Posts tagged with "Bark"

Above, passengers aboard a BARK Air flight. (Photo source: Camera Jesus)

BARK Air, a new dog-centric airline, is taking off this May

April 16, 2024

Traveling with a dog can be challenging—but one dog brand is helping to change that. BARK, known for their subscription BarkBoxes and dog products, announced on Thursday, April 11, that the company is launching a new travel service, BARK Air, reports Forbes.

In partnership with a charter jet company, BARK Air is designed to prioritize four-legged travelers, followed by their humans, so they can travel together comfortably and conveniently.

At launch, routes will serve the New York City metro area via Westchester County Airport (HPN) with flights to the Los Angeles area via Van Nuys (VNY) and London, England via Stansted Airport (STN). BARK Air’s first flights will take off from New York on Thursday, May 23.

“When we started BARK in 2011, we were on a mission to disrupt the dog space and create products designed for dogs and their humans. We are excited to take the insights we’ve learned over the years to create an experience that is truly dog-first, which is drastically different from just accepting dogs – from the ground to the skies,” said Matt Meeker, co-founder and CEO at BARK.

“We believe this initiative will elevate awareness of our brand’s mission and values, introduce more dog lovers to the BARK family, and help enrich the lives of dogs and their people around the world.”

BARK Air aims to replicate the ethos of a human’s first-class experience—pampering pooches throughout the long haul flight.

Following booking, a BARK Air concierge will collect information about each dog and their human’s travel plans to ensure the best possible experience. Travelers will only need to arrive at the airport an hour before takeoff for an easy check-in experience (no TSA for this private carrier), and humans can enjoy a chef-prepared meal before boarding.

To help dogs experience the voyage, the plane will be equipped with calming pheromones, music, and colors that pups prefer. All furry passengers will have access to calming treats, noise-canceling earmuffs, and calming jackets.

In air, dogs will be served their beverage of choice during ascent and descent to ensure they do not experience any ear discomfort commonly caused by changes in cabin pressure. Additionally, BARK-branded treats, snacks, and surprises will be provided throughout the flight to pampering furry passengers and their humans.

“We believe this initiative will raise awareness of BARK’s mission in a cost-effective manner,” said Zahir Ibrahim, CFO at BARK. “Given we are not committed to booking flights far in advance, we have a lot of flexibility to opportunistically charter flights during times of high demand. In parallel, we believe the additional traffic to BARK.co will raise awareness of our full offering, benefitting our core business in the long term.”

Tickets on BARK Air start at $6000 for one dog and one human between New York and Los Angeles; and 

 For booking, visit DogsFlyFirst.com and follow along on Instagram @barkair.

Research contact: @Forbes

Photo-source:-BarkBox-on-Instagram

BarkBox takes a bite out of a new niche category

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November 6, 2019

Some dog owners joke about spending more money on their beloved pets than they do on themselves. But given the explosion of new direct-to-consumer fresh pet food brands, plant-based and CBD-infused treats, and sartorial accessories that cost as much as high-fashion brands, that’s not just banter: On average, dog owners are spending $1,285 per year on each pet. .

And now, there’s a new product category—doggy dental gear—to spend those big bucks on; because, unless you do it for them, your fur babies are not brushing their own canines (or any of their other teeth).

Benign neglect is not the way to go, an October 30 report by Fortune Magazine points out. More than 80% of dogs develop oral disease in their lifetime, which can result in infections, bad breath, and even expensive surgeries.

What to do?

Not to worry: Bark, the brand behind the runaway success of BarkBox—a monthly subscription-based, curated mailing of all-natural dog treats and toys—will fill the dental gap, even before you can say “market niche” or “competition.”

“Most dog parents don’t regularly clean their dogs’ teeth, because it’s such a frustrating process for dogs and their people,” Bark cofounder Henrik Werdelin told Fortune recently. “Dental treats can only do so much, so we developed this one-two punch product to make dental health something dogs look forward to.”

Among the first products for this brand will be Bark Bright Dental Chews, which are touted by the brand as the first combination of a proprietary enzymatic toothpaste with a cleansing chew.

To use the product, dog owners apply the chicken-flavored toothpaste along the ridges of a similarly chicken-flavored dental chew. Dogs then gnaw and nibble on the chew on their own, activating the toothpaste’s enzymes while also cutting away at plaque and buildup.

This month, Bark will be soft launching a limited beta supply of Bright Dental to BarkBox subscribers exclusively with the intent of getting feedback from customers about wellness and behavioral changes.

A wider release is planned for the spring, as Bark also signed with a major national retailer to sell Bright Dental in stores, although the company declined to announce the retailer’s name.

Research contact: @FortuneMagazine