Building a Five-Brand Pet Company From the Inside Out
4 -5 min read
For more than seven years, I have worked closely with Foley Dog Treat Company as its Creative Director, Marketing Lead, and Brand Manager across a five-brand portfolio.
During that time, I built the company’s e-commerce foundation, redesigned two existing brands, developed three new brands, and created the campaigns, customer experiences, and marketing systems that helped Foley grow from a local dog treat producer into a growing North American business.
My role has gone beyond directing how the brands look. I have helped identify market opportunities, shape new products, build direct relationships with customers, support retail expansion, and create the systems needed for the company to grow without losing its personal character.
My Role: Creative Director, Marketing Lead, Brand Manager
Scope: Brand strategy, product development, packaging, e-commerce, campaigns, CRM, customer experience, retail marketing
These three moments demonstrate how brand strategy, creative direction, marketing, and business growth came together.
Pup Approved
|
Pup Approved |
Wholesome Ingredients
|
Wholesome Ingredients |
01
Community-Powered Packaging
The pet aisle is crowded with ingredient claims, health benefits, bright colours, and polished images of perfect-looking dogs. We wanted VitalityDog to offer something more relatable and something customers would not find on another bag. That led to a simple brand platform: Real Dogs. Real Ingredients.
To bring the promise of real, recognizable ingredients to life, we replaced stock photography with real dogs from the VitalityDog community. Each package introduces shoppers to an actual dog who loves the treats. Customers can see the photograph submitted by the owner, learn the dog’s name and location, and visit their Instagram account. The goal was to create an immediate moment of trust:
If this real dog loves the treats, mine probably will too.
Every featured dog becomes an authentic testimonial on the shelf and the emotional heart of the package.
Turning Packaging Into an Invitation
Each bag also includes a card inviting customers to submit their own dog for the chance to appear on future packaging. We developed the production system needed to rotate the featured dogs regularly, keeping the campaign active and allowing more customers to become part of the brand. Every submission brings Foley closer to its community while generating authentic testimonials, customer insights, photography, social content, and stories for future email campaigns.
The result is community-powered packaging that stands out, builds trust, and turns every bag into both a testimonial and an invitation to join the brand.
02
Building New Brands Around Real Market Opportunities
As Foley grew, we identified customer needs and product opportunities that could not be addressed through the existing brands alone.
I helped develop three new brands, each created around a distinct product category and market opportunity.
Foley’s Farmhouse brought simple, familiar ingredients into a warm and approachable farm-inspired world. The brand was built around a growing desire for products that feel slower, simpler, and more meaningful. Farmhouse went on to become Foley’s best-selling product line. It has helped drive the company’s retail growth across Canada and continues to gain popularity in the United States.
Wild Pacific Sea Snacks created a premium seafood-based line centred around wild Pacific ingredients and their nutritional benefits.
Functional Fungi introduced functional mushroom treats designed around specific areas of canine health and wellness.
Together, the three new brands gave Foley more focused ways to enter new categories, speak to different customer needs, and expand its product portfolio without placing every opportunity under one identity.
My involvement extended from the initial opportunity and product concept through naming, positioning, packaging, messaging, flavour development, launch materials, and ongoing brand management.
03
Turning a Physical Sample Into a Digital Growth Engine
A story about 1,000 orders in one weekend
Foley had built much of its business through retail, but that meant the company had limited access to the people purchasing its products. We needed a way to introduce customers to Foley directly, build first-party relationships, and grow the e-commerce channel without relying entirely on digital advertising.
In a world where marketing was becoming increasingly digital, we built the campaign around something tangible: putting the product directly into people’s hands. We designed a compact sample package that could fit within letter-mail requirements, bringing the combined cost of the product, packaging, and shipping to under $2 per customer.
The offer generated 1,000 sample requests within 48 hours.
More importantly, the campaign was not treated as a one-time sampling stunt. It became an entry point into Foley’s direct-to-consumer ecosystem. Customers were introduced to the brand through the physical product, then supported through email communication, personal touches, product education, bundle offers, and future campaigns. This allowed Foley to gather valuable customer information, generate repeat purchases, and build stronger relationships outside of retail.
The campaign demonstrated how a small physical experience could become an efficient acquisition and retention system.
Outcome
The result is more than a collection of packages, websites, and campaigns.
It is a brand system built to grow.
Foley now has five distinct brands, a stronger direct relationship with its customers, an expanding presence across Canada and the United States, and the creative and marketing infrastructure needed to enter new categories and markets without losing the personal character that made the company successful.
Tell Me About Your Projects
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and I will be in touch shortly. I can’t wait to hear from you!!