Pet Care Marketing: How Trends Provide Growth Opportunities
Successful pet care marketing means watching current pet care trends, as pet owner desires and behaviors continue to change fast. An apparent immunity to economic downturns, rapid growth, and a rising share of sales from eCommerce made the pet supply market one of the shining stars of the past year. Still, as Common Share punned, some pet care marketing services still face dog-eat-dog competition as the biggest players capture the lion’s share of business. For just a few examples: PETCO and PetSmart took in almost half of all total revenue in 2019. Amazon penetrated the online market with its own white-label pet products. Large retailers, like Walmart and Target, increased their online presence. Still, plenty of smaller DTC and distributors have pulled off some amazing wins with excellent product development, on-the-nose pet product branding, and catering to hot trends. Look at the top pet product trends from the perspective of a pet care marketing agency to find high-growth opportunities in this expanding market. The latest pet product marketing trends A data technology company called SPINS reported upon the hottest pet trends in 2020. For a general tip about pet product branding, they said that companies that convinced customers they truly cared about pets and their owners had the best chance to thrive in the current environment. Otherwise, these are specific niches that have performed well recently: Natural products: These days, consumers don’t just lean towards choosing natural products for themselves. They also want to provide their pets with wholesome, natural food, toys, supplements, and remedies. As an example, hemp supplements for pet anxiety have grown increasingly popular. Custom products: In addition to offering their furry or feathered friends a more natural diet, pet owners want to choose products specifically tailored for their own pet’s needs. For instance, they may seek different dog food products for puppies or kittens, overweight dogs or cats, or elderly pets. Unique items: Besides custom products like bespoke food, some retailers did well with unique items that caught customer’s attention. Some examples included pet portraits, pet socks, and cute dog beds that look like dollhouse beds. In fact, some IKEA stores had trouble keeping their doll beds in stock because people bought them for their cats and small dogs, even against the company’s advice. Community- or eco-friendly products and packaging: Consumers don’t just want to buy wholesome products for their pets. They also want purchases to contribute to a clean and sustainable environment. Any pet marketing agency can give their brands a boost by using and promoting their sustainable packaging and ingredients. Supporting worthy causes that their customers care about can also catch the attention of a market audience. Better shopping experiences: The rise of large chains and eCommerce doesn’t necessarily keep neighborhood stores or startups in the doghouse. Many pet owners like and use various options, depending upon the situation. Omni-channel marketing with stores, eCommerce, and pickup or delivery can help niche businesses thrive. Examples of successful pet marketing campaigns from smaller companies To spark some inspiration, a pet marketing agency might look at some good examples of startups that successfully launched products. Natural pet food Some smaller pet food businesses gained traction with their high-quality, natural products, a DTC marketing model, delivery, and often, subscription sales. As an example, Ollie delivers vet-approved, customizable, and healthy meals. The Farmer’s Dog offers a meal-delivery plan that starts at only $3 a day. Pet beds Surprisingly, some of today’s popular pet beds come from businesses that gained a reputation for innovation by first making mattresses and bedding for people. These brands include Purple and Casper. This ties into the trend of people looking for the same benefits for their pets they would favor when they buy products for themselves. Dog hygiene Not only do Ethique’s solid shampoo and conditioner bars help reduce packaging waste, the company also uses natural ingredients. Besides marketing these bars to humans, they market the Bow Wow Bar for dogs. According to the company, the PH-balanced, gentle dog shampoo bars can replace three typical bottles of shampoo. A pet product agency perspective on current trends To put it all together, pet products enjoyed a boom in recent years. In particular, online sales have spiked. Even better, forecasts suggest the pet product market hasn’t even matured yet, so there’s plenty of room for growth. It’s true that the major players have benefited the most from this spike. At the same time, some smaller, more innovative companies have found room to profit and grow by paying attention to current trends and satisfying changing customer desires.
Online Pet Marketing During and After the COVID-19 Crisis
Pet marketing in 2020: Consumer confidence may have waned, but pet owners still spend money on their dogs, cats, and other pets. COVID-19 has generated plenty of concerns about health and finances all over the world. This global pandemic may have initially begun when the virus jumped from an animal to a human host. On the plus side, the CDC says that you probably don’t have to worry about pets getting sick or contributing to spreading the disease. Instead of making people leery of keeping pets, the crisis appears to have sparked interest in them. In fact, pet ownership has even increased in the United States during these days of social isolation. Even better for pet product marketing, most sectors of the industry have proven remarkably resilient to past financial downturns. Still, pet industry trends and consumer behavior have changed abruptly during the current crisis. It’s important to understand what’s different about the COVID-19 outbreak than financial slumps of the past. That way, you can develop pet product marketing plans that will attract and retain today’s customers. How has the coronavirus impacted pet marketing? Even before coronavirus, marketers have touted pet product marketing as a typically recession-proof industry. That positive view of the overall pet business held true both during the Great Recession of the last decade and in the aftermath of 9/11 two decades ago. Still, the current pandemic has generated both some new opportunities and new challenges for the pet business. For instance, previous economic downturns did not have associated stay-at-home orders and perhaps, did not occur quite this abruptly. While many retailers and marketers still have plenty of reasons to feel optimistic, others have struggled and may need to pivot their pet marketing plans rapidly in order to maintain and grow their business. Local pet services face the most obstacles The virus has generated the most challenges for local pet services. In particular, locally owned businesses may struggle to survive. Travel restrictions and increased remote work have slashed the need for such services as pet boarding, daycare, and dog walkers. Restrictions on in-person contact have limited dog groomers, even if they’re considered essential businesses. People may delay some other discretionary services as they tighten their purse strings. On the other hand, one sort of pet service has enjoyed an upswing. According to USA Today, pet shelters and adoption centers have not reported an increase in the number of pets dropped off because owners were either financially unable or too ill to take care of them. Actually, pet shelters have reported an increase in the number of people who have signed up to foster or adopt shelter pets. Because of social distancing measures, people may have decided pets can help them cope with isolation. Others may simply have found more time to care for a furry friend. Also, many shelters and sponsoring agencies have made it possible to reduce or even eliminate adoption fees. Probably for multiple reasons, expect to see pet ownership increase and not decrease during the coronavirus outbreak. Local retailers must take safety measures and find alternative business tactics Most of the government stay-at-home orders consider pet stores an essential business. That means that they can stay open, even when non-essential businesses have had to close. At the same time, they’ve generally had to take more stringent safety measures to satisfy local regulations and of course, to keep their customers and employees safe. For instance, stores might limit foot traffic, have employees use PPE, and offer curbside service or new delivery options. Keven Fink serves as the CEO of Worldwide, a pet products manufacturer. He said that many of his company’s local retailers should have prepared themselves better by leaning into online retailing a little more. He believes they should take advantage of their community presence by offering more online ordering with local pickup. In this way, customers still won’t need to pay a shipping charge. Still, they can enjoy the convenience of contact-free payments, online ordering, and in many cases, same-day pickup. Traditionally, this model has served other types of retailers with physical stores very well. In addition to other marketing, physical stores could better position themselves by adding online pet supply marketing to their existing advertising. How to benefit from the rise of online pet supply marketing Pet industry marketers will face challenges both during and shortly after the outbreak. Compared to an original project increase of five percent for 2020, the marketing research firm Packaged Facts predicts an overall 17 percent decline for the year. Most of that decline comes to a drop in such pet services as boarding, dog walking, and pet daycare services. Travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders mean that more people won’t need this kind of help. Packaged Facts also expects a somewhat more modest decline in other discretionary services and products but an increase in sales of such non-discretionary pet products as food and litter. Along with obstacles, marketers can also find some growth opportunities. Online pet supply marketing already enjoyed steady growth before the outbreak. Mobile and online sales have been surging for all sorts of eCommerce. Pet product retailers and marketers should take this as good news because historically, online sales have tended to grow the overall market instead of cannibalizing other retail sales. Packaged Facts expects online sales to reach at least 24 percent of total industry sales in 2020 and grow to over 26 percent within five years. Choosing an online platform Larger retailers and distributors may already have their own eCommerce platform. Other pet product marketers may simply take advantage of the vast audience and developed infrastructure that Amazon already offers them. If a pet product supplier has a brick-and-mortar store, either option can offer a customer base that extends far beyond their local market. Of course, many sellers have both a presence on Amazon and their own store. Managing both Amazon listings and a business website makes an marketing a bit more complex; however, it can also offer your business many
The Latest and Greatest from the Global Pet Expo
The 2019 Global Pet Expo shined a light on some of the most interesting trends in pet ownership and pet care marketing. Here’s what we learned. If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the world of pets, the Global Pet Expo is a required stop. Much as the famed CES shines a spotlight on the latest consumer electronics offerings, this expo offers a window into the newest trends and products within the pet industry. If you’re in the pet business — or the pet care marketing business — it’s a vitally important date on the calendar. So what did we learn from this year’s “petpreneur” extravaganza? Let’s take a look at the latest products and trends about to capture the imagination of pet lovers everywhere. What pet owners will be buying this year and beyond The Global Pet Expo offers an early look at innovative new pet industry products, and this year was no exception. The multi-day expo featured hundreds of new products designed to address lingering problems within the pet care market. Those products included: Leashes that attach to bicycles, allowing dog owners to “walk” their pets while cycling. Portable water bottles custom designed for a dog’s mouth that offer easy drinking during walks and hikes. Licking pads. These pads can be smeared with peanut butter or any other sticky substance and then used to divert a pet while nails are being trimmed or paws cleaned — a boon for anyone who has ever struggled with a pet who hates nail trimming. Recyclable and compostable bags for cleaning up doggy messes. Crash tested car carriers and harnesses (these operate much like a child safety seat). Tick removal devices that function much more effectively than simple tweezers. Catnip-infused crayons. Neon colored kitty litter. Backpacks designed for portable cat carrying. Product displays are always a good barometer of what’s happening in the pet sector, both in terms of consumer offerings and overall trends. Let’s take a closer look at the pet industry developments shaping 2019 and beyond. What pet owners will see more of in the coming years If you want to predict the future of pet care, simply counting booth types inside the Global Pet Expo offers a rough — but fairly accurate — yardstick. As you might expect, at this year’s event pet-focused CBD offerings were thick on the ground, as were boutique/specialty food and treat purveyors. Additionally, the American Pet Products Association (the sponsor organization of the Global Pet Expo) compiled new research examining emerging trends within the pet industry. Among the most prominent trends cited are: Direct to consumer subscription boxes for pet owners. Pet food composed of human-grade ingredients. Ethically sourced and non-GMO pet food. More pets being kept in the classroom. This trend, which allows teachers to keep small pets for students, is being supported by grant money and charitable donations. Continued expansion of the backyard chicken movement. This practice is more widespread than many realize. According to U.S. Census data, 1% of homes raise backyard chickens and an additional 4% plan to begin doing so within four years. By understanding the role new products and trends play within the industry, brands can perform more accurate audience analysis and create deeply compelling marketing messages for today’s pet owners. Partnering with the right pet care marketing agency If you want to get the most out of your pet care marketing, you need to stay current with evolving industry trends. You also need inspiring creative work, deep sector expertise and advanced technological tools. At BIGEYE, we can help you connect with your ideal market. We can also help with package design, branding, TV production and the entire full service marketing stack. Reach out to us today to learn more about what the right pet care marketing agency can do for you.