Hill’s Pet Nutrition: How AI and ‘Pet Parent Guilt’ Are Reshaping the $4.5 Billion Pet Food Market
Colgate-Palmolive’s Hill’s Pet Nutrition is no longer just a side business; it’s a powerhouse driving the company’s growth. In 2025, Hill’s generated over $4.5 billion in sales, a nearly 60% increase from $3 billion in 2020, and was the single biggest contributor to Colgate-Palmolive’s growth over the last five years.
The Rise of ‘Pet Humanization’ and Emotional Marketing
Hill’s success isn’t solely about better pet food formulas. It’s about understanding the evolving relationship between people and their pets. The company’s recent “Since You’re Only Human” campaign taps into a powerful emotion: the guilt pet owners feel about not being able to provide enough love, and care. This strategy acknowledges the increasing trend of “pet humanization,” where pets are treated as family members.
Data supports this trend. Millennials accounted for half of all U.S. Pet spending last year, and Gen Z and millennials are adopting pets at a faster rate globally. In South Korea, a striking 57% of strollers sold are now for pets, not children, illustrating the depth of this shift.
Navigating the ‘Messy Middle’ with AI-Powered Marketing
The path to purchase for pet food is becoming increasingly complex. Consumers aren’t following a linear journey; they’re navigating a “messy middle” of digital channels and influenced by artificial intelligence. Hill’s is responding with an “Omni-Demand Generation” model.
What is Omni-Demand Generation?
This approach starts with insight-driven messaging and leverages AI to rapidly create socially native content tailored to a core campaign idea. The focus is on “moments that matter” in a pet’s life – adoption, a vet diagnosis, or the transition to senior years – to deliver personalized messaging.
Data Clean Rooms and the Power of Personalization
Central to Hill’s strategy is data integration. The company has built a data clean room in the U.S., combining first-party data with third-party publisher and panel data, and second-party transaction data from retail partners. This allows for more targeted advertising and a deeper understanding of consumer behavior.
The results are impressive: Hill’s doubled its conversion rate on media that flowed through the clean room in 2025. This demonstrates the power of data-driven personalization across the entire purchase funnel, reaching both pet parents and veterinary professionals.
The Future of Pet Food: Science, Campaigns, and Data
As Hill’s looks to 2026, the company is focusing on four key pillars for continued growth: its established brand equity rooted in veterinary science, ongoing product innovation, the “Because You’re Only Human” campaign, and its Omni-Demand Generation model.
Pro Tip:
For pet food brands, understanding the emotional connection owners have with their pets is crucial. Marketing that acknowledges this bond, rather than simply focusing on product features, is likely to resonate more deeply with consumers.
FAQ
Q: What is ‘pet humanization’?
A: It’s the trend of treating pets as family members, often attributing human emotions and needs to them.
Q: What is a data clean room?
A: It’s a secure environment where companies can combine their data with that of partners without revealing sensitive information.
Q: What is Omni-Demand Generation?
A: It’s a marketing approach that uses data and AI to deliver personalized messaging across multiple channels.
Q: How is Hill’s using AI?
A: Hill’s is using AI to create socially native content and improve the effectiveness of its advertising campaigns.
Did you know?
Hill’s Prescription Diet and Science Diet portfolios are both gaining market share, demonstrating the brand’s strength across both wellness and therapeutic pet food categories.
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