Cats or dogs: which side are you on? Dzik Dziki is a clothing shop that allows you to express yourself and show attachment to your pet. It was founded by Konrad Pawlak, a graduate of Warsaw University of Technology and the creator of the biggest Polish edition of the international “Before I Die” project.
The idea for Dzik Dziki appeared in July 2015 as a consequence of a… bet. Pawlak and his best friend made a bet who would be the first to start his own business. “We sat in a library and started creating,” said Pawlak. “After a few hours with business model canvas and online searching, I decided to start a clothing brand. I came up with a full marketing strategy, working online shop, full graphic identity and startup vision in only 15 hours, without neither break nor sleep”.
Pawlak loved the idea so much, that he devoted all of his free time in between studying and working at Bosch to further development of this project. Dzik Dziki originally came to existence on Facebook and Instagram. Since the beginning, the shop sold T-shirts, mugs and bags for animal owners and lovers. Simple, black-and-white designs include funny statements like “Ciężko pracuję aby mój kot miał godne życie” (“I work hard so my cat can have a decent life”).
Shortly after launch, the Facebook account was discontinued. Currently, the main distribution channels of Dzik Dziki are Instagram (over 12,000 followers, gaining 1,000 a month) and an online shop. It was opened in August 2016; since then, the traffic increased to 200 visitors per day. The Instagram account of Dzik Dziki is very active – Pawlak encourages the community of followers to supply photos and texts for permanent series of funny posts and memes about animals.
Dzik Dziki focuses on three aspects: animal theme, quality of products and personalization. All designs have a strong common theme, making the brand easily recognizable. T-shirts are made from high quality materials and carefully checked before sending to client. The products are uniquely packed – every customer receives a personal letter and a few surprises along with the ordered product. To top it off, every T-shirt is personalized with the owner’s name printed on it.
In December 2015, Pawlak coordinated a social campaign “Zwierzęta na Święta” (“Pets for Christmas”), increasing awareness regarding responsible Christmas shopping. Together with his friend, Alicja Rzewnicka, they organized a fundraising event for an animal shelter.
Pawlak has thousands of ideas for the development of his startup, one of which is introducing pet supplies to the shop. He is also planning to enlarge the team and promote his startup among investors, as Dzik Dziki is currently bootstrapped.
