Petzey CMO Ameetess Dira Discusses Marketing Strategy At Brandweek 2026

Ameetess Dira, Chief Marketing Officer of Petzey, an on-demand pet telehealth app, recently spoke at Brandweek 2026, according to Adweek. She discussed the significance of purpose alignment in her career and why she deliberately pushes marketing into product, technology, and finance conversations. This approach, she believes, is essential for the overall health of the business.

Dira's path into marketing has been diverse, crossing broadcasting, radio, print, agency leadership, technology, and international market expansion. Her move into pet health was deeply personal, driven by her experience of losing her senior dog. This personal connection now shapes her approach to marketing, including partnerships and crisis response.

For Dira, purpose alignment is not a nice-to-have, but a non-negotiable requirement. She wants to work with people she trusts enough to do difficult things with, because the work serves something bigger than the individuals involved. This purpose is not a layer applied to marketing after the strategy is done, but the filter that determines whether she wants to do the work in the first place.

Dira also emphasized the importance of looking at underserved problems, which can create stronger brand opportunities than obvious ones. She cited the example of senior dog adoption, which is difficult and expensive, and often ignored by brands. By paying attention to such issues, brands can contribute something useful instead of competing for the same obvious audience.

Marketing, according to Dira, has no business staying in marketing. She deliberately inserts marketing into conversations with product, technology, and finance, as the executive team is her primary team. Everyone around the table is responsible for the overall health of the business, and the CMO who stays inside campaigns and communications is giving up influence before the real decisions are even made.

Dira's approach to marketing is also influenced by her belief that long-term brand trust can matter more than short-term revenue. She cited the example of opening Petzey's platform for free wellness checks during the LA fires, despite the short-term financial logic pointing towards monetizing demand. This decision, she argued, proved what the brand actually stands for, and was more important than hitting the immediate number.

The conversation between Dira and Jenny Rooney, Chief Brand and Community Officer at Adweek, was part of a special vidcast series recorded live during Brandweek 2026. The series was presented in partnership with Tatari, and highlighted the importance of marketing in product, technology, and finance conversations.