©HOWLPOT

Now it’s time to take a look at a Korean business bringing about changes in the global economy with some new ideas. 

For the last couple of weeks, we’ve introduced some design brands that seized the spotlight at this year’s Seoul Living Design Fair. The last such company we’re going to talk about today is Howlpot, a manufacturer of pet supplies. Let’s hear from Ahn Jung-geun, a co-CEO of the company. 

Most people wonder why this brand chose to participate in an exhibition for humans, not a fair for pets. But we believe that ideas or values associated with designs for human products are also applied to pet products. That’s our business philosophy. From this point of view, products for humans are not much different from those for their animal companions. Moreover, pet products are actually used by their owners and they are placed in people’s living spaces. So, we think pet supplies can be naturally incorporated into people’s living environment. We also wanted to distinguish our company from other pet accessory brands. That’s why we decided to take part in the Seoul Living Design Fair. 

It was considered rather unusual for a pet supplies brand to join the Seoul Living Design Fair, an event showcasing the latest trends in home furnishing, interior design and dining culture. But Howlpot maintains that the value of design should be reflected in pet products as well.  

The company was founded by two designers, Ahn Jung-geun and Lim Dong-ryul, who previously worked at Samsung Electronics, Korea’s top tech firm.

At Samsung Electronics, Lim and I designed speakers and TV sets, respectively. As designers, we saw boundless potential in the electronics industry. But we thought we could find even more opportunities in the pet products market, which was not very developed. That’s why we turned our eyes to this field. It turned out that there were so many things to explore in the pet industry. We were determined to display our abilities in this relatively untapped market. 

Both Ahn and Lim majored in design at Hongik University and designed high-tech products at Samsung Electronics, one of the most coveted workplaces in Korea. But they quit their jobs and founded Howlpot in 2015 in the hopes of realizing their dreams of creating their own design brand. 

Howlpot is a combination of “howl” and “pot.” The company name represents their wish to contain the various needs and desires of pets in their products, like having food in a pot. Under the slogan of “Supporting Design Rights of Animal Companions,” the company introduced their products for the first time at the 2015 K-Pet Fair, the largest pet industry expo in Korea. In just three days, the company was able to sell goods worth 15 million won or about 14-thousand US dollars. Howlpot’s items look great and have practical designs that take the pet’s comfort into consideration. This clearly appealed greatly to consumers. 

We offer our products and services to puppy kindergartens and pet hotels so we can figure out whether or not animals there like them. We also seek advice from specialists in animal psychology and behavior. In doing so, we can improve our products by remedying their shortcomings. 

For example, we exchange views with specialists on what kinds of toys may arouse pets’ curiosity. Based on their opinion, we have created a cute toy in the form of ramen or instant noodles. It is a nosework toy for dogs, which are typically fond of untied shoelaces or strings. Nosework is an activity for dogs to find hidden snacks using their sense of smell. As a result, dogs can relieve stress. 

While working at Samsung Electronics, Ahn and Lim tried to design tech products from the user’s point of view so that consumers could use them more conveniently. They apply the same principle to pet products. Howlpot closely observes and analyzes the movements and habits of pets and then receives feedback from animal specialists before creating any designs. 

Howlpot’s cozy dog house, called “Howly,” is the company’s signature product designed to satisfy dogs’ natural tendency to nestle or snuggle into small spaces and feel relieved when the view opens up before them. The half-open dog house with a conical shape makes four-legged friends feel safe and comfortable and also fits in well with any surroundings at home, such as decorative home accessories. With its unique and stylish design, Howly received the Red Dot Design Award in 2016; just one year after Howlpot was established. 

©HOWLPOT

Howly became the world’s first pet house to win the Red Dot Design Award in the living category. After that, we’ve received an increasing number of orders from overseas. The pet house is easy to set up, store and transport, as its round steel frame can be readily removed. Users can shape it themselves. The dog house is about 50 centimeters high, and it is relatively bulky in size. But using the steel frame, we can put it in a box that is 10 centimeters in height. So we can export the products overseas more conveniently, while consumers can store and move them easily. 

Howlpot continues to thrive. Its sales have grown a whopping 100 to 150 percent annually, and they operate a pet care center at a famous local hotel. To reach out to many more consumers both in Korea and abroad, the company provides its pet toys to CU, one of Korea’s major convenience store chains, while exporting its products to 12 different countries. Last year, it partnered with the world-renowned luxury brand group, LVMH Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, and opened a pop-up store at Le Bon Marche, which is widely known as the world’s first department store in Paris. 

We held a Christmas event in collaboration with French luxury goods giant LVMH, which owns numerous premium brands all around the world, and ran a pop-up store at the main hall of Le Bon Marche for two months last year. 

Speaking of our collaborative work with LVMH, top officials from LVMH happened to visit Korea and attended our event commemorating the second anniversary of the brand. Right after they went home, working-level officials from the group contacted us. And that’s how we carried out the collaboration with LVMH. I’d say it’s been our most successful outcome. 

Many consumers consider certain brands, even when choosing a small item. But for pet owners, no specific brand comes to mind when thinking of products for their furry friends. Howlpot hopes to establish itself as a household name among pet lovers—a brand that will come to mind when people are asked a question, “What’s your favorite pet accessory brand?” 

Howlpot designs for pets, while providing fresh experiences for their owners. By extending a sense of design and fashion to pet supplies, the company is breaking new ground in the pet-care industry.