In an exclusive conversation with The European Business Review, Natalia Ball, Global Chief Growth Officer at Mars Pet Nutrition, shares her remarkable journey. Natalia’s passion for pets and expertise in brand growth are transforming the pet nutrition industry, driving innovative solutions and impactful changes that cater to the ever-evolving needs of pet parents globally.
Good day, Ms. Ball! Could you please share with us a bit about your background and journey that led you to your role as Global Chief Growth Officer at Mars Pet Nutrition?
Building brands with a strong purpose is my passion, and I have been so privileged over the course of my career to have the opportunity to help build and grow some of the most-loved brands in the world – originally in my native Venezuela, and later here in Europe.
I began my career at Procter & Gamble, spending the first 15 years leading the growth of iconic brands such as Always, Tampax, and Naturella. I joined Mars in 2015, and have had the opportunity to play many roles, including most recently as Global Chief Brand Officer for Royal Canin. I stepped into this role as Global Chief Growth Officer for Pet Nutrition in April, and it’s been an exciting first few months. In my role as Global Chief Growth Officer, I lead Demand which oversees Marketing, Sales and Innovation across our iconic portfolio of brands including PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, SHEBA®, CESAR®, and IAMS®, among others. Being such a huge animal lover and a pet parent myself, I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to serve over 400 million pets and pet parents, all in service of our purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.
With the increasing interest in pet travel, how do you foresee the landscape evolving in the coming years, and what trends do you anticipate shaping the future of pet travel?
Pet ownership is more widespread than ever, with 166 million European households (50%) owning a pet in 2024. At the same time, we see pet parents rightly demand more pet-friendly accommodations and services. Simply put, they want to bring their pets along with them on every step of the journey and make memories wherever they go.
This presents a huge market opportunity for hospitality businesses, particularly given pet parents’ tendency to spend more on taking care of their animal companions. The proof is in the statistics, with the global pet care market is expected to grow from $259.37 billion in 2024 to $427.75 billion by 2032.
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Because of this, forward-looking hotels are increasingly marketing themselves as ‘pet-friendly’ with services to enhance the pet parent experience. Take Hotel Fioreze Quero Quero in Brazil, for example. They offer over two acres of open space for pet parents and their four-legged friends to enjoy. Likewise, our longstanding partnership with Hilton has seen thousands of hotels create a home away from home for travelers and their pets, with many hotels in the U.S. and Canada offering on-demand pet health, wellness, and behavioral support resources, as well as providing features like pet bowls, beds and treats.
It is likely that such amenities will soon become mainstream as hospitality businesses look to earn loyalty from making customers’ furry friends feel welcome. We can also expect to see growing collaborations between travel companies and petcare specialists as businesses seek to differentiate their offer with trusted value-add services, ensuring pet-friendly options are weaved in from the start of the booking journey.
Mars recently announced a new global partnership with TripAdvisor aimed at enhancing pet travel experiences, what motivated Mars to collaborate with TripAdvisor on this initiative?
Last year, “pet travel” was the subject of over 19 million Google searches in the US alone, showing the extent of pet parents’ appetite to experience adventures with their furry friends.
Anyone with pets knows, however, that this requires additional layers of planning. From reading reviews to understanding the fine print of hotels’ ‘pet-friendly’ policies. I’ve faced my own challenges trying to find a travel destination where I can take my dog Bella with me.
This forces many pet parents to curb holiday plans because they’re worried about the experience of bringing pets along. Research from OnePoll shows that many only take a vacation “once every few years” as a result.
As the world’s largest pet food manufacturer, Mars is committed to putting pet parents at the heart of everything we do. We want to connect pet parents with the travel experiences they deserve. And who better to partner with than the world’s largest travel guidance platform?
Tripadvisor and our CESAR® brand – which believes that the best life is a shared life – are the perfect partners for this collaboration. Kicking off in the U.S., we’ve launched a new digital hub to help users find pet-friendly travel destinations in their local area, alongside an AI Trip Builder for personalized itineraries.
This partnership is an important step in helping us create: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS, and in the digital transformation of our business to meet the needs of the increasingly “always-connected” pet parent.
As the pet industry continues to evolve, what innovative strategies or initiatives do you believe businesses can adopt to stay ahead of the curve and capitalize on emerging trends in pet ownership and travel?
Rather than seeing pet travel as a complication, we need to encourage hospitality businesses to see the benefits of embracing the underserved traveler. As competition grows, pet-friendly experiences that are effectively marketed online can help hotels, restaurants, and even tour operators to distinguish themselves from the pack.
As competition grows, pet-friendly experiences that are effectively marketed online can help hotels, restaurants, and even tour operators to distinguish themselves from the pack.
There is a wide range of services business can provide – either in-house or by collaborating with a specialist partner. As a first step, I’d recommend considering what your location has (or could have) to offer pet owners and their animal companions. Are you in a city centre or urban location, for example? How long is the average stay? Do people come to relax or be active? Then, identify ways to tap into these features with services that elevate the pet parent experience. Consider things like pet room service, pet-friendly tour recommendations, pet relief areas, dog walking and even grooming services for those pets who need a bit of TLC.
Businesses also need to think about the full purchase journey – from online research, to check-in, to online review. Identify any pain points that may be specific to pet owners and consider how you can streamline the process, such as with chat-bots to answer questions on your pet policy in real-time.
At the end of the day, pets are good for business – and the benefits of pet-friendly services and accommodation really do speak for themselves.
How do you envision the role of technology in shaping the future of pet travel experiences and enhancing the effectiveness of pet-friendly initiatives for businesses?
Today’s pet parents are operating in a digital world, using technology to access the information they need at the tap of a screen or command of a digital assistant. They also search out and read reviews of where they can take their pets in detail. By enhancing the experience on the channels they rely on, we can help take the work out of planning and help pet owners refocus their energy on enjoying their daily lives with pets.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), for example, helps ease pet owners’ minds with 24-7, clear and accurate information. Specifically, we use AI algorithms to categorize and route pet parent support issues to teams across the world based on contact reason, priority, or the skillset required, enabling us to predict issues and pet parent needs ahead of time.
It is a vital tool in building digital pet-friendly communities and is something we’re continuously investing in at Mars.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of your role as Global Chief Growth Officer, and how does it align with your personal passions or interests?
It has been an incredibly exciting first few months in my new role. I’ve visited market and brand teams around the world and am enjoying collaborating on projects that will fulfil our ambition to build the most pet parent-centric and digitally enabled organization in the world. I believe there’s special meaning in the category we lead, and I’m so proud of the unique talent that works tirelessly to ensure our brands are delivering on our commitment.
As an animal lover, it is humbling to have a job where my professional and personal interests collide. Marketing always requires empathy, across all industries, but even more so in petcare where we care for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Beyond work, do you have any beloved pets of your own? If so, could you tell us a bit about them and how they’ve enriched your life?
My dog Bella is more than just a pet, she’s part of the family. And there’s certainly a lot I’ve learned from her. She lives in the present and has an incredible capacity for love, no matter what kind of day I’m having. I know other pet parents feel this same way. It is scientifically proven that having pets around makes people feel more relaxed, with 80% of pet owners noting that their pets make them feel less lonely.
I’ve recently relocated my family to London, and throughout any big life changes, Bella is there to add joy and connection to ease any transitions, big and small. She’s an integral member of our family, and we couldn’t imagine life without her.
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