Surf Dog Market

Surf Dog Market was a startup retail brand I joined early into its founding in 2005; helping grow the brand into two retail locations in Southern California (Hermosa Beach and Laguna Beach) and ecommerce. Beyond my owner and operational responsibilities, I was the lead creative on developing the visual identity system, designing marketing materials, writing copy, shooting photos, and developing the website.

We chose design elements, fonts, and a color palette that was playful, beachy, and helped the brand stand apart from the corporate and more traditional independent pet stores in the area. A major focus on our positioning involved our all-natural, holistic, and organic food and treats and wellness products; which at the time was new to the industry.

Available marketing tactics were quite different back then compared with today – with no-to-little social media for one and a heavier reliance on more traditional advertising and guerilla-like marketing to build brand awareness and drive people into the store.