Q&A With Mary Siemiesz, Director-Consumer Communications for Nestlé Purina PetCare

Vital Statistics:
Age: 55
Lives in: Oakville, Ontario
Office based in: Mississauga, Ontario
Tenure at Purina: 18 years
Size of marketing team: 26

How in general is Purina’s approach to marketing in Canada changing?
We have quite a diverse portfolio of products. They all meet the needs of different consumers. We do a lot of consumer research here at Purina, and we undertook a segmentation study where we learned that there are probably six or seven different groups of people who all cluster around different attitudes and behaviors towards their pets and towards pet food. We recognize that consumers are not all exactly the same and we try to address the needs of those people with our different brands.

We also know that pets are becoming even more important to people, in many cases taking a stronger role within the household. People celebrate their pets’ birthdays. They take their pets on vacation. Consumers bring their pets with them a lot more than they used to. From this, we know that there’s a humanization trend going on in our category. Understanding trends like this is how we shape our product innovation.

How are your marketing efforts shifting to take advantage of that trend?
We’re trying to understand what’s driving consumer behavior, and try to align —first of all our product line—but also some of our advertising and communication. We’re trying to show a little bit more of that relationship between humans and pets and pet food.

Can you describe your current role, and how that role is evolving?
I’ve been with the company for 18 years, always within the marketing department, so I’ve kind of grown up within the company. I’ve worked directly on almost every brand that we have. My current role is Director of Consumer Communications, and I’m working towards stronger integration of our brands and portfolio within our communications strategy.

We’re testing some new communication strategies—getting a little bit more grassroots in some cases—and we’re looking at alternatives to more traditional media. We’re testing and learning our way through those things, and finding that some [new media] are really good for our business, especially in the area of social networking trends. We see [social networking] as something we want to be involved in because pet owners share a passion for pets and they like to be in communities with one another.

I’m also the Executive Director of the Purina PetCare Legacy which is the philanthropic arm of Purina in Canada. We reach into the community and support various organizations that recognize the important role that pets play in our lives. Additionally, we support learning because we want to improve the lives of pets and think that through education we can help pet owners enrich their pets’ lives.

What is your definition of experiential marketing?
I think it’s about creating a positive experience with your brand, more directly than ever before. We’re trying it in a number of different ways. We’ve launched PawsWay, which is a really strong experiential marketing environment. [At PawsWay,] people can get quite close to us as a company. It gives us a face-to-face opportunity to talk with our consumers and to work with them in raising their pets. It really is about experiencing the Purina Brand, and who we really are as a company; passionate about pets.

Tell us more about PawsWay.
PawsWay is a pet discovery center located in downtown Toronto right on the waterfront in the Harbourfront Centre community—which attracts 13 million visits and a number of tourists each year. At [PawsWay] pet owners and pet lovers can come and learn about all things pets—anything from the origin of dogs and cats, to how pets see, to understanding the body language of pets, to learning about puppies and kittens. And they are welcome to bring their pets with them. We want to try and help people select the right breeds and help the pets live long and healthy lives.

PawsWay is the permanent home of the Purina Animal Hall of Fame, a recognition program for pets who have helped save human lives. There’s also a section called the Pet Park where events are held, often involving various pet experts (veterinarians, breeders, groomers, behaviorists). People can play interactive games with their pets which test their pets’ obedience skills. We also have—I believe the first of its kind in Toronto anyways, if not in Canada—a pet-friendly eating area at PawsWay where pet lovers can come in with their dogs, get their coffee or lunch, and eat with their pets.

It’s really just a good time. People can come together as a community and share in their passion for pets. People are just loving it.

How else is the event and experiential portion of your marketing mix changing?
Our investment in event marketing is growing. Right at this moment we’re talking and learning our way through some things. We’re trying to make events into more than just sampling opportunities. We really want to let people experience our brand and become brand advocates for us.

This includes a number of grassroots event programs. One in particular is called the Purina Walk for Dog Guides that is in over 180 communities across Canada. It helps support the service animals that give people companionship and independence and freedom they might not have without their guide dog. We’re also a sponsor of Woofstock in Toronto, which is a festival that attracts over 150,000 pet lovers and quite a number of dogs. There we do sampling but we also integrate touch screen technology. People answer pet trivia questions, so they get some education about pets. Then we provide a customized food sample for them, taking into consideration the feeding and nutrition requirements of their pet.

From the grassroots programs to the large sponsorships, we are looking at event marketing as a way to create positive experiences and brand ambassadors. We optimize these programs based on the impression that we make with consumers. We look for opportunities to continue communicating with consumers after the event, rather than giving samples and hoping for the best

You’re part of a big global brand, which has its benefits. What are some of the challenges of managing a global brand?
First of all there are lots of benefits to having a global brand. Where the challenge comes is that not every brand is in the same point in its life cycle, so it can be challenging to keep the consistency of brand positioning and communication and make it relevant to every local market.

In order to maintain consistency, we have something called a global strategic business unit. The group has monthly calls where we discuss various topics and stay in the loop with each other about activities going on around the world. We share information and key findings, and discuss ways in which we can be consistent from market-to-market.

Any insights or advice you’d like to share with other people managing events?
I think it’s important to not be afraid to try new things and to experiment. It’s good to take a portion of your budget and test some new ideas, because we are seeing some media changes, ways in which communication to consumers is changing. By testing and learning you may come across new ways to promote your business that really work, and that helps your communications to break through.

Tell us about you? Do you have any free time? If so, how do you like to spend it?
I have a cottage, so I like to spend my weekends and my summer vacations there. The cottage is about two-and-a-half hours north of Toronto. I have two Labrador Retrievers who are eight years old, but still have a lot of energy, so I spend a lot of time with them. They certainly like the cottage and the swimming. I’m also learning to play golf, which is a relatively new hobby for me. And I really like to spend a lot of time with family.