Pet Food Processing - November 2023 - 36

COMPANY PROFILE
cating more time - and money - to their pets, transforming
the human-animal bond into something more reminiscent
of parent and child. And this relationship evolution is
especially apparent among younger generations.
According to the American Pet Products Association's
(APPA) 2023-2024 National Pet Owners Survey, released
in March 2023, for the first time, the number of
Gen Z and Millennial pet parents currently equals that
of Gen X and Baby Boomer pet
owners. As older generations continue
to phase out of pet ownership
and new, younger pet parents take
their place, humanization will only
continue to flourish - becoming
not just a norm, but an expectation.
In optimizing its portfolio, The
J.M. Smucker Company sought to
leverage humanization by focusing
on taste and fun and applying it to
its leading categories.
" We've chosen these iconic equities
that have two attributes that
we know are always going to resonate
with consumers, which are
taste and fun, " Freitag said. " And
we really have a great product and
brand lineup that brings taste and
fun to the forefront at all times.
Regardless of the consumer cohort,
purchasing great tasting treats [is
important], but driving that human
and pet connection is going to continue
to be important as well. "
The company first turned its eye
to flavors by incorporating savory
proteins into its existing products.
But soon another segment within
the humanization movement caught
the company's attention.
" It started really with human flavors
making their way over and being
elevated - beef turned into filet
The company is
laser focused on
taste and fun for
its pet nutrition
brands, introducing
high-protein flavors
and innovative
textures.
mignon, " shared Jasen Cusick, director of pet treats at
The J.M. Smucker Company. " But we're seeing that humanization
goes beyond just the product; it's now turning
into more of the experience, the occasion. "
Not only are human flavors and attributes trickling
their way into pet formulas - they're penetrating the
space. As consumers expand their relationship with
their pets, viewing them as children, they begin to include
them in human celebrations.
" Where humans might celebrate Halloween or
Valentine's Day or even our birthdays, we're now finding
36 PET FOOD PROCESSING | November 2023 | www.petfoodprocessing.net
that many dog-owning households want to do the same
for their pets, " Cusick added. " Sixty-nine percent of dog
parents say they celebrate their dog's birthday or 'gotcha
day.' Because of that we've really invested in not only the
flavors, but in those products that help pet parents celebrate
those different seasons or occasions. "
To tap into this burgeoning trend, The J.M. Smucker
Company established its Treats Commercialization
Team in 2019, completely dedicated to seasonal and special
occasion treat products, which have only furthered
the company's success, according to Cusik.
For the complete-and-balanced side, this humanization
trend has inspired The J.M. Smucker Company to
introduce " tastier " formulas of its Meow Mix brand. As
cats are known to be a bit more particular with their
food preferences, the industry and cat owners alike are
well familiar with how easily cats can reject any type of
food. In incorporating more protein flavors, Meow Mix
strives to help cat parents provide their felines with a
more enjoyable mealtime experience - one that's less
likely to lead to rejection.
By being focused within
a couple of core categories, it
allows us to be a little bit more
intimate with what our retailers
are doing, as well with what their
strategies are and how we can
partner with them to grow their
businesses too. "
Judd Freitag, The J.M. Smucker Company
" Meow Mix is what we call a full-feed experience,
so we're really leaning into the mealtime experiences, "
Freitag explained. " But we know that mealtime can be a
little bit of a stressful event for cat parents, and we want to
pivot that from a point of stress to a point of joy. "
To create this joyful mealtime experience, the company
expanded its Meow Mix offerings to not only include new
flavors, but various textures as well, something cats are
known to rely heavily on when making decisions about
their food.
According to Freitag and Jansen, humanization will continue
to serve The J.M. Smucker Company well in its pet
food and treat endeavors as it continues to invest in prioritizing
tastier products that provide joy for pets and pet
parents alike.
" Humanization is going to continue to be a driver in
the pet space, but every relationship between pet and pet
parent is unique and it changes over time as well, " Freitag
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