Marketing complex pet food products made easier

Marie Wagner • November 4, 2026 • 4 min read

Marketing complex pet food products made easier with expert insights from Mia-Malaika Lange, Head of Marketing at BARFER’S.

High-tech dairy processing facility with advanced equipment and industrial machinery for milk production. Photo: Mark Stebnicki/Pexels

Convincing someone to buy a product they don’t understand is a challenging task, especially when it comes to complex products like pet food. This was the topic of discussion on the latest episode of Behind the Click, hosted by Janine Heinrich, with guest Mia-Malaika Lange, Head of Marketing at BARFER’S.

Mia explained that many pet owners are hesitant to change their dog’s food because they don’t understand the benefits of a new product. This is often due to a “never change a running system” approach, where owners stick to what they know and are afraid to disrupt their daily routine.

Understanding the Customer

According to Mia, pet owners can be categorized into three groups: solution seekers, customers who don’t know they have a problem, and those who have a problem but are not looking for a solution. Solution seekers are often owners of pets with allergies, who are actively looking for a new food that can help alleviate their pet’s symptoms.

On the other hand, customers who don’t know they have a problem may not be aware of the potential benefits of a new food. In this case, communication is key to making them aware of the potential benefits without frightening them into thinking their pet has a problem.

Mia compared this to eating fast food: while it may be fine occasionally, a constant diet of fast food can lead to negative health consequences. Similarly, a pet’s diet can have a significant impact on their overall health and wellbeing.

Simplifying Complex Products

Mia emphasized the importance of reducing complexity when marketing a complex product. This can be achieved through education and simplification of the product itself. For example, BARFER’S launched a complete mix that is produced for the customer, eliminating the need for meal prepping and reducing the complexity of the product.

The team at BARFER’S also uses social media platforms like TikTok to explain the product in a simple and engaging way. By using formats like meal prep videos, they can break down the topic into smaller, more manageable pieces and make it more accessible to customers.

Mia also highlighted the importance of testing and data literacy in marketing.

One example of this is their experiment with Pinterest, which ultimately failed to deliver the desired results. However, the team was able to learn from the experience and apply those lessons to future tests, such as their successful campaign on TikTok.

The team’s approach to testing is to set clear hypotheses and fixed test frames, and to give team members the autonomy to decide what to test and how to test it. This approach has led to some surprising successes, such as their dog festival, which resulted in a significant increase in sales and customer engagement.

Marketing Strategy Successes

As Mia noted, the key to marketing a complex product is to understand the product and the customer to the core, and to reduce complexity through education and simplification. By taking a customer-centric approach and using data to inform their marketing strategy, companies like BARFER’S can successfully market complex products and build trust with their customers.

By using social media platforms and other channels to reach their customers, BARFER’S is able to build a community around their brand and establish themselves as a trusted authority in the pet food industry.

Mia’s approach to marketing is also influenced by her academic background in sociology, where she studied systems theory and the concept of complexity reduction. By applying these principles to marketing, she is able to develop effective strategies for communicating complex ideas to customers and building trust with them.

Creating Engaging Content

For example, BARFER’S uses a three-step process to create content, which involves a team member creating the content, a nutrition expert checking the facts, and a team member who is a real pet owner reviewing the content to ensure it is understandable and relatable. This approach helps to reduce complexity and ensure that the content is relevant and engaging to customers.

BARFER’S success on TikTok is due to the effectiveness of this approach. By using formats like meal prep videos and “what I eat in a day” videos, BARFER’S is able to explain complex topics in a simple and engaging way, and build a community around their brand.

One of the key challenges that BARFER’S faces is the “curse of knowledge,” where experts know so much about a topic that they explain it too deeply.

This approach has been well-received by customers, who appreciate the convenience and simplicity of the product.

The company’s use of voucher codes and in-person sales also helped to drive sales and build customer loyalty.