Beneful facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Pet food |
| Founded | 2001 |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
| Products | Dog food |
| Owner | Nestlé Purina PetCare |
Beneful is a popular brand of dog food. It is made by Nestlé Purina PetCare, a big company that makes pet products around the world. Beneful offers different types of dog food, including wet food, dry food, and tasty treats.
In 2012, Beneful was one of the top dog food brands. It earned a lot of money each year, showing how many people chose it for their pets. It is an important brand for Nestlé Purina.
Contents
The Story of Beneful
How Beneful Started
The Beneful dog food brand first came out in 2001. It was special because it focused on both good nutrition and how it looked. The food was made to look like a hearty stew, even with pieces that looked like beef.
A company spokesperson once said that the name "Beneful" means "full of goodness." When it launched, Nestlé Purina spent a lot of money on TV ads for Beneful. This was the biggest ad campaign the company had ever done at that time. By 2006, Beneful was making hundreds of millions of dollars in sales.
New Ideas and Fun Ads
In 2010, Beneful tried to make its dog food seem more like human food. They launched a new product called IncrediBites. This food came in special packaging to keep it fresh. It also had smaller pieces, which was good for smaller dogs.
Beneful has also created some very creative ads. In Germany, they put up posters that actually smelled like dog food to get dogs' attention! In 2011, they aired TV ads in Austria that used high-pitched sounds. Only dogs could hear these sounds, hoping to get a reaction from pets watching with their owners.
Interactive Fun for Dog Lovers
In May 2012, Beneful put up interactive billboards in New York City subway stations. These billboards let people play a virtual game of fetch! You could even customize the dogs on the screen. The virtual dogs would follow people passing by to get them to play. These fun billboards were also set up in other big cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.
Beneful also hosts a yearly contest called the Beneful Dream Dog Park Contest. In this contest, people send in their ideas for new or improved dog parks. The winner gets a lot of money to help build their dream park. For example, in 2013, over 1,000 ideas were sent in for a chance to win $500,000 for a park renovation. This program has helped create new dog parks in places like Johns Creek, Georgia and Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
What Kinds of Products Does Beneful Make?
Beneful makes many different kinds of food just for dogs. Their products include dry kibble, wet or canned food, and various dog snacks.
In 2005, Beneful added the Healthy Harvest product line. This was their first dry dog food that used soy as the main protein source instead of meat. Then, in 2006, they introduced Beneful Prepared Meals. These meals came in eight different flavors. The packaging was special because the containers could also be used as a dog food bowl. This clever packaging even won an award in 2007!
