Snellman wins 2023 GlobalPETS Forum Award

During each year’s GlobalPETS Forum, one company receives an award for demonstrating exceptional performance in relation to the theme of the event. This year’s theme was ‘Lifelong customers in an omnimarket’.

Five nominees

Five nominees had their eye on the prize this year: Snellman, Montego Pet Nutrition, Company of Animals, KIKA Group and PharmaPets. Snellman came out on top, as the judges were impressed by its omnichannel strategies and how the company ensures customer loyalty by creating a higher awareness of raw nutrition.

On being presented with the award at the 2023 GlobalPETS Forum in Berlin, Snellman Petfood Director Magnus Pettersson said: “All these years, we’ve been advocating natural, raw and unprocessed food, and guiding consumers on handling it. I’m glad that we, as a manufacturer of natural dog food, get this recognition in an industry where ultra processed dry food is still the most commonly fed.”

Pettersson added that Snellman has come a long way “from a small company to an internationally known player in the pet food industry.”

Championing raw products

The Snellman Group is a family business working in the food industry, with roots in Pietarsaari, Finland. It was set up in 1951 by the brothers Kurt and Lars Snellman to process meat and sausages.

The company started producing pet food in the early 2000s. Today, it has 3 brands: Mush, all-natural, raw food for dogs and cats; Fodax, frozen raw food and freeze-dried snacks for dogs; and Raw for Paw, freeze-dried dog treats and nutritional supplements for dogs. As Snellman says: “We have done a lot over the years to educate consumers, not only on how to serve raw products to their pets, but also on the risks of handling raw foods.”

Consumer awareness

The company’s primary objective is to continue building consumer awareness for all its brands so as to support its customers’ commitment to the raw food cause. “We want them to share our belief in how a pet should be fed.” One of Snellman’s key strategies is building on the ‘why’ concept, explaining to consumers its principles of feeding unadulterated food to pets.

Snellman’s pet food division has also built a strong presence across various social media platforms, aiming to be part of the community and to listen carefully to its customers. “Our job is to make tools and media available for these genuine believers of raw food to be able to share their experiences.”