GROWING MARKET SHARE | INTERNATIONAL PET FOOD BRAND
What's the future of
Pet Ownership?
Reframed corporate strategy to "go beyond the bowl" of pet nutrition and, instead, promote pet relationships as nourishing to humans.
The Need
The CMO wondered how demographic and cultural changes in the USA carries a diversity of values and relationships with pets. With the 5-year goal in mind, he asked “What else should we be looking out for?”
The Work
We wanted to understand the nature of the human-animal bond, why we seek it out, its benefits, and moments in a person’s life they are most likely to initiate pet ownership. Ethnographic research in dog parks, animal shelters, in people’s homes and interviews with paleoanthropologist, animal behaviorist, psychologists were among the inputs. Our findings: for people who love animals, having a pet brings joy, safety, love, play, and focus. In other words, pets make people better people.
The Outcome
Seeing the data related to how pets help students focus, athletes compete, families bond, and to heal people’s hearts and bodies, it was clear that this brand had a legitimate role wherever people were striving to live, work, and relate better. These were environments that could inspire and activate pet ownership, for which a marketing platform and strategy were adopted. This brand has since focused on the power of pets to promote human performance and welfare.
“Cecily’s expertise as a futurist was extremely valuable for our team as she not only directly outlined the major forces impacting the client but also developed deeply insightful implications to inform a new platform strategy.”
Justin Jacobson
VP, UnitedHealth Group
Global keynote speaker, business futurist, and strategic advisor guiding executive teams in their most consequential work. One of Forbes’ Top 50 Female Futurists.
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