The Marketing Playbook That Propelled This Cat Food Brand to $100 Million in Less Than a Decade

""What does it mean to be a cat person? What does it mean to choose cats? There's a lot more to say. It's cultural, it's political, it's gendered," says Michaelson, who serves as the company's CEO."

""None of that is like rocket science," says Michaelson, but the company did make a crucial decision from the start to diversify in terms of where that message was being communicated."

Smalls, co-founded by Matthew Michaelson and Veronica del Rosario, reached $100 million in annual revenue by focusing on the often overlooked cat food market. Launched in 2017, the brand utilized traditional direct consumer advertising to appeal to cat owners. Michaelson emphasized the cultural significance of being a cat person, which allowed for deeper marketing narratives. Smalls positioned its products as premium, human-grade options, showcasing the benefits through before and after images of cats. The company also diversified its marketing channels beyond Meta, setting it apart from competitors.

Read at Inc