Everything you need to know about pet marketing
Anyone who owns a pet knows they’re much more than an animal. They’re stress-relievers, caregivers and, to many, another essential part of the family. The power of pets isn’t just well-known to those who own them though. With a huge range of animals becoming part of the pet marketing industry, brands are standing up and taking notice.
Big brands are constantly on the lookout for the next big furry, funny or alternative pet to market their products – and your pet could be one of them! In this article, our experts discuss what pet marketing is, why it’s growing and how your pet could get involved in the industry.
What is pet marketing?
Pet marketing is when brands use animals to promote their products. Initially, only businesses selling pet accessories, food and healthcare used animals in their marketing campaigns. However, with 92% of pet owners believing the UK is a nation of animal lovers, brands of all kinds are now using pets as part of their product marketing strategy.
Whether they’re a high-end fashion brand that wants to add the cool, exotic vibes of a snake, parrot or tiger to their editorial ad, or a supermarket looking to appeal to all the family in their TV slot – pet marketing is an industry that’s truly on the up.
Why is pet marketing growing?
With 50 million pets estimated to be in the UK in 2020, the popularity of our animal friends continues to grow. This doesn’t just mean there’s potential for businesses in the UK pet industry, but for a wide range of brands looking to take inspiration from pet industry marketing.
The strength of the ‘pet pound’ cannot be undervalued. It’s estimated that £2.1 billion will be spent on pet care and services by 2023. However, this doesn’t just mean spending on essentials such as food, beds and healthcare. Technology and fashion trends have led to the development of a huge range of pet accessories, from self-cleaning cat litter boxes to wearable GPS pet trackers.
This continuous growth has seen unexpected brands take advantage of pet popularity, with dogs, cats and other animals being used to promote new hotel pet menus and interactive games consoles. Social media has also contributed to the growth, with the most popular Instagram animal influencers earning around $32,045 per post.
Anyone who’s ever seen Churchill the Nodding Dog or Cadbury’s Gorilla adverts knows the emotional power pets can bring to marketing campaigns. Now, big brands are starting to understand how including pets can add real financial, as well as emotional, value to their marketing campaigns.
How do brands promote products using pets?
Ever since the first Andrex puppy appeared on our screens in 1972, pets have become stars in TV, editorial and, more recently, social media and digital adverts. At Urban Paws, we work with a huge range of brands to find the right animal star to become the face of their products.
From financial businesses such as Royal London to supermarkets like Aldi, our pet stars have brought the friendly, fun or fashionable touch these brands were looking to add to their marketing campaigns.
As well as adverts, pet affiliate marketing on social media has become a popular method for both brands and celebrities to increase their exposure and grow their following. With the most successful pet influencers promoting their favourite products and celebrities to their thousands or millions of followers. Including pet stars such as Juke and Django in their video saw KSI and Craig David immediately increase their awareness and following by thousands. As did Barefoot Wine’s social media campaign collaboration with Princess Lola. By showcasing their pet’s personality on social media, owners can start to build their own value through their followers and brand or celebrity affiliations.
Turning pets into marketing stars
Whether you’re a brand looking to find the perfect animal character for your next marketing campaign or a pet owner wanting to get your animal into pet product marketing, then the Urban Paws team can help.
Our years of industry experience and huge range of talented animal stars means we can help brands find the perfect pet for their adverts, editorials or digital campaigns. We work closely with both industry professionals and owners to make sure the pet perfectly meets your brief and is calm and well-trained on set.
Similarly, we work with owners to make sure their pet’s talents are celebrated and promoted to the fullest. We also have a qualified team of handlers who make each pet’s welfare a top priority while they’re working on set.
By using our experience and knowledge to connect pets and brands together, we don’t just help companies to promote their products successfully, but ensure that all our pet stars and clients have a positive experience of the pet marketing industry.
