Mars Petcare targets pet nutrition fallacies in India with science-based campaign

Mars Petcare India’s latest campaign addresses what it describes as widespread misconceptions about pet nutrition across the country. The 'Feed Them Like Pets' initiative targets the gap between emotional feeding choices and scientific nutritional requirements, as the company attempts to shift consumer behaviour in a market where home-cooked meals remain the dominant feeding method.

The campaign comes as India's manufactured pet food sector experiences double-digit growth rates, though penetration remains below 10%, according to industry estimates. Mars Petcare, which operates brands including Pedigree, Whiskas, and Sheba, has been present in the Indian market for approximately two decades.

Research and Markets' latest report values the India pet food market at $843.89 million in 2024 and expects it to reach $1.98 billion by 2030, rising at a CAGR of 15.37%. And as per industry estimates, Mars Petcare holds the leadership position in the category with more than 50% of the market share.

The campaign draws on research conducted with 500 Indian veterinarians, commissioned by Mars Petcare to examine current feeding practices. The study found that veterinary professionals believe nine out of ten pets in India face nutritional challenges, with 88% of home-cooked meals deemed insufficient for proper pet nutrition.

"Over 90% of pet parents continue to believe home-cooked food is better for their pets. We spoke to a large number of vets and did third-party research to understand what their view on home-cooked food versus the category is," explains Ayesha Huda, chief marketing officer of Mars Petcare India. 

She describes how the veterinary research revealed concerning patterns: "They believe nine out of 10 pets in India have a nutrition challenge. And they believe that 88% of the home-cooked food being fed to pets today is insufficient for them, leading to nutritional issues, leading to toxicity, leading to immunity issues."

The nutritional gaps can be significant. "If you look at what a dog needs nutritionally, it requires 2.5x the calcium that humans do. And therefore, when you give your pet home-cooked food, you're only giving about 5% of its calcium requirements," says Huda.

She adds that the campaign attempts to simplify this message by highlighting that "a bowl of Pedigree has the calcium of about nine cups of milk."

Market demographics drive digital strategy

Mars Petcare's marketing approach reflects the demographics of India's pet-owning population. The company reports that 70% of pet parents are new to the manufactured pet food category, with approximately 50% under the age of 40.

"This means that these consumers are typically on Google search; they're typically on Instagram, looking at a whole bunch of reels which are talking about the category," Huda notes, explaining how this influences media strategy, with roughly 80% of spending directed towards digital channels.

The integrated approach combines traditional advertising and influencer partnerships. Celebrity endorsements focus on individuals who are pet parents themselves.

"All of our campaigns have a leg of influencer-slash-celebrity partnerships. Everyone that we've partnered with is first a pet parent before anything else. Second is a passionate animal advocate before anything else," Huda explains, citing partnerships with personalities including Bhumi Pednekar, Kriti Sanon, Sharwari, and Sanya Malhotra.

Portfolio strategy addresses price sensitivity

Mars Petcare operates across multiple price points to address India's diverse economic landscape. The company's portfolio includes premium offerings like Sheba in the cat food segment and Pedigree Pro for dogs, reflecting what it identifies as a premiumisation trend among new pet parents.

"One of the trends that we're seeing is that because 70% of consumers of the category are new pet parents, premiumisation is a big trend that is coming into play. What you see is a lot of people who enter the category want to make sure that their best care is given to their pet because ultimately it is an emotional relationship," Huda explains.

The tiered pricing strategy spans from premium brands to more accessible options like Kitty Cat. "Globally, Mars typically plays across price points, and we'll continue to do that in India as well. For us, it is always going to be a portfolio play, led by our brands that have more awareness and conviction, such as Pedigree and Whiskas," Huda says, describing the global approach adapted for local market conditions.

The low penetration rates mean that all price points are experiencing growth. "Given the nascent nature of the category, I would say all price points will grow. We believe each of the price points has a growth opportunity because there's so much headroom for penetration," Huda notes.

Scientific foundation and global expertise

Mars Petcare leverages research from the Waltham Petcare Science Institute, which has conducted pet nutrition studies for over 60 years. This research informs breed-specific formulations, distinguishing between the nutritional needs of different dog breeds and cat varieties.

"The way that we use the Mars legacy of over 90 years, we also have a Waltham Pet Care Science Institute, which has been around for over 60 years. The legacy comes into play whenever we're thinking product strategy, whenever we're thinking innovation, whenever we're thinking manufacturing," Huda says.

She elaborates on practical applications: "Waltham's been able to tell us what a golden retriever feed is and how it differs from a Chihuahua feed, to whether it's a British Shorthair or an Indycat, and how they are all different in their feeding habits."

The company maintains a presence across multiple distribution channels, recognising that consumers' purchase patterns remain fluid in this emerging category. 

"Behaviours and consumer journeys are still evolving in the category. So, you have many consumers who come in from a specialist retailer recommendation and spend their category lifespan within the retailer purchases. You have others who come in with a retailer purchase but have potentially moved on to e-commerce," Huda observes.

Competitive landscape and category development

Mars Petcare faces increasing competition from direct-to-consumer brands such as Drools and Heads Up For Tails, among others, and other larger FMCG brands entering the category, such as Nestlé (Purina), Godrej (Ninja), and Himalaya, among others.

However, the company views this competition as potentially beneficial for overall category growth.

"It will take a few really responsible players, educating consumers at scale, to really grow the category. So we welcome all competition. It is a good time to be in the category. It's a good time to really go out and teach pet parents the right form of nutrition, to teach them trust in science," Huda says.

Rather than focusing on specific geographic markets, Mars Petcare targets demographic segments that show a propensity for pet ownership.

"If you have about less than 10% penetration, all markets are in play, all geographies are in play," Huda explains, adding that the strategy centres on younger demographics: "Gen Z, millennials – those are the ones that are driving pet ownership and will drive the pet category adoption as well."

The primary challenge remains shifting consumer behaviour from emotional to science-based feeding decisions while respecting the strong emotional bonds between pets and their owners.

"The challenge remains an emotional challenge, fundamentally. The home-cooked feeding will always have an emotional, sentimental value. Moving that lever into science that helps drive choice will be the biggest challenge this category will face," Huda acknowledges.

As India's pet care market continues developing, the success of educational campaigns like 'Feed Them Like Pets' may influence how companies approach consumer education in emerging categories where emotional attachment intersects with scientific requirements.