Your customer isn’t just buying pet food. They’re buying identity.

By Chad Martin, Vice President, Strategy

Pet ownership has shifted from something people have to something people are. And that changes everything about how your brand should show up.

The shift

What your customer feeds their dog, whether they take their cat on walks, what accessories their pet wears—these have become identity markers. Pet choices now signal values (organic, sustainable, local), lifestyle (active, outdoorsy, urban), and priorities (health-conscious, indulgent, practical).

This isn’t a trend. It’s a structural change in how people relate to their pets—and by extension, how they relate to your brand. They’re not just evaluating your product’s benefits. They’re asking: Does this brand reflect who I am?

What this means for your brand

When pet ownership becomes identity expression, every touchpoint becomes a signal. Your packaging sits on their counter—does it belong there aesthetically? Your brand shows up in their Instagram photos—does it fit their feed? Your product sits in their cart at checkout—does it say something about the kind of pet parent they want to be?

The brands winning in pet aren’t just selling better products. They’re offering membership in a tribe. Farmer’s Dog isn’t just fresh food—it’s a visible statement about what kind of pet parent you are. BarkBox isn’t just toys—it’s a shareable ritual that signals you’re the fun dog parent. Wild One isn’t just gear—it’s design-forward identity for urban dog owners who care how things look.

The strategic question

Most pet brands ask: What benefits do we offer? The better question is: What identity do we serve? Not “who is our target demo” but “what kind of pet parent sees themselves in us?”

When you answer that question with specificity, everything else—messaging, creative, partnerships, retail presence—starts to cohere.

Action items for your marketing strategy

• Audit your identity coherence. Walk through every touchpoint—packaging, social, website, retail, partnerships. Does each one reinforce the same identity story, or are you sending mixed signals?

• Define the tribe, not just the target. Write a one-paragraph description of the pet parent who sees themselves in your brand. What do they value? What lifestyle do they lead? What do they want their pet choices to say about them?

• Evaluate your “display-worthiness.” Would your customer be proud to have your product visible in their home or on their social feed? If not, you’re losing the identity game before it starts.

• Find your identity tension. The most powerful positioning resolves a tension within an identity—“I want to be a great pet parent but I don’t have unlimited time/money/energy.” What tension can your brand acknowledge and resolve?

• Stop selling benefits. Start signaling belonging. Shift your messaging from what your product does to what choosing your product says about the customer. Features inform. Identity converts.

The pet brands that will win the next decade understand this: you’re not just in the pet business. You’re in the identity business. Act accordingly.