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Building a Premium Pet Brand: The Marketing Strategy Behind Maev’s Rapid Growth

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How does a raw dog food startup go from wheat-pasted posters in New York City to becoming one of the fastest-growing premium pet brands in the U.S.?

It’s not about luck or a single viral moment—it’s about strategy. 

Maev’s rapid success comes from a mix of emotional branding, operational precision, and the ability to scale with digital marketing. This brand, who’s positioned where pet wellness meets modern customer values, was able to combine grassroots community building with data-driven marketing for a brilliant strategy we can all learn from.

Let’s break it down!

1. Get attention with guerrilla marketing

In the beginning, Maev made a big splash with a small budget. 

They used guerrilla marketing to introduce the brand. Think wheat-pasted posters in high-traffic, dog-friendly areas of New York City. Simple, bold, and designed to capture attention, these posters created a buzz that spread quickly, particularly among dog owners in the city.

This grassroots approach wasn’t just about visibility, it was about starting a conversation. By placing ads in places where pet parents already gathered, Maev connected with its core audience right away.

Early on, these guerrilla campaigns helped Maev acquire its first 50 customers before any digital advertising, proving that scrappy, attention-grabbing tactics can seed long-term growth.

2. Scale with data-driven insights

Once the brand had established itself locally, Maev took the next step by scaling through data-driven marketing. 

With a solid foundation of loyal customers, they focused on performance marketing, leveraging platforms like Facebook and Google to maximize reach and efficiency.

Maev advertises

A/B testing became central to this strategy. By experimenting with different messaging, creative formats, and audience segments, Maev discovered the combinations that generated the best results. 

Google ads by Maev

This iterative approach allowed the company to expand its customer base efficiently without wasting resources.

Email marketing was another key growth lever. Rather than sending generic campaigns, Maev used real customer feedback and insights to craft personalized messages tailored to their audience’s needs and interests. 

Maev relies on email marketing

Open rates were strong, aided by subject lines averaging ~33 characters and occasional use of emojis like 🐶 👀 💯 🤩. 

These personalized emails not only drove sales but also strengthened customer loyalty and improved the overall sales funnel.

By combining performance marketing, careful testing, and personalized communication, Maev scaled quickly while maintaining the boutique, human touch that set the brand apart.

3. Create connection with the audience

Maev excels at speaking to modern pet owners, especially millennials who treat dogs as family. Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok became tools for:

  • educating about pet wellness,
  • sharing customer stories, and
  • showcasing transparency in sourcing and nutrition.

Maev’s brand goes beyond products, telling a story of health, care, and trust. This emotional resonance builds community loyalty, positioning the company as a movement toward better pet nutrition rather than just a food brand.

4. Leverage influencer and affiliate marketing

Maev expands its reach through carefully chosen partnerships, turning both influencer collaborations and affiliate programs into powerful growth engines.

The brand works with a wide range of pet influencers—from passionate dog owners with niche followings to celebrities with massive audiences—who share authentic, relatable content, such as unboxing videos, feeding routines, and pet health tips featuring Maev products.

Maev also runs a curated affiliate program, partnering with bloggers, veterinarians, pet trainers, and lifestyle content creators, offering up to $35 per sale with a 30-day cookie. 

These affiliates produce in-depth reviews, practical guides, and educational content, emphasizing Maev’s benefits, values, and commitment to pet wellness.

@jesskiddinggg Petey gets SO excited for his food every morning 🥹🫶🏼🐾 @meetmaev #rawfooddiet #australianshepherd ♬ Roxanne - Instrumental - Califa Azul

This dual approach allows Maev to reach highly engaged, targeted communities while keeping a personal, trustworthy voice. They turn each partnership into part of a powerful growth engine that amplifies the brand while keeping things authentic.

5. Build strategic partnerships for growth

Corporate partnerships also played a crucial role in Maev’s ability to scale. 

One of the biggest moves the company made was partnering with Chewy, one of the largest online pet retailers. 

This partnership helped Maev reach a much broader audience while tapping into the credibility and trust that Chewy already had with pet owners.

Being sold on a respected platform like Chewy also made it easier for Maev to penetrate markets outside of its initial customer base. 

By leveraging this established retailer, Maev was able to grow its reach quickly and gain significant visibility without having to manage physical retail locations.

6. Optimize the digital experience

A premium product deserves a premium customer experience, and Maev has ensured its digital presence reflects that. 

The website is designed with simplicity and ease-of-use in mind, providing visitors with an intuitive, seamless journey from browsing to purchase. 

Maev's website is very well thought out. Minimalist, yet compelling.

Given that many shoppers browse and shop from their smartphones, Maev’s website is fully optimized for mobile. 

The site loads fast, features effortless navigation, and has a checkout process that minimizes friction.

Maev's website is fully optimized for mobile devices.

But Maev’s commitment to optimizing the user experience goes beyond functionality. 

The website is also optimized for SEO, ensuring it ranks well in search results for valuable keywords related to pet nutrition and raw dog food. 

By focusing on high-value search terms and creating relevant, informative content, Maev not only educates their audience but also drives organic traffic to the site. 

Maev also uses a multi-step popup to capture leads: first, they request an email address in exchange for a discount or exclusive content. 

Then, the popup prompts visitors to sign up for SMS notifications for further offers. This strategy helps build their email and SMS lists for more personalized communication. 

In the second step, Maev asks for the phone number.

The popup is timed to appear at the right moment, ensuring it doesn’t feel intrusive or disrupt the user experience.

The last page of Maev's multi-step popup

Maev’s product pages are designed to make the decision to buy as easy and reassuring as possible. 

Each product page highlights key information about the raw dog food, including ingredients, nutritional benefits, and feeding guidelines, helping pet owners feel confident about what they’re feeding their dogs. 

Structure of Maev's product page

The pages also integrate subscription options directly, encouraging recurring orders while keeping the shopping experience seamless.

Takeaway

Maev’s marketing success can’t be attributed to one single thing. It’s all about the smart combination of:

  • attention-grabbing “guerilla” tactics,
  • performance-driven digital campaigns with A/B testing,
  • a deep personal connection with early customers,
  • influencer and affiliate programs that amplify reach authentically, and 
  • strategic partnerships and a premium digital experience.

This mix has allowed Maev to scale rapidly while staying credible, authentic, and deeply tuned into its audience.

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Looking for more marketing breakdowns? Check out these articles:

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Anna Varga

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