Marketing Case Study #2 — The Pet Rock

Life Before The Internet

On a fateful night in 1975, Gary Dahl was drinking beer with friends at a neighborhood bar. They talked about how much they loved pets even though they can be difficult at times. They provide companionship sure, but they can also cause stress and cost lots of time and money (also they shit everywhere). Dahl joked that the best pet would be a rock, because they are low maintenance and don’t need to be fed. He got some laughs, but more importantly he got some inspiration…

The idea stuck with him so he started exploring it. He wrote a silly owner’s manual which explained how to care for a pet rock and the tricks it could do like “skipping,” “rolling over” and “playing dead.” Then he brainstormed what a pet rock would be delivered in and designed a package as if the rock was alive; he included handles for carrying and breathing holes cut out of the box. There was even a cute little nest for it to sit in. Dahl shopped his idea around and was able to secure several investors (wish I could have seen that pitch session).

Dahl sourced rocks from a beach in Mexico for less than $0.01 each and combined them with the box and the manual (the packaging cost more than the product itself) and…Voilà! The Pet Rock was born. He charged $4 a pop (about $20 adjusted to today). The idea took off like crazy, defying all common sense. At one point, during the 1975 Christmas season, ONE HUNDERED THOUSAND rocks were being sold a day. Within six months 5 million rocks found a home and Dahl became a millionaire. Though interest died down quickly, the impact and success was undeniable.

So the Pet Rock was a smashing accomplishment that defied logic, WHY???? The rock was plain, it wasn’t altered in any way, not colored or with a silly face drawn on it. It was literally a rock, one you could just go outside and pick up off the ground for free, but millions of people still gladly paid a significant amount of money for one…

This is one of the greatest branding and marketing jobs ever achieved. Gary Dahl wasn’t selling just a rock, he was selling a joke, a feeling, a talking point. The ironic association with a pet attached related memories and feelings to an inanimate object. The sheer audacity was novel, and the brand was strong. Consumer could not accept a substitute. They needed to have the official pet rock, a similar stone taken off the ground was just not the same. This is just the beginning of the lessons we can take from this case study. But if you only remember one thing, it’s this: If Gary Dahl could sell 5 milly pet rocks, you can sell your work. Quality and use case is not always the decisive factor. Branding, marketing, and how you frame your work matters…

The rest of the series can be found here 👇

Marketing Case Study #1 — Women’s Razors

Marketing Case Study #2 — This Article

Marketing Case Study #3 — Coke

Also check out — Branding, Marketing, and Community Management #1–19% of Success is Showing up.

BanAnakin [Champ] brings real world experience to Web3 with branding, marketing, and community management. His work with 10k PFP and 1/1 art has contributed to 1000+ Eth in sales volume