SALT LAKE CITY — As a relative newcomer to the pet industry, Nicole Sumner had no idea how much passion she’d encounter in the pet industry and just how fun educating pet parents about dog food could be. As the brand director at Ollie, a personalized, fresh, human-grade dog food brand, Sumner is helping her team communicate the science-backed benefits of the brand’s customized nutrition.

“We care about communicating transparently with our members about our quality standards, the rigorous safety protocols we adhere to, and tracking the real experiences that dogs have over time on our food,” she said. 

In the following Q&A, Sumner shares what she’s learned since joining the pet food industry three years ago, including how the ongoing push for humanization is guiding pet nutrition throughout the industry and at Ollie.

PFP: How did you get your start in the pet industry, and how did that experience lead you to where you are now?

Sumner: Ollie is my first role working in the pet industry. It’s been such a fun transition for me. Previously I worked in the outdoor industry at Backcountry and at an advertising agency before that working with tech, retail, and food and beverage brands. An interesting parallel that I realized over time is that outdoor industry marketing is strongly rooted in passion and a shared sense of community, the same holds true in the pet industry. We’re connected to each other and our customers by a shared love for our pets and a desire to give them the best life possible. 

PFP: What has been your biggest challenge — personal or professional — related to your work in the pet industry?

Sumner: At Ollie, we often say that we have two customers, the dog and the dog parent. For this reason, we’re always thinking about how to frame the benefits of our fresh food for the dog itself, whether they’re a picky eater or overweight, as well as the dog parent and what factors are most important to them when choosing a new dog food. Merging these two important perspectives into a singular marketing strategy has been a challenge at times, ensuring we always put the dog’s needs first but build our overall member experience in a way that makes the dog parent’s life easier and worry-free. 

The dog itself is at the heart of everything we do, but the human is making the purchasing decisions and the dog can’t speak or advocate for itself or tell you what it wants or needs. So, it has been a challenge, from a marketing perspective, to blend those two into a cohesive strategy.

PFP: Tell me about a professional accomplishment in the pet industry that you are proud of.

Sumner: Last summer, Ollie launched a limited-edition dog ice cream with Van Leeuwen. This partnership was met with a really positive response from our members and generated a lot of media coverage. We used customer insights to determine that our members wanted an ice cream treat for their dogs, and we leaned into the strengths of both brands to make a delicious recipe out of whole, high-quality ingredients. Reading the positive reviews and seeing all the happy dogs eating our ice cream was really the cherry on top. 

PFP: What is top of mind for you and/or your business in the industry right now?

Sumner: We’re focused on providing the most effective fresh food, with proven positive health outcomes, using the best ingredients. We are able to communicate clearly about the true value and benefit of our products, whether that’s proven outcomes related to weight management or skin and coat. A lot of brands claim that their food improves your dog’s digestion, but we’re really dialing in to the science-backed aspect of that. And being on the marketing side, I’m excited to have access to data like that. We care about communicating transparently with our members about our quality standards, the rigorous safety protocols we adhere to, and tracking the real experiences that dogs have over time on our food. 

PFP: If you could pick three trends influencing the industry today, which are the most important and why?

Sumner: Humanization, an increased focus on overall health and wellness, and demand for natural products with strict ingredient standards. Pet parents are savvy and they read labels in the same way they do for their own food. They care about the quality of the ingredients in their dog’s food, and they’re aware of how preventative health factors, such as maintaining a healthy weight, can have major implications for their dog’s overall health, happiness and longevity. I think all of those things coming together is really important and puts Ollie and a lot of other brands on the map to be able to innovate and expand on what it means to provide your dog with a well-balanced, healthy and happy life.

PFP: What is something about the pet industry that people outside of the industry may not realize?

“We have the privilege of making content that educates, entertains and inspires action among dog people,” said Nicole Sumner of Ollie.

Sumner: The pet industry is so special. It’s filled with talented people who are passionate about creating great products to improve the lives of animals. For my team in particular, we have the privilege of making content that educates, entertains and inspires action among dog people, so no matter what challenge we’re facing or problem we’re trying to solve, we have a lot of fun together. 

PFP: What advice would you give to other women in this industry?

Sumner: There’s so much opportunity for career growth and development in this industry — get to know your peers and leaders and learn what interests you most. Ask questions, build relationships, raise your hand for stretch projects to expose you to new areas of the business and better prepare you for your next role, whether that’s in your current department or another. 

PFP: Just for fun, do you consider yourself a dog person or a cat person? And, if you have pets of your own, tell us a little bit about them. 

Sumner: I am a dog person. I think I would also be a cat person if I wasn’t so allergic unfortunately, but I’ve always had dogs. I’m lucky to have a playful and lovable Corgi mix named Reuben. I have two young kids and he’s just been a really good addition to our family where he’s high energy but he does really well with the kids. He loves to run and hike and play with other dogs, as well as cuddle with the whole family on the couch. He’s brought so much joy to our household.

Nicole Sumner is the brand director at Ollie, a healthy, personalized meal plan for dogs. An experienced integrated marketer and community builder, she leads product marketing, social media, ambassadors, editorial content, partnerships and PR, with the goal of spreading the word about the meaningful benefits of superior nutrition for dogs. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration – Marketing from the University of Southern California. Sumner resides in Salt Lake City with her husband Ben, two spirited young children, and high energy Corgi mix Reuben, where she loves to ski, mountain bike, camp and hike as often as possible.

Continue reading about other female leaders featured in our Women in the Pet Industry series.