Innovating for the modern cat-parent

Meow Mix is known for its fun ads and flavorful cat food. But in this era of people treating their pets almost like kids, this equity didn’t mean what it used to. In 2015, Big Heart Pet Brands tasked us with helping the Meow Mix brand reconnect with pet-parents.

We explored current pain-points around cat food in ethnographies, then used foresight to identify new choice drivers. Building off the humanization trends in the category, we learned that people wanted better options for their cats that spoke to their own food philosophies. And just as people eat for nourishment sometimes and pleasure other times, they wanted to give their cat this same spectrum of benefits.

from feed my cat
to nourish, delight, & care for my cat

We created an innovation vision that broadened the definition of pet parenting, helping to identify new needs and feeding occasions. This informed innovation platforms, a rich pipeline of ideas (across wet food, dry food, and treats), activation and communication ideas, and a robust sell-in story for retailers to secure more shelf-space.

Armed with this toolkit and buoyed by the increasingly strong performance of its Tender Centers business, Meow Mix is now one of the best-performing brands in the Big Heart Pet Brands portfolio.

What we did: Consumer Insights, Foresight Analysis, Innovation Strategy/Visioning, Innovation Pipeline, Product/Service Co-Creation, Activation Strategy