decided to meet up, and we invited a few other pet businesses brands too. It was nice and informal, but if you are in the pet industry, you know how rare it is to get to meet other pet professionals face to face and it’s a real treat!

Get people talking about it before hand, the more the merrier, and remember to tag and share a group photo so that you spread the love.

What would I do differently next time?

I’d start the pre networking earlier, gentle touch points before starting the conversations about 3 weeks before.

When it comes to the my actual offering, I’m going to approach more brands who I really want to work to see if they would like to use the offer before opening up it up to others. I will be more specific with the photography shots I take as I know what is more useful to the brands. I’d also print of a map of the halls because I think I spent just as much time wandering round lost as I did talking to people!

Final thoughts

My main reason for networking in this way is that I have never really felt comfortable about just going up to someone and introducing myself to people I’d like to work with to talk about how I can help them. Believe me, I’ve attempted many different ‘tried and tested’ techniques, which I’m sure work for some people, but just made me feel cringy and awkward.

I really believe that although this face to face contact can be so impactful if done in the right way.

Further reading

Never Eat Alone – this book made me so happy as it reinforces a lot of the type of Networking aka Relationship Building I already do.

7 Habits of Highly Effective People – not an easy or light read, but one you will bookmark with 100’s of tabs and go back to constantly.

How to win friends and influence people – it sounds a bit like a book which might use underhand ways, but it’s another brilliant book about how to build genuine connections and how to bring about win win situations.

I’d love to know if you found this helpful and if you have any networking tips of your own!

Kerry x

Why hire brand photographer & why hire me?

The last 10 years or so has seen the pet industry boom and people, quite rightly, are treating their dogs as part of their family and not only want the very best for them, but also want to buy high quality products that last. So how do you help your dog brand stand out from your competitors? One way, is of course, imagery. We live in a very visual world, and when you have professional photography, it helps the whole look and feel of your brand feel elevated!

Why hire me? As you can see from the testimonials on this page, I’ve worked with dog brands for over 8 years now, and build up a close relationship with the brand owners so that I get to know exactly what they need from a shoot. I’ve also worked photographing dogs for over 10 years with private clients too so have photographed 100’s of dogs. Even if you don’t hire me, please don’t make the mistake that, for example, a wedding photographer can photograph for you, although they will know about the general elements of photography like light and composition, working with dogs is a whole different ball game! It’s the reason I would never do newborn photography, it’s a whole different skill set. You will need someone who has patience and understands an element of dog behaviour to make sure the dog models are comfortable and happy – which in turn will give you the best possible images. 

You aren’t local to me, can I still help your dog brand?

I often get dog brands contacting me, wishing that I could help them with their photography but thinking they are too far away. Here’s the thing, I work with a lot of brands remotely!

If you are wondering how that works, it’s quite simple, here’s brief overview.

We get to know each other.

I’ll send across my pricing proposal so you can see how I work and which package is best for you. We then have a call to a) make sure we are the right fit for each other and b) figure out the style and feel of the images you would like to achieve. Every brand is different, and whether you want fun, elegant or natural, we work together to make sure the shoot matches how you want your images to portray your brand message. If it helps, you can set up a pinterest board of images that think relay your company style.

Send your products to me.

Send a selection of your products to me via courier, the products which best emphasis your brand and your ethos and I’ll source dog models based on your target client and away we go!

I am a service based dog brand, can you still help?.

Yes, absolutely! Drop me an email as I travel round the UK a fair bit so I can try and tie in other shoots with yours. Same if your dog is an integral part of your brand and needs to be in the shoot, we can usually work something out!

What happens next?

I’ll organise the shoot models, location, and times and when the shoot is over I’ll select the best images and you’ll be sent a gallery link where you can choose your favourites based on how many images in your package, and choose to purchase more if you want.

If you’d like to know more – you can see why I think you should work with me here: https://www.furandfables.com/shoot-overview/brands/ 

Or drop me a message to kerry@furandfables.com, I’m here to help 🙂