{
  "id": 18698606,
  "title": "How a marketer-turned-CEO helped turn Whisker into a cat-litter empire",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/how-a-marketer-turned-ceo-helped-turn-whisker-into-a-cat-litter-empire",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-07T10:54:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/whisker-ceo-business-marketing-approach-2026-11"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Jacob Zuppke, previously a marketer, has transformed the cat litter brand Whisker into a major business through budget-friendly marketing strategies. The company's high-tech litter boxes, equipped with cameras and AI to monitor cats' habits via an app, have been a significant factor in the company's growth. Before joining Whisker, Zuppke had no prior experience with influencer marketing, but his innovative approach to promoting the self-cleaning litter boxes led to a nearly doubling of sales within a year. Today, Whisker's revenue has surged over fifty-five times to more than $1.5 billion in lifetime sales. Zuppke, now Whisker's president and CEO, emphasizes the importance of maintaining open communication and encouraging employees to voice their opinions. Despite the company's expansion, Zuppke maintains a personal connection with his employees, sending birthday and work anniversary messages and hosting lunch meetings. The company, based in a Detroit suburb, manufactures its products in a Wisconsin warehouse, where rescue cats live and assist in testing new products.",
  "summary": "Whisker's Jacob Zuppke helped turn a self-cleaning litter box into a booming business with creative marketing.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}