• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer @mahoney_sarah, June 4, 2025

For many pet brands, guilt is just good marketing. But in Nom Nom’s new campaign, it’s the springboard for something more specific: enrichment.

The Mars-owned fresh food brand just launched a 360-degree campaign starring Kristin Chenoweth as an “Enrichment Witch” — part fairy godmother, part canine life coach — complete with puzzle toys and a Chewy-exclusive enrichment kit.

Rachel Porges, Nom Nom’s chief innovation and brand development officer, talks to Retail Insider about connecting the dots between anxious pet parents, platform partnerships, and the evolving role of dog food as a daily moment of joy.

Interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Retail Insider: What made you want to focus on enrichment?

Rachel Porges: We took a step back about two years ago and started rethinking what we mean in the life of pet parents,  particularly dog parents. All of the work we did then pointed to the fact that dog parents looked to us for excitement and enrichment.

Coming out of COVID, pet parents had spent so much time with their dogs, looking balefully up at them, freaking out that their dog was bored. And then they went back to work, and the anxiety just grew. It was this “aha” moment. We heard from our consumers that Nom Nom had created a moment that wasn’t boring in the dog’s day.

We want to be the world's most exciting dog food brand. Food is the most important dog-and-parent connection, but we also thought about scent work, "sniffaris," and enrichment games.

Retail Insider: How does that set you apart?

Porges: We don't play the shame game. If you look at some of our competitors, they often market against kibble. That’s just not language you'll hear us use. Who am I to shame you as a dog parent? You do what's best for your dog. We take a very optimistic, positive approach. We believe that it's not just food but toys and moments of enjoyment. We launched treats this year because that's just another moment where you can connect with your dog. Our brand hopes to foster that connection between dog and parent.

 Retail Insider: How did you land on Kristin Chenoweth?

Porges: It’s a loud category with lots of voices. We looked for talent that could help us cut through — but do it in a very real way. The first time the team talked to Kristin, she spoke about her own anxiety over Thunder being bored. We were like, “Yep — jackpot.”

We created the Enrichment Witch with the help of Lippe Taylor, and off we went. We’ve created a series of branded content pieces and mailers to influencers — a 360 campaign. It’s not just an ad. It’s branded content, a large influencer push, our own channels, and a relationship with Chewy.

Retail Insider: How does this campaign fit a more cautious spending environment? We aren’t as eager to spend money on pets.

Porges: We play in this frozen food set, but it’d be too simple to say my competitive set is just Farmer’s Dog, Freshpet and Ollie. But you’re constantly competing for share of bowl or share of wallet.

A healthy number of consumers are willing to spend on what they perceive to be better. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s never easy to communicate that you’re the better mousetrap.

We want to be the world’s most exciting dog food brand. When you’re looking for something that adds excitement to the bowl — that’s where we sit.

Retail Insider: Who are you trying to reach?

Porges: It’s not so much demographic as a psychographic. It’s the pet parent who has that moment of, “I want to do better for my dog.”

This campaign is about anxiety — that idea that a dog might be bored. It’s often pet parents who used to buy the glitzy collar and posh dog bed and say, “Wait — something’s still not right.” You’ve got a corner somewhere with all your dog’s toys, and you're looking at it like, “Why are you still bored?”

Pampering makes the pet parent feel better. What we think is important is the enrichment for the dog.

Retail Insider: How are you measuring success?

Porges: Of course, I want to be measured on sales and return on investment. That would be wonderful. But this campaign has a lot to do with brand awareness and consideration.

Nom Nom is an undercover brand for a lot of people. Our brand awareness is lower than a lot of our competitors, and they spend huge amounts in media. We’re eager to maintain what we set out to be: a moment of excitement and enrichment in the dog’s day.