Barbara Denzer
The vice president of marketing at Cardinal Laboratories, Denzer stepped way outside the box in 1996 when she spearheaded the development of CraZy Dog, the unabashedly wild cartoon character that is being licensed to leading companies in a variety of industries.
Denzer's far-sighted thinking has been rewarded. Not only has CraZy Dog become one of the pet industry's hottest success stories, its creator has been lauded by the national business press, including The Wall Street Journal and C-NBC, and Success Magazine. In November 1997, Denzer won the prestigious Grand National Marketing Award from Inc. Magazine for her work in developing CraZy Dog. There were 386 marketing professionals competing for the award, and Denzer was the unanimous choice.
"Some people did think we were kind of crazy," laughs Denzer. "Here we were with absolutely wild packaging, a kooky little cartoon dog as our spokesperson, and a comic strip as our main advertising vehicle. But we believed the time was right for a product line that emphasized the fun of pet ownership. Fortunately we found four other manufacturers who shared our vision.
Denzer's own supply of creative energy seems to be inexhaustible. A talented writer with a gift for colorful descriptions, Denzer enjoys penning the memorable copy on CraZy Dog product labels. A Chicago native, who now divides her times between a condo in Southern California and a home in Northern California, Denzer has two children. When she isn't busy creating new marketing concepts, Denzer is a free-lance writer, an avid follower of the LPGA, an any-time-she-can golfer, and a book and antique store junkie. She also never misses a weekly Mah Jongg game.