What Nestlé Purina PetCare’s ‘Chief Snuggle Officers’ can teach us about consumer outreach
Bowie, a 6-month-old Dalmation, is Purina Puppy Chow’s new Chief Snuggle Officer. | Purina
Purina knows how to put its marketing dollars to good use when it comes to connecting with consumers. Here’s a recent case study in how they do it.
BY Lindsay Beaton, Founder/Principal
Beaton Path Communications LLC
On October 14, 2026, Purina Puppy Chow and Kitten Chow announced the winners of their “Chief Snuggle Officer” contest. In its second year, the 2026 contest saw more than 2,000 entries that included photos, videos and brief résumés for the pets in question. According to a Purina press release, “an independent panel narrowed the pack to six finalists based on cuteness, charm and heartwarming submission stories before consumers voted for the winners.”
The winners were Bowie, a 6-month-old Dalmation puppy and now Chief Snuggle Officer for Puppy Chow, and Cashew, a 5-month-old DSH kitten and now Chief Snuggle Officer for Kitten Chow. Beyond the obvious adorable attention the contest brought to two of Purina’s legacy brands, there were US$25,000 prizes for the families of Bowie and Cashew, as well as a US$10,000 donation to a shelter in each winner’s city.
Purina’s larger mission and how it ties in with consumers
Purina is indisputably among the “Big 3”: the pet food goliaths so well established and with so many brands under their umbrella that they stand (nearly) alone in their piece of the pet food landscape. That being said, brands live and die by their customers, so what is Purina doing here?
One: Purina cares about pets and wants to remind its consumers of that fact. Of course they do; that’s why we’re all here doing what we do in this industry. The fact that Purina has been a household name for decades doesn’t mean the company doesn’t need to reach out to its customers anymore. It also, as big as it is, has a complex identity issue not found among the majority of smaller pet food brands. It can be (and is, in some cases) seen by consumers as part of “Big Pet Food” or as in it purely for the profit, having long ago lost its way from its nutrition-focused roots. The truth of the matter is irrelevant in pet owners’ eyes, and so Purina likely spends a good portion of its time and finances in philanthropic efforts, both because that’s what an entity with money should do for the industry it helped build and because concrete numbers go a long way with consumers. Good will is a difficult, complex thing, and when consumers have what can feel like infinite options for their pet food choices, it’s easier than ever to give the foundational companies a pass.
Two: Purina has reach and people want to feel good. There’s a lot of strife in the world right now, and denizens of the internet (that is, all of us) are looking for anything that could break the doldrums. What better for this industry than to put cute animals front and center for a while, tell some touching stories about them and let fellow pet owners decide who they want to snuggle the most? Purina knows its customers and it knows pet parents at large; all its consumer research is being put to good use here to create a contest that has “successful outreach” written all over it.
Three: Research isn’t for everyone, and Purina has a message to get out. While a strong segment of today’s pet owners are gravitating towards science-backed messaging, only a small subset of them are willing to read through research papers to get said message. There’s also the problem of ensuring the knowledge lands, in any form, in their social media feeds or via their internet scrolling. Purina’s message of early puppy- and kittenhood nutrition is an important one for the company, and even something as fun as a contest can get it to more people. According to Purina’s press release, Puppy Chow and Kitten Chow launched the search for Chief Snuggle Officers to celebrate the positivity puppies and kittens bring while highlighting the importance of proper nutrition during early growth and development. "Most puppy and kitten growth happens in their first 12 months, which makes proper nutrition during this window so important," said Dr. Callie Harris, veterinarian at Purina, in the release. "And as Bowie and Cashew show, plenty of play, training and snuggles help build confidence and strengthen the bond between pet and owner."
Four: Not everything needs to be about money. Yes, this contest got Purina out in front of potential new eyes (new pet owners, those raising puppies or kittens for the first time, former customers who happen to be looking for something else to try with a familiar name). Yes, there were almost certainly customer conversions as a result. Yes, their nutritional message was conveyed. But is it okay to take an idea and just have fun with it, too, as fellow pet lovers? Yes.
What other pet brands can take away from Purina’s Chief Snuggle Officers contest
Cashew, a 5-month-old Domestic Shorthair, is Purina Kitten Chow’s new Chief Snuggle Officer. | Purina
1) Customer trust, loyalty and good will are the non-concrete currencies the pet industry barters with pet owners for. Relationship-building is a vital component of any marketing strategy.
2) Never forget the broader challenges your customer base may be facing, and act accordingly to strengthen your relationship with them.
3) The message is important — so is knowing how to deliver it.
4) It’s okay to be fun, even as a business, as long as you hit the right notes with your customers.