A recent survey showed half of all American pet owners considered their pets as much a part of the family as any other member in the household; while another 36% said their pet is part of the family but not a full member. As a marketer, this says to me that while pets aren’t the “decision-makers”, for some they are “decision-influencers.”Some more stats that confirm pets are big business:
- Collectively, American’s spend about $35.9 billion on their pets each year.
- As of five years ago, there were more pets than people in the US: 377.8 million pets to 290 million people.
For many pet owners, their animals are a vital part of their life. And marketers can play on that emotional connection, even if their brand isn’t directly related to cats or dogs.
- Use messages that resonate with pet owners and clearly fit with your brand, products or services. These types of messages will catch the eye of a pet lover and may make them more inclined to buy what you are selling.
- Find ways to intersect your products with pets. One custom homebuilder started offering custom pet showers as an add-on for their homes, and the interest was overwhelming.
- Create a brand extension for pets, like the Harley Davidson’s and Gucci’s of the world have done. There may be ways for you to extend your brand to help pet owners pamper their animals.
- Initiate social encounters, like a Doggy Meet and Greet at a place of business or outside of “the office”. Providing owners with an opportunity to meet-up with other animal lovers will help to generate goodwill toward your brand.
At the end of they day, dogs and cats are more than just animals, they are an extension of one’s family. My dog and cat are part of our family…and they return the love everyday with their excitement for my arrival and many kisses!
What do you do for your animals to pamper them? Do you consider them to be a part of your family?
