(PRESS RELEASE) Wag N’ Wash Natural Pet Food & Grooming, a full-line specialty retail destination for dogs and cats, announced it has appointed franchise industry veteran Kristen Wellen to vice president of marketing.
Wellen began her professional career 13 years ago in franchise marketing and has been working with franchise organizations since. She joins the Wag N’ Wash leadership team with extensive marketing and franchise industry knowledge. In her role, she aims to strengthen the brand’s visibility by bolstering national branding and franchise development messaging as it relates back to the company’s mission — to enhance the quality of life for companion pets and their guardians.
“Before joining the Wag N’ Wash team, I was a regular customer at the Castle Rock store,” Wellen said. “The brand’s vision, improving the lives of companions, has always spoken to me. I am a strong believer the best companies you can work for are brands that you love and are a customer of. Wag N’ Wash has a dedicated team, and I’m thrilled to be joining them in leading efforts to scale the company through branding and franchise marketing.”
Prior to Wag N’ Wash, Wellen worked for WellBiz Brands, the franchisor of wellness, fitness and beauty brands Elements Massage, Fitness Together and FIT36, where she was responsible for shaping brand messaging and supporting the franchise network with their local, regional and co-op marketing efforts. Much of her expertise lies in franchising, including previous marketing roles with franchisors of established brands PostNet and The Little Gym. Through her work, she has developed the ability to take young brands and elevate them by finding unique ways to tap into their brand messaging and translating it to franchise growth.
With support from Wellen, the brand is continuing to push existing franchise operations initiatives, as well as enhance the customer experience. The team is launching a new consumer website, a learning management system to help onboard new franchisees and train new team members. Plus, Wag N’ Wash is exploring POS system improvements to happen this year.
“As we continue our efforts to grow the brand nationally, Kristen couldn’t have joined the Wag N’ Wash team at a better time,” said Rob Flanagan, president of Wag N’ Wash Natural Pet Food & Grooming. “Her wide-ranging franchise industry experience combined with her love for the brand, makes her a significant addition to our leadership team. She will play an important role in strengthening our franchise system in turn helping us reinforce the brand’s reputation as a leader in the natural pet food and grooming industry.”
Since Wag N’ Wash opened its first store in Colorado Springs in 1999, the company is the leading place for pet guardians to find quality goods and services for their pet companions. It is the only pet retailer that offers a self-wash station, full-service grooming, a bakery and pet food.
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