NEW YORK — Fast Company released its fourth annual Brands That Matter list, recognizing several companies in the pet food industry, including Colgate-Palmolive, Mars, Rhodes Pet Science and The J.M. Smucker Company. 

Brands That Matter aims to recognize companies that build connections with their audiences and customers by making an impact. The 2024 list recognizes 119 brands in various categories. New for this year, Brands That Matter also highlighted 10 chief marketing officers for their abilities to strengthen their respective brands.

“We’re so proud to award such a wide variety of honorees this year and shine a spotlight on leading marketing executives,” said Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company.

Colgate-Palmolive, Mars, Rhodes Pet Science and The J.M. Smucker Company were all recognized under the Family of Brands category, which showcases parent companies that leverage their capabilities to strengthen individual brands. 

Colgate-Palmolive was primarily recognized for its oral care brand, but its commitment to health and wellness also extends to pets through its well-known Hill’s Pet Nutrition brand.

Mars was recognized for its variety of brands, from Pedigree to its candy brands. In the pet arena, Mars’ Cesar Canine Cuisine introduced a Workplace Grants program to help businesses become more dog friendly, and its Royal Canine brand continued to support the “Puppies for Parole” program. 

“We’re honored to be recognized by Fast Company for the second year in a row and I want to thank and celebrate all our associates across Mars who made this possible,” said Anton Vincent, president of Mars Wrigley North America & Global Ice Cream. “Their passion, vision and dedication are the driving force behind the purpose-driven work we do to create products and services that people and their pets love. At Mars, we prioritize long-term decision-making and planning for the future, and this recognition reflects our continued commitment to build the world we want tomorrow, starting with how we do business today.”

Rhodes Pet Science was recognized for its pet-centric focus through its various pet food brands, including Bonkers, Nood and Goodlands. According to Fast Company, Bonkers has become the world’s fastest growing pet treat brand globally within 24 months and the most-loved pet treat brand on TikTok. Rhodes launched the first-ever jingle create by pets for pets, called “The Pet Jingle,” starring celebrity pets. 

The J.M. Smucker Company was recognized for several of its prominent brands, from Uncrustables to Meow Mix. In the pet food space, the company reasserted Meow Mix’s dominance in the cat food segment through its “Meow ReMix” campaign that released various versions of its jingle in different music genres, like a boy-band inspired version.

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