Freshpet, on May 30 announced a series of milestones that have helped propel the company to double in business in the last three years.
Understanding the importance of pets within the family hierarchy, as well as the contrasting fact that roughly 60% of pets in the U.S. are obese, Freshpet has been leading the charge to create a new standard in what pet food is and should be. As the pet food category overall has seen steady declines, the fresh pet food category, and Freshpet itself, have grown by 30% in the last year. In fact, Freshpet exceeds all expectations in the market and is currently on pace to become a $500 million company in five years or less.
Recently, Freshpet fueled an entirely new digital strategy and customer engagement journey which was previously unprecedented at the company. This strategy included an award winning ‘Letters’ advertising campaign in the U.S., along with the ‘Sad Pups’ TV campaign in the UK, which helped Freshpet to more than double in same store sales. In response, the company created instore “fresh destinations” to elevate the category in traditional retail.
Freshpet attributes its business growth to the power of fresh food to make a noticeable positive difference in pets. Some of those notable growth stats include;
- Over 70% of pet owners who try Freshpet become repeat customers
- Freshpet has nearly doubled in business every three years since 2009
- Over 2.5 million households feed Freshpet today and that number continues to grow rapidly
- 83% of dog owners reported seeing a visible difference in their pet after feeding Freshpet
It is with this momentum that the company has embarked on an educational campaign, to improve the lives of pets nationwide by providing better education for the humans who take care of them on the nutrients they need for a happy and healthy life. The campaign, launching during National Pet Month, is called “The Awakening,” highlighting the awakening of all pet parents to a healthier lifestyle and the benefits of fresh, real foods.
“Freshpet is the pioneer in the pet food space, a category which hasn’t substantially evolved in the past several decades” said John Speranza, Vice President of Marketing at Freshpet. “At Freshpet, we believe pets are not getting the essential ingredients they need for a healthy, happy, tail-wagging life and our new ‘Awakening’ campaign serves as a catalyst for pet parents to rethink their food choices. There is a gap between what we as pet parents eat and what we serve our pets. It’s our mission to close that gap and transform the way we all nourish our pets with fresh healthy food made in a way that’s best for pets, people, and the planet.”
Initiatives surrounding the campaign will roll out throughout the year, beginning with a national television campaign titled “The Awakening” which awakens pets to the truth behind the food they've been eating for decades. Real dogs, via viral user-generated content, react in disbelief as they learn the harsh realities of common dry dog foods. The ads will be running in :30 and :15 versions on major TV networks and across digital. The campaign, created by Freshpet's advertising agency of record, Terri & Sandy, is making a vocal stand against the unnatural, unhealthy qualities of the majority of household kibble.
Freshpet is dedicated to providing the highest quality nutrition for pets while simultaneously protecting the planet through sustainable business practices. The company, who recently committed to planting 28,000 trees this year, operates Freshpet kitchens at zero landfill and uses 100% wind energy. Freshpet can be found in over 20,000 fridges across the US, UK and Canada in large retailers like Walmart, Target, Petco and PetSmart.
