GREENIES™ brand launches its first dog main meal line
As consumers’ perceptions around health and wellness evolve, these shifts in beliefs not only impact their own lives, but their pets’ lives too. The GREENIES brand embarked on a journey to understand these shifting attitudes among younger audiences and, in response to these findings, introduced its first-ever main meal offering, GREENIES SMART ESSENTIALS™ and GREENIES SMART TOPPER™.
We spoke with Colten Kidwell, vice president of marketing for GREENIES and NUTRO brands, to learn more about the consumer insights that led to the brand’s latest offering.
Who is driving these changes in perceptions of health and wellness?
Through engagement with pet parents across the country, we’ve learned that the next generation of pet parents, in particular, are seeking science-backed, specialized nutrition for their dogs.[1][2] The trend is largely being driven by “Genzennials” (adults ages 21-33). Nearly half of current dog parents[3] fall into this category, making them a critical audience to reach.
Our research[4] suggests that, to this audience, health and wellness go beyond the traditional idea of prioritizing only physical health. Instead, they have adopted a mindset in which they believe health is multi-dimensional; applicable to the mind, body, and soul. For these pet parents, true wellness entails being both healthy and happy – and they are extending those beliefs to their pets.
With this generational shift in mind, we wanted to gain a foundational understanding of this audience, including identifying their key mindsets and unmet needs. Understanding how “Genzennials” are driving this evolution of wellbeing was essential to us being able to service pet parents and pet wellbeing overall.
How are these changes in perceptions around health and wellness impacting younger generations of pet parents and their pets?
We carefully crafted the recipes for GREENIES SMART ESSENTIALS dry dog food over the past two years to get the proposition just right. That began with focus groups, inclusive of pet parents between 21 and 33 who have a holistic approach to wellness (mental, physical, social), shop in premium grocery stores and farmers markets, and feed their pets premium food. We met with them in a series of various face-to-face activities, including:
Visiting their homes to discuss their understanding of wellbeing for them and their pets
Accompanying pet parents and their pets on various outdoor excursions, including visits to a pet store and the park to gain understanding of wider community
Working with several dog and cat pet parents to review GREENIES innovation concepts
Participating in pet wellness activities: a dog and human wellbeing workshop, featuring a dog and human sound bath session and yoga class with cats
Talking to a journalist specializing in emerging wellbeing trends for Gen Z and Millennials
Over the course of our research, we learned that it is important for this audience to promote their pets’ health and wellbeing by including them in their lifestyle activities. They often seek to include their pets in their regular activities, from joining them on the patio at the local brewery to taking road trips with them across the country. Shared wellbeing experiences with pets and their humans have an increasingly important role in creating a bond between them, and there’s a clear need for spaces and moments that facilitate these connections and experiences.
What’s more, we also found that Genzennials are moving away from “babying” their pets, and instead are prioritizing and understanding their pets’ independent, unique needs to keep them happy and healthy.[1] For example, the general rise in awareness in mental health among younger pet parents has led to an interest in pet mental health.
Overall, this segment is reframing what it means to be a pet parent. They seek to find joy in what’s right for them and their pet, specifically, and are keen on trying a holistic approach to wellness.
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How is GREENIES tapping into these changes in how consumers care for their pets and addressing the challenges they face?
Our research also suggests that the speed at which these shifts in health and wellness are occurring differ across the two generations and are rooted in the younger generation, Gen-Z. While Millennials see themselves as “pet parents,” with a desire to nurture their pet and help them develop, Gen-Z views themselves and their pets as "soulmates.”. [1]
Given these segments’ differing approaches to caring for their pets, we found that GREENIES is uniquely positioned to capitalize on both sets of evolving mindsets around health and wellness.[2]
For Gen-Z “Pet Soulmates,” we found that they desire consistent, simple, and enjoyable routines that don’t interfere with their current lifestyle and allow for moments to deeply connect with their pet.
Here, we saw an opportunity to extend the GREENIES brand’s philosophy of making mouth-wowing treats that make feeding a fun and rewarding experience. Gen-Z “Pet Soulmates” desire moments of connection between pet and pet parent, so why not turn mealtime into that specific moment?
For Millennial Pet Parents, we found that they desire to enjoy life with their pets. They want to provide regular mental stimulation and training for their pet, but are still worried about the impact of feeding them too many treats. They also want to know what exactly is going into their pet’s meals, but feel overwhelmed by the amount of information available on ingredients.[1]
Here, we saw opportunity again to extend the GREENIES brand philosophy of providing products backed by science to address key health areas for pets of all ages and sizes.
So, where did GREENIES land on these specific solutions that address both segments of Genzennial and their specific wants and needs for their pets?
Given our foundation as a brand and company, we found that the GREENIES brand is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this unique and evolving health and wellness mindset within the demographic and provide solutions to the challenges we consistently found they faced.[1]
Building on the success of our beloved dental treats, we landed on expanding our business and product offerings into mealtime. We carefully crafted this line to address the needs of our consumers – and we’re so excited to bring this innovation to market.
The new GREENIES SMART ESSENTIALS dry dog food is formulated to support six vital areas of canine health, known as GREENIES Vital 6™: digestion, teeth, skin and coat, immune system, bones and joints, and muscles including the heart. Our main meal dry dog food is available in five formulas including Puppy, Small Breed Adult, Adult, Sensitive Digestion & Skin Adult, and Large Breed Adult.
Additionally, the brand has introduced its new GREENIES SMART TOPPER meal complement, a wet food topper for adult dogs. The toppers are formulated with chicken, duck or beef as the first ingredient and are served in VitaBroth™ broth, which contains bone broth and vitamins E and B1. The topper line includes five varieties: Chicken, Green Beans & Sweet Potatoes Recipe; Chicken, Peas, Apples & Brown Rice Recipe; Duck, Broccoli, Carrots & Barley Recipe; Beef, Peas & Carrots Recipe; and Chicken, Beef, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes & Spinach Recipe. They can be served as a delicious topper, mix-in or dog snack and are a great way to mix-up the flavor at mealtime!
These new products build upon the GREENIES brand existing portfolio, which has been largely focused on dental treats, focusing on flavors dogs enjoy and made with natural ingredients plus vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
We’re thrilled to enter this space and extend our mission to turn supporting health and well-being into something pets can’t help but love. This launch is proof of our commitment to enable more pet owners to seamlessly care for their pet’s wellbeing in ways that work best for them, and we are excited to continue to evolve the GREENIES brand portfolio to help make pet care wonderful.
[1] Genzennial Wellness Trekkers: Full Insight Report, July 2023, Research methodology included primary research initiatives, wellness workshop immersions and expert interviews, Stripe Partners.
[2] Greenies™ Dry Dog Food CLT: Final Report, November 3, 2022, Research methodology included central location test and exit qualitative groups, Insights Now.
[3] 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, December 2020, Online Survey, American Pet Products Association.
[4] Genzennial Wellness Trekkers: Full Insight Report, July 2023, Research methodology included primary research initiatives, wellness workshop immersions and expert interviews, Stripe Partners.
Sources
2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, December 2020, Online Survey, American Pet Products Association.
Genzennial Wellness Trekkers: Full Insight Report, July 2023, Research methodology included primary research initiatives, wellness workshop immersions and expert interviews, Stripe Partners.
Greenies™ Dry Dog Food CLT: Final Report, November 3, 2022, Research methodology included central location test and exit qualitative groups, Insights Now.
