Key promotions usher a new chapter in market leadership and innovation with a refocus on brand communication and social media
In an exciting period of growth, leading pet care manufacturer and marketer Hartz has strengthened its already robust leadership team by appointing Tina Le Lay to President and Chief Operating Officer and Dai Kageyama to Vice President of Marketing.
These promotions come as the company has completed a transition which focuses its product assortment on dog and cat care. The Hartz of today is no longer a one-stop shop for all pet needs as it once was, serving pets from goldfish to birds, bunnies, guinea pigs, and more.
The company’s nationally trusted product portfolio has transformed to solely focus on its signature dog and cat product portfolio – a strategic move reflected within Hartz’s newly designed brand logo, including the heart-shaped dog and cat snuggling icon.
The Rise of the Pampered Pet
Pet owners are spoiling their pets more than ever before, and companies are responding with higher-quality pet care products. Hartz’s parent company, Unicharm, a leading global CPG company based in Tokyo, Japan, knows well how pet parents have raised the bar on pet care. Unicharm has guided Hartz, providing innovation, technology, and marketing support to transition to a more premium portfolio of pet care focused on serving dogs and cats.
Strengthening Management Team
Le Lay – a longtime member of the company for seventeen years – has spearheaded marketing efforts across the cat treats, dog treats, animal health, hygiene, and toy categories. Formerly the Chief Marketing Officer, she directed the development of the “Unconditional Love” brand communication platform and national campaign, which celebrates the rewards and challenges of the shared life between pets and humans.
While, previously the Senior Director of Marketing – Cat Treats at Hartz, Kageyama has led marketing for the Delectables cat treat brand. Under his leadership, Delectables has soared to achieve the #1 brand of wet cat treats and the #2 brand of cat treats overall. Most notably, he oversaw the integrated “Deliciously De-Lick-able Delectables” campaign for the Squeeze Up and Lickable Treat sub-brands.
Moreover, it was supported by trending music clips, “Grab Your Furry Friends” and “Pawing For More“, on TikTok. In his new role, he will supervise all categories while still directly managing the Delectables business. Kageyama’s attention is focused on driving further market share gain for Delectables by expanding its reach to more and more cat owners.
About The Hartz Mountain Corporation:
For more than 95 years, Hartz has been solely focused on creating pet care products that give pets the unconditional love that they give us.
Today, Hartz is a leading manufacturer of high-quality, innovative pet care products for dog and cat parents, including Oinkies, UltraGuard, Nature’s Shield, Home Protection, Comfitables and Groomer’s Best brands. Hartz’s Delectables is the leading brand of wet cat treats in the United States.
Through the Hartz Loving Paws™ shelter outreach program, Hartz is committed to helping animal welfare organizations that care for and protect pets until they find unconditional love in their forever homes.
For more information, visit www.hartz.com, or their various social media platform.
