Mardi Larson: PR, Products, and Helping Pets In Need
Jamie talks to Mardi Larson, Senior Director of Consumer, Charitable and Corporate PR at PetSmart, about how public awareness and great news stories help drive better overall pet care and extend the outreach/funding of the PetSmart Charities (which grants more money to directly help pets in need than any other welfare group in North America). Bonus: fun holiday products!
BIO:
Mardi Larson is the Senior Director of Consumer, Charitable and Corporate PR at PetSmart. For two and one-half years now, she has led the team that generates compelling news and buzz-worthy content that results in earned media coverage for PetSmart across pet products and services, such as the ED Ellen DeGeneres new pet brand, exclusively at PetSmart, and the newly launched The Groomery by PetSmart stores, as well as charitable programs for PetSmart Charities and jointly for PetSmart and PetSmart Charities. From Good Morning America and the Today Show, to People Pets, Buzzfeed, Oprah’s O List and Vogue.com, Mardi and the PetSmart PR team work to secure product placements and editorial coverage to drive awareness for PetSmart’s unique products and pet lifestyle innovations to position the omni-channel retailer as the trusted partner to pet parents everywhere.
Mardi loves working in the pet industry. “The mission-driven nature of PetSmart and the trend in the industry toward the humanization of pets make the work tremendously exciting and fun.”