When Mars sought to enter the emerging fresh pet food market, the challenge wasn't simply about launching another product line—it was about understanding the profound transformation in the human-pet relationship that was driving this category growth. In urban India, dogs had evolved from being mere companions to becoming family members and, more significantly, surrogate children. This shift was creating space for local startups offering healthier, fresher alternatives to traditional pet foods, capturing the attention of increasingly conscious pet parents.
We immersed ourselves in the lives of urban pet parents, observing feeding rituals, shopping patterns, and the deeper emotional dynamics that influenced nutritional choices. Our exploration revealed that the pet care journey closely mirrored human parenting stages—from nurturing puppyhood to supporting adult dogs' needs—with food choices becoming powerful expressions of parental identity and aspiration. For these pet parents, fresh food wasn't merely a nutritional choice but a tangible way to "do better" for their beloved animal companions.
Our research uncovered four key drivers behind the fresh food movement: the perception of safety and naturalness in preservative-free options; the reassurance of visible, familiar ingredients that parents could recognize and trust; the sense of control and emotional participation in their pet's wellbeing; and the social signaling of upward mobility and evolved parenting standards. These factors combined to make fresh pet food an emotional upgrade rather than just a nutritional one—a way for pet parents to visibly demonstrate their commitment and care.
This understanding led us to position Mars' fresh food portfolio as the conscious parent's choice—anchoring on human-grade quality, freshness, and customization while leveraging the powerful parenting instinct that drives decision-making. The strategy focused on creating pride triggers around "doing better for your child" and establishing an emotional narrative that celebrated the deep bond between pets and their humans. By framing fresh food as an expression of love and responsibility rather than merely a premium product, Mars could establish a distinctive voice in a category defined by emotional connection rather than functional benefits.
