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Australian Dog Lover
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The Australian packaged dog food market is currently a $2.3 billion industry. But with over 200 brands fighting for shelf space, who is actually winning? A new 2026 report from Conjointly has tracked the "brand funnel" of the industry—measuring how many people know a brand (Awareness) versus how many actually choose it (Preference).
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| 2026 Australian Dog Food Brand Funnel: Comparing market awareness versus actual brand preference. |
The "Giant" Gap: Pedigree’s Decisive Lead
Pedigree remains the undisputed king of the Australian dog food aisle. It is the only brand that achieves a "towering presence" across every stage of the buying journey:Awareness: 72%.
Consideration: 37%.
Preference: 18%.
No other brand in Australia captures more than 10% preference, making the gap between Pedigree and everyone else "decisive".
One of the most interesting findings isn't who is the biggest, but who is the most efficient. Some brands have lower awareness but a much higher "conversion rate"—meaning if you know them, you probably buy them.
The Efficiency Gap: Fame vs. Preference
The Australian pet food market reveals a sharp divide between "Legacy Giants" who are known by many but chosen by few, and "Efficiency Leaders" who punch well above their weight class.
The Conversion Leaders (High Efficiency)
These brands have mastered the art of turning awareness into loyalty. They don't need to be known by everyone to dominate their segment.
- BlackHawk: The gold standard for efficiency. With only 46% awareness, it captures 9% preference. It effectively matches the pull of Royal Canin with significantly less "noise."
- Nature’s Gift: Another high-performer. It sits at 43% awareness with a solid 7% preference, proving that its brand message resonates deeply with its target audience.
The "Fame without Fans" (Low Efficiency)
These brands suffer from high recognition but low conversion, often due to a lack of perceived value or a failure to evolve with modern pet owner demands.
Brand Awareness (Fame) Preference (Fans) Efficiency Gap
Royal Canin 56% 9% Moderate
Chum 50% 3% High
Hill's Pet Nutrition 45% 4% High
Eukanuba 22% 0.5% Extreme
Chum 50% 3% High
Hill's Pet Nutrition 45% 4% High
Eukanuba 22% 0.5% Extreme
The New Wave: Fresh and Premium
Brands like Lyka (28% awareness) and Eureka (20% awareness) are leading a fresh-food revolution that is beginning to challenge traditional kibble.
Explore the Australian packaged dog food data at:
brandtracker.conjointly.com/australia/packaged-dog-food
Brand Tracker delivers automated brand performance reporting with rigorous, market-representative insights. Australian businesses across industries can now access statistically weighted brand funnel data, including awareness, consideration, purchase intent and preference.
"We built Brand Tracker because traditional brand tracking locked businesses into expensive, inflexible contracts and delivered snapshots long after market conditions shifted," said Nik Samoylov, Founder of Conjointly. "Brand Tracker gives Australian businesses the easy-to-use and easy-to-digest analytics they need to know their brand positioning, brand awareness and more, without requiring a six-figure commitment."
Brand Tracker currently offers Australian businesses free access to detailed public brand data across four industries. For monitoring of your own brand with advanced analytics and real-time dashboards, Priority Access starts from the industry-breaking price of $6,000 per year – a fraction of traditional agency costs. Custom tracking solutions are also available for businesses with specific needs.
