In a world where technology continually advances, our beloved pets remain dependent on the care of their human companions for their every need. As pet care brands seek effective ways to reach their audience, they’ve discovered that the most effective strategy is connecting with the devoted pet parents who treat their furry friends as cherished family members. Enter the era of pet creator marketing—a captivating pathway for brands to forge genuine connections and thrive in the hearts of pet owners.
BIG BUCKS
While many pets may be small enough to fit in their humans’ laps, the pet care market is huge.
Globally, Fortune Business Insights estimated the market at $235.32 billion in 2022, projecting growth to $246.66 billion this year and $368.88 billion by 2030.
And according to the American Pet Products Association, $136.8 billion was spent on pets in the U.S. last year.
Dogs and cats account for the lion’s share of pets in U.S. households, at 65.1 million and 46.5 million, respectively. The APPA also broke out pet ownership in the U.S. by demographic, with millennials topping the list at 33%, followed by Generation X (25%), baby boomers (24%), Generation Z (16%), and builders (2%).
WHERE CREATORS FIT IN
Pet owners are focused on goods and services that ensure the health and happiness of their pets, but how can brands stand out in an increasingly competitive market? Here’s where the effectiveness of pets in creator marketing can come to the rescue.
Creators can help brands develop a consistent voice, across multiple platforms, fostering connections with pet owners, and brands can take advantage of the fact that, according to a recent study from Oracle and CRM Essentials, 37% of consumers trust recommendations from creators more than run-of-the-mill advertising.
Brands can rely on creators to use their powers of storytelling, showing their pets enjoying food, treats, toys, and other products, rather than just talking about them.
There are several different ways to approach creator campaigns, in the pet products sector and in all industries.
TRIED AND TRUE
Mars Petcare enlisted 26 creators who produced 69 total pieces of content on Instagram and TikTok backing its Cesar, Greenies, Mars Petcare US, Pedigree, and Temptations brands.
The bulk of the content featured creators interacting with their pets at home, and Mars Petcare also included activations tied to holidays, as well as specific days and times of year, like summer vacation.
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One creator involved in the campaign told Open Influence, “The key factor that made this campaign a success is the relatability of the content. People could connect with the topic of dogs and work-life balance. A lot of our followers are working professionals with dogs, so the content was a great fit.”
AT THE JOB SITE
Mars Petcare’s Cesar brand moved outside of the home and to the office—or, in some cases, the home office—for its Take Your Dog to Work Day campaign, which gave users the chance to win a $10 gift card and two Wholesome Bowls, at the same time raising awareness of the brand’s Cesar Workplace grants, geared toward making places more dog-friendly.
Three creators were behind 16 total pieces of content on Instagram and TikTok. The content featuring creators and their dogs working from home performed especially well, with so many younger professionals engaging in remote work, as well as creators being able to fully express themselves outside of the confines of a traditional corporate workspace.
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One creator involved in the campaign told Open Influence, “The key factor that made this campaign a success is the relatability of the content. People could connect with the topic of dogs and work-life balance. A lot of our followers are working professionals with dogs, so the content was a great fit.”
TO THE STORE
Healthy pet food brand Stella & Chewy’s turned to dog influencers and cat influencers on Instagram to raise awareness of its recently completed “Petfluencer Contest,” designed to drive traffic to its preferred “Red Door Retailers.”
Branded displays in the brand’s Red Door Retailers contained QR codes, which shoppers could scan to enter the contest by uploading photos of “pets in their unfiltered, unapologetically quirky moments, not formal portraits,” as well as contact information, and five winners were chosen (one in Canada, four in the U.S.).
Four semifinalists received a prize pack containing Stella & Chewy’s product and swag, while the grand prize winner also got one year’s worth of food for their pet and a photoshoot to feature their pet on digital billboards in eight markets in the U.S.
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EXPERIENTIAL
Stella & Chewy’s is no stranger to working with creators in locations outside of their homes or studios, as evidenced by last year’s experiential marketing event in Atlanta, the Stella & Chewy’s Pet Festival.
Seven creators produced 19 total pieces of content on Instagram and TikTok, and many brought friends and family, in addition to their pets, helping to boost attendance.
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Overall sentiment in the comments was positive regarding both the brand and the event.
STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE
Who says pets can’t be creators? While they need help from humans, as opposable thumbs are required for many tasks on the administrative side, pet influencers can add some bite to campaigns, as well.
Pet creators often draw more engagement than their human counterparts, as engaging with animals helps viewers reduce their blood pressure, lower their anxiety, decrease depression, and increase production of the hormone oxytocin.
And what brand wouldn’t want to be behind all of that?
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Open Influence is a global influencer agency that is dedicated to creating vibrant and relatable creator marketing campaigns. Reach out to us today!
Image in banner courtesy of 101cats/iStock.
