The evolution of pet parenthood
Daniel Calderoni has spent much of his career in the CPG industry working around the world, including in Brazil and China, the U.K., South Africa and Argentina. That global outlook has served him well in his eight years with Mars, first as vice president of emerging markets for pet nutrition, and then leading the Southern Cone, a multi-sales unit with responsibility for pet, confectionery and gum markets in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay.
Now as general manager of Mars Pet Nutrition Canada, Calderoni says he’s excited about the return to pet nutrition, as well the move to Ontario. “I have been loving not just the job, but the country. It’s a segment that’s super exciting,” he says. “As a company we really want to make a better world for pets, because we believe pets make our lives better. My family and I have a five year old Dachshund named Banguela, and she makes our lives so much better.”
Mars Pet Nutrition is part of Mars Petcare, a division with more than 100,000 employees around the world in over 130 countries. The company produces more than 50 global pet food brands for dogs, cats, horses, birds and fish, including household names such as Pedigree, Whiskas, and Iams. Mars Petcare also owns veterinary hospitals, technology and diagnosis businesses, and the Waltham Petcare Science Center, a research centre innovating in pet nutrition and health. “So we really have an ecosystem approach to make the pet and the pet parents’ lives much better,” says Calderoni. “The innovation, our activations with the customers, all the work we do, they always have the pet parent at the centre.”
In February 2024 Mars released its Pets Connect Us report on trends in pet parenthood in Canada and the U.S, which highlighted the positive impact pets have on our lives, including how they help build connections and community. “Currently in Canada we have 16 million cats and dogs. So pet care is one of the top five largest categories for consumers in Canada,” says Calderoni, noting that research shows cat and dog populations are growing by 3.3 and two per cent respectively per year. “And the relationship with pets has actually evolved over time. Our research [shows] that 90 percent of pet parents say they sleep with their pets on their bed. They treat their pets as members of the family, and they feed their pets the way they feed their family.” Calderoni notes that the Cesar brand Wholesome Bowls dog food with real chicken, beef and vegetables, is one product that answers this demand.
Pet parents are also becoming more vocal in wanting products that are environmentally friendly and sustainably sourced. “It’s not just about pet parenthood, but also about the way pet parents are looking at society overall,” he explains. “For pet parents, having sustainable products is even more important. So as a company we are trying to do our part. We want to reduce our impact by 2030 and we want to be completely net zero by 2050. And when we think about sustainability, it’s not just about the numbers. It’s really about the tangible actions we make to achieve net zero by 2050.”
The SHEBA brand of premium wet cat food in Canada, made with sustainable fish as a first ingredient and free from grain, soy or artificial flavours, also answers the call for healthy products that emphasize sustainability. To celebrate the brand’s launch in Canada last year, the brand hosted an immersive, multisensory experience in Toronto showcasing its ongoing Hope Grows Campaign to restore coral reefs in 10 countries, including Indonesia and the Maldives. “SHEBA has a long term partnership with Hope Reef, and our approach has really been to support the communities involved to be able to take care of their local reefs.”
Community support is a priority for Mars in connecting with pet parents. That includes grants and partnerships with pet shelters, donations through The Pedigree Foundation to help dogs, and the Better Cities for Pets program, which launched in Canada last year in Caledon, ON. “This is a program that’s really close to my heart,” smiles Calderoni. “It is a program where we support the city to become pet friendly. But it’s not just a grant and investment, it’s a partnership to make the public spaces and the city much more friendly to pets.” There are already more than 100 U.S. cities participating in the program, and Calderoni says the company is currently in conversation with other Canadian cities.
Of course product innovation is a key way Mars brings experiences to life for pet parents by encouraging bonding moments with their animals. “For cat pet parents the treating moment is such an important bonding moment, so we really wanted to make that moment better,” says Calderoni. “The lickable segment, which is part of the cat treat segment, is the fastest growing segment, but our insight was that it’s very messy. So we created a spoon which makes that amazing moment less messy, much more convenient, and therefore you have a much longer moment to bond with your cat.” The new product, Temptations Lickable Spoons, combines two creamy cat food flavours that can be served straight from the spoon as a mess-free treat or meal complement.
The product launched earlier this year, and will be supported by an aggressive marketing campaign. “We’re bringing it to life with three key things: a 360-degree activation using TikTok to really drive a fully holistic brand experience,” says Calderoni. “The second is sampling – we’re going to make sure that it’s delivered to more than 100,000 households in Canada. And then the third piece is our partners, our retailers. We’ll be partnering with our grocery customers and pet shops so that consumers can really see that innovation whenever they’re shopping and hopefully experience it.”
Q&A WITH DANIEL CALDERONI
What are you most proud of about your time with Mars so far?
Mars is a company where the values and the principles are not just words on the wall. We really live through that. The five principles are our guiding light in the way we make decisions and we think about business, about our society, about our customers. So I’m really proud to work for Mars and to lead through the five principles.
What issue affecting the food and grocery issue are you most passionate about?
Attracting and retaining top talent. We spend a great deal of time creating and fostering an environment where people want to join, to stay and to grow with us. I'm so proud, for instance, that Mars has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Employers in Canada year over year. It shows that we're doing something right, but at the same time, it’s about how we continue to evolve and learn with our associates.
What’s your favourite Mars Pet Product?
I love all our brands, so it’s a tough one, but I’ll say that Banguela eats Cesar and Pedigree at home.
What do you like to do when not working?
I love cycling. It’s when I listen to music, to podcasts, so I get the right energy for work and for my family.