How BONKERS' data-driven strategy is winning the next generation of pet parenting

Quick question: how do you see your pets?

If you identify as a Millennial or Gen Z, chances are they're more than just animals — they're your best friend, your plus-one, your furry soulmate. Decades ago, pets were traditionally viewed as companions or even property, but today's pet owners — or should we say, pet parents — regard them as family.

This is something that BONKERS deeply understands. As a pet snacks brand founded by ZURU-backed Rhodes Pet Science that celebrates the real, messy, joyful bond between people and their pets, BONKERS creates products and content that feel just as fun and unfiltered as modern pet parenting.

One thing we love about BONKERS is how in tune the brand is with its audience. BONKERS is a challenger brand that, despite not having the biggest marketing budget, wins on cultural connection, creativity, and community.

Acknowledging the new era of pet relationships 🐶🐱

One of the keys behind BONKERS' success is that the brand actually gets its audience. From day one, BONKERS recognized that younger pet parents want more than just treats; they want products and experiences that reflect the joy of life with pets.

"There has been a shift," explains Imogen Trevitt, Senior Marketing Manager at Rhodes Pet Science, the parent company of BONKERS. "Life is different for Millennials and Gen Z once you enter into the world of pets. The bond between pets and their people has evolved, but the legacy players haven't evolved with it."

While traditional brands rely on overly polished messaging, BONKERS leans into what makes modern pet parenting special: the messiness, the weirdness, and the genuine love. From product design to marketing, everything BONKERS does is rooted in authenticity.

"BONKERS is a bit more like unhinged, joyful chaos," says Imogen. "It's about the realities and the realness of parenting."

And it's that realness that's helped BONKERS carve out a distinct space in a crowded category. The brand has tapped into the hearts (and social feeds) of modern pet parents, ultimately turning everyday moments into brand love.

A well-rounded content ecosystem paired with strategic distribution 🔁 📣

BONKERS doesn't rely on a single campaign or platform to build its brand. Instead, it runs a smart, full-funnel strategy that consists of UGC, branded content, paid media, and organic posts to engage pet parents across multiple channels.

Fueled by UGC

BONKERS' customers and fans aren't just passive audiences; they're active participants in the brand's storytelling. User-generated content (UGC) is a huge component of its marketing. Scroll through BONKERS’ social feeds, and you'll come across a lot of lo-fi content featuring real pets.

"A lot of the recent campaigns were built off the floods of UGC we get through social media and emails. Videos of pets destroying the BONKERS bags and going crazy," says Imogen. "So our community is really fueling and inspiring the campaign. They're in on the journey as well."

Optimized for TikTok and YouTube — two of Gen Z and Millennials' favorite platforms — BONKERS' video content is designed to be authentic and scroll-stopping.

A smart mix of paid and organic

Verbatim brand associations for BONKERS cat treats.

BONKERS recognizes that there's no one-size-fits-all content strategy for multiple platforms. That's why its paid social strategy is made up of different pieces tailored to each social platform, as well as each stage of the buyer's journey.

On TikTok and YouTube, BONKERS has content for awareness. Meanwhile, its content for Meta focused on visual impact and brand consistency. BONKERS used its signature "pink world" creative to highlight product benefits and reinforce brand recognition, while also geo-targeting content based on store-level stock data to drive action where the product was available.

BONKERS also leveraged retail partners like Walmart Connect to serve up on-site branded video ads.

Seasonal drops and brand moments

Another one of BONKERS' standout strategies? Its ability to reimagine seasonal moments for pets. From an Olympic-themed mini-game to a Walmart-exclusive Valentine's Day item, each drop is designed to tap into the holiday and make pets part of the celebration.

"There's so much stuff for humans in the seasonal world, especially in America," says Imogen. "It was this light bulb moment that we were like, 'No one is doing this for pets.'"

She continues, "A lot of brands show up during Christmas, but there's less emphasis on pets throughout the rest of the year. That's where we saw the opportunity."

Data-driven brand initiatives 🔎🤓

BONKERS may feature the glorious chaos of modern pet parenting, but behind the scenes, its marketing is anything but chaotic. Behind the playful content is a tightly run, data-driven strategy.

The brand aggregates insights from multiple sources — its in-house customer service team, category tools, GWI, and Tracksuit — to build a deep understanding of its Millennial and Gen Z audience. That intelligence shapes everything from campaign direction to content style.

As Imogen puts it, "Understanding the hearts and minds of consumers is something we speak about a lot at BONKERS. We use a lot of data to ensure we deliver marketing that resonates with our customers."

Tracksuit plays a key role in that process. “We use the timeline feature to see how our brand metrics evolve over time, and we drill down specifically into Millennials and Gen Z,” Imogen explains.

“It’s been really valuable for validating the success of our campaigns, like The BONKERS Effect. Not just seeing if people have heard of us, but what they think about us, too.”

Equipped with those insights, BONKERS can move quickly, refine creatively, and keep its marketing as intentional as it is entertaining.

The numbers back it up 📈⭐

Speaking of data, BONKERS' brand funnel metrics are all trending in the right direction. Based on Tracksuit's data (May 2024 to April 2025), BONKERS has seen clear gains in both brand awareness and consideration over the past year for the cat treats and dog treats categories.

For cat treats, awareness increased from 15% to 17%, and consideration rose even more impressively: from 8% to 11%.

Tracksuit’s data shows that BONKERS’ positioning has worked — they have successfully differentiated themselves from competitors and traditional players by being a "fun" brand. BONKERS has significantly grown in this perception from 46% to 52%.

Another thing worth noting? Walmart shoppers have significantly higher awareness of the brand, which is a testament to the effectiveness of BONKERS’ retailer campaigns.

Usage is also up for cat treats. According to our data, usage increased significantly from 5% to 7% year over year (May 2024 to May 2025).

On the dog treats side, BONKERS is standing out for all the right reasons. Tracksuit data shows strong brand awareness among 18 to 44-year-olds (11%), and the brand is consistently recognized for being both fun and innovative.

This kind of growth proves that BONKERS' brand-first approach — anchored in cultural relevance and community-powered content — is driving real momentum in the market.