“Initially, our intention was merely to establish Catlink as a small yet remarkable company, generating profits along the way. However, in 2020, the true vitality of Catlink emerged when we discovered a health issue in a Thai cat through multi-cat recognition and data algorithms. At that moment, we realized that Catlink’s significance extended beyond entering a promising market—we had successfully saved a feline life.”
This is what Zhang Xiaolin, the creator of Catlink, informed EqualOcean throughout a special interview, clarifying the story and starting concepts driving the brand name. With the quick improvement of innovation, the clever family pet products market is going through an unmatched improvement.
In this increasingly competitive market, Catlink, established in 2017, has actually become an extremely related to clever family pet hardware brand name, placing itself as a leader in the field with its distinct ideas and ingenious items. The following becomes part of the discussion in between EqualOcean and Mr. Zhang, divulging much deeper insights into Catlink’s journey and its distinct position within the clever family pet products market:
Intelligence, Digitization, Healthiness – Three Milestones in Catlink’s Leading Industry Development
EqualOcean: what sets Catlink apart in the clever family pet products market? What has made it such a distinguished brand name?
Zhang Xiaolin: Our insight into the whole market has actually been among the crucial aspects behind our success. Throughout the advancement of the clever items market, we have actually seen the development from automation to intelligence and now strongly think in the course of digitization and health awareness. Automation, represented by items from developed clever products brand names such as Little Robot and Scope Free, generally concentrates on automated gadgets. For example, their automated litter boxes are geared up with sensing units that set off automated cleansing actions after a cat utilizes the litter. In my viewpoint, this makes up automation, simply achieving the automated scooping action without really attaining intelligence.
In contrast, I think about the watershed in between automation and intelligence to be our intro of Catlink in August 2019. We strongly thought that intelligence was the future pattern and the leading driver of market advancement.
Differentiating intelligence from automation depends on the existence of functions such as Internet of Things (IoT) connection, Wi-Fi combination, push-button control through smart devices, and information transmission abilities. These, in my view, represent the substantial differences of intelligence.
Digitization, on the other hand, describes when we manage the clever litter box through a smart phone, the details we prefer to obtain through mobile control, or the kind of information the gadget can send to our phones. Through gravity sensing units, we can properly recognize which cat utilized the litter box, the duration of use, the frequency of use, and even discover any abnormalities.
By examining information such as a cat’s diet plan, urination, and defecation, we can obtain outcomes and offer feedback to owners concerning prospective health threats for their animals. Therefore, when Catlink debuted in the market, we took an extra action, and to this day, we stay concentrated on the market’s advancement 5 years from now. We are strongly devoted to utilizing innovation to keep an eye on pet health. Our items need to have smart technological functions, consisting of Wi-Fi and information transmission abilities. Perception is attained through the gadget’s collection of behavioral information, such as consuming and removal patterns. Finally, through algorithmic analysis, we can obtain outcomes worrying a cat’s prospective health threats. This is where Catlink’s individuality lies. While others talk about automation, we stress intelligence. And while others talk about intelligence, we look into digitization and health awareness.
Focus on Pet Safety and Health – Product Design and Safety Assurance
EqualOcean: You discussed that Catlink’s objective is to utilize innovation to keep an eye on pet health. So, how do you make sure the safety of Catlink’s items and the health of animals?
Zhang Xiaolin: We position ourselves as a “ToP” (To Pets to Person) business, and we stress this in the training of our internal staff. We have rigorous requirements in supply chain choice and product sourcing. We selected the vehicle supply chain due to the fact that it uses greater quality guarantee compared to the home home appliance supply chain. As for products, we choose those that have food and drug accreditations. For example, our cat litter box and feeding bowl have actually been accredited as non-toxic for food.
To make sure item safety, we thoroughly think about numerous possible breakdowns throughout item style and integrate protective functions such as gravity sensing units, infrared sensing units, and microwave radar. For circumstances, in the advancement of the second-generation Little White Cat litter box, we carried out a structure that incorporates the barrel and the storage bin, geared up with a 270-degree equipment system to avoid any damage to cats in case of item failure. These procedures show our concrete efforts in hardware to focus on cat safety, offering cat owners with increased self-confidence and guarantee.
Furthermore, we likewise position substantial focus on tracking and safeguarding cat health through software. Our gadgets link to the owner’s smart device application, enabling owners to monitor their cat’s health information anytime, anywhere, and receive appropriate guidance and notifies. We team up with vets, leveraging expert system and huge information innovation to constantly enhance our algorithms and diagnostic abilities, guaranteeing the arrangement of precise and trusted health analysis and suggestions.
Innovative Strategies for Brand Recognition and Global Expansion
EqualOcean: How has Catlink developed its brand name awareness in the minds of customers? What techniques have you embraced?
Zhang Xiaolin: In regards to building brand name awareness, we concentrate on item development and market education. We initially released an internationally pioneering clever cat litter box, bringing the conventional cat litter tray into the age of intelligence. We rapidly captured customers’ attention by working together with the leading 20 family pet influencers on Douyin (Chinese: 抖音, the Chinese variation of TikTok) and leveraging brief videos for promo. Some influencers had the ability to offer numerous systems within a month, and this shared accomplishment assisted spread out the Catlink brand name quickly.
Furthermore, we developed innovative marketing styles by linking the clever cat litter box with gadgets like Tmall Genie (Chinese: 天猫精灵, an AI clever speaker). We started a style called “Clean the litter with your voice”, which stimulated interest and interest amongst users. Through a series of funny videos, we showcased the functions and benefit of the clever cat litter box. This viral spread got high viewership and proliferation rates on platforms like Douyin.
EqualOcean: Catlink has gotten in numerous nations and areas, how will you preserve competitiveness abroad? What particular obstacles have you experienced?
Zhang Xiaolin: For our abroad growth, we have actually embraced 2 techniques: foreign trade and cross-border branding. Initially, we went into a foreign market through foreign trade by developing special circulation relationships with regional partners. We supplied localized products and language assistance and teamed up with partners in marketing and advertising activities to guarantee they have enough prices power and revenue.
As the variety of partners increased, we began building our own cross-border e-commerce platform and ran our brand name worldwide. This dual-drive method of foreign trade and brand name e-commerce has actually laid a strong structure for Catlink to preserve competitiveness in domestic and worldwide markets.
Of course, there are obstacles in abroad markets, such as cultural distinctions and market competitors. We require to constantly learn and adjust to regional market needs and choices, develop good interaction and cooperation with partners, and collectively promote the brand name’s advancement.
The Impact of Unipal’s Bankruptcy on the Pet Consumer Market and Future Trends
EqualOcean: Recently the news of the personal bankruptcy of clever family pet innovation business Unipal (Chinese:有陪 ) spread out on social networks. As a market specialist, how do you assess the effect of this occasion on the pet customer market? What are your views on the future patterns of this market?
Zhang Xiaolin: First of all, I think that any personal bankruptcy occasion in a market is not favorable to the total advancement of that market. Such occasions cast a shadow on the market, have a negative influence on the capital market, and produce confusion and issues amongst some users when acquiring clever family pet items. Overall, I do not see it as a positive advancement. However, the track we are on as business owners come from a course of long-lasting advancement, needing a long-lasting state of mind to improve items, offer top quality services, and communicate our vision to customers.
We have actually constantly thought that the family pet market is a sector that can hold up against financial cycles, particularly clever family pet items as a development driver within the whole family pet market. I have a strong conviction in this judgment, and I think that such driving forces will not decrease due to short-term financial changes. We need to not lose self-confidence in the whole market even if a couple of business deal with functional problems; these concerns might specify to their operations and do not represent issues with the whole market.
The reports about Unipal likewise highlighted their development in the clever cat litter field and their top quality marketing techniques, which raised the total requirement of the market. However, with altering financial investment viewpoints and a shift towards improved operations from scaling up, the significance of business basics has actually been neglected. We need to go back to rationality and the essence of business. This age needs us to concentrate on improved operations and abide by a long-lasting state of mind.
About the Interviewee:
Zhang Xiaolin, the Founder, and CEO of CATLINK, holds an MBA degree from the ECUST School Of Business. With over a years of experience in leading worldwide business within the family pet clever item market, he started an entrepreneurial journey in 2017. Within a simple 2 years, together with his group, Mr. Zhang effectively developed CATLINK as a growing family pet brand name, popular both locally and overseas.
