Beyond the Buzzwords: Building an Authentic Pet Brand with John and Lisa Bryson
Pet Business DisruptorsShow Notes
In this episode, Clayton catches up with John and Lisa Bryson, the founders behind Tranquil Tails, one year after launching their pheromone-based pet calming line. Together, they dive into the realities of scaling a young pet brand from introducing their new Silver Tails line for senior pets to navigating the financial realities of Amazon PPC, Chewy, and grassroots pop-up events.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Pets Mirror Owner Stress: Heightened pet anxiety often reflects owner stress stemming from modern lifestyle factors, making safe, accessible calming tools increasingly essential.
Specialized Care for Aging Pets: Tranquil Tails introduced Silver Tails—a higher-concentration (7%) pheromone formula created specifically for senior pets struggling with sensory loss and physical discomfort.
Education-Focused Nano-Influencers Win: Smaller accounts (1,000–3,000 followers) that prioritize pet education often yield higher trust and better engagement than massive "entertainment" accounts with low conversion rates.
Skyrocketing Vet Costs Drive OTC Growth: Rising veterinary bills are encouraging pet parents to explore gentle, over-the-counter remedies and telemedicine platforms as a first line of defense before resorting to expensive prescription drugs.
Grassroots Authenticity Builds Loyalty: While online marketplaces provide reach, long-term brand equity is built through direct consumer interaction at local events, trade shows, and rescue partnerships.
BEST MOMENTS
"I think pets reflect the anxiety of their owners to a degree... we live in a time of anxiety that is unparalleled."
"Silver Tails really came to be for the elderly dog... when you start to lose your senses and you've got aches and pains, that invokes anxiety."
"Numbers are very deceptive. You can have someone with half a million followers put up a post and get 30 likes, and someone with 2,000 followers get 200 likes."
"There is no influencer, there's no retailer that could give you the level of social proofing that a veterinarian can."
"The bigger you get, the less you make... but still, half a percent on a million is a lot more than nothing on a hundred thousand."
Clayton Payne is an industry veteran of three decades of working in the pet industry. Brought up working in his parents' pet store, Clayton has seen the industry evolve over five different decades and has been on the cutting edge of the industry since the nineties. Building pet businesses from scratch, establishing multi-national distribution chains and having worked in every aspect of the industry, Clayton has a rare insight into the Pet Industry that is rivalled by few.
HOST BIO
Clayton has been the spearhead of many of the industry's changes and has introduced numerous new concepts to market with a trail of success behind him. He has worked in numerous countries within the pet industry, speaks four different languages and has established both import and export relationships on all continents (excluding Antarctica).
As well as being COO of one of the UKs fastest growing insect technology companies, Clayton is a Pet industry consultant who has consulted for many household brands and delivers sales training to pet trade professionals.
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