Lily’s Kitchen.

Lily’s Kitchen - From a dog’s only kitchen to a pet utopia

The Brief
Lily's Kitchen needed to expand from dogs to cats without losing their authentic brand essence. Founder Henrietta had nursed her dog Lily back to health with proper nutrition and wanted to extend this philosophy to cats, but feared introducing feline friends might create brand dissonance.

The Strategy (Spine)
I led a six-month workshop programme, assembling a multi-disciplinary team of semioticians and ethnographers to find the brand's true north. After exploring several edgy, campaigning platforms that never felt authentic, we realised the answer was hiding in plain sight – the warm, welcoming Hampstead HQ where pets already lived in harmony.

The Voice (Soul)
We crafted language that transformed Lily's Kitchen from a dog specialist to a pet paradise where both species could coexist peacefully. Rather than positioning cats as interlopers, we created "Lilyland" – a utopian vision where the brand's nurturing ethos extended naturally to all pets.

The Brand Connection (Heart)
Sometimes you just need to open the door and show customers who you really are. The Lily's office – with dogs enjoying Heath walks and snoozing during meetings – became the inspiration for a brand world that felt genuine rather than manufactured, inviting cat owners into an already-established community.

The Impact
The brand successfully expanded to cats without diluting its dog-loving credentials. By creating a unified "utopia" concept rather than separate cat and dog worlds, Lily's Kitchen maintained brand coherence while doubling their potential market. The authentic approach resonated with pet parents of both species.

My Role: Project design, workshop facilitation, multi-disciplinary team leadership, customer research analysis, brand strategy development, collaborative creation of the "Utopia" concept, tone of voice, sample executions including outreach strategies.

In Action
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