Pet
Food
Review

The Pet Owner - Your Profile?

You might be interested to see how the pet food industry sees you, and might be trying to exploit you! The following information comes from surveys undertaken by NOP/Mintel in 2004, but I'm sure it is just as relevant today.

One of the family

Three out of four owners view their animal as one of the family, while two out of three reckon they are ‘great company’. This underlines the important role a dog or cat occupies within the family unit and the fact that they are seen as being another person to be given affection, respect, fed and taken care of.

Around half of all owners agree that pets are a big responsibility, suggesting that for many pet ownership is not treated flippantly but is approached with care and planning.

Just under four in ten pet owners say that a house isn’t a home without a pet, reflecting the importance of pets. In addition, almost a third of owners enjoy spoiling their pets, something which bodes well for sales of premium dog and cat food and treats. This willingness to splash out on pets is probably also due to the fact that a fifth of owners feel bad about leaving their pet alone all day and may therefore spend more money on them to assuage their guilt.

Women are markedly more inclined than men to view pets as a member of the family, suggesting that they may feel more responsibility towards the animal. In addition, owners from the least affluent D and E groups show the strongest tendency to agree. However, owners who treat their pets as a member of the family are more likely to be readers of a popular tabloid newspaper. Owners who feel bad about leaving their pet alone all day are mainly from Scotland and the ACORN Aspiring groups, reflecting the fact that they are most likely to view pets as being a member of their family.

• This group of consumers can be targeted with developments in the cat and dog food sectors that mirror those seen in the human food market. There is a gap in the market to introduce new brands that perhaps portray dog and cat food as a reflection of human food - bearing in mind the earlier findings pointing towards DEs being keen to try out new brands. The fact that for this group of consumers, their pet is ‘one of the family’ can be mirrored in the marketing approach to cat and dog food aimed at this group.

• It is also worth noting that dog ownership is more prominent among DEs, therefore, initiatives aimed at this group would be more successful in the dog food segment.

The Middle Aged Pet Owner

Pet owners who agree that pets are great company are most prevalent among the 45-64 age range, a view most strongly shared by people from the AB and D socio-economic categories. Owners who love to spoil their pet and believe that a house isn’t a home without a pet tend to be female and are mainly aged 55 and over and from the less-well off DE socio-economic group. Readers of mid-market tabloid newspapers are most inclined to see their animals as being great company, to agree that a house isn’t a home without one and also to spoil their pets.

• Women over 55, in the DE socio-economic group are a very hot target for marketeers, as they are more likely than not prepared to indulge their pets. Products such as treats, cat milk, dog drinks, individual servings and ‘seasonal specialities’ such as Christmas-themed cat and dog food are likely to be very popular with these consumers.

• The best channel to communicate to these consumers are mid-market tabloids - it would perhaps make sense to print money-off coupons for the type of products mentioned above - or even better, to offer ‘membership’ of ‘pet clubs’ in order to obtain a direct communication channel to these consumers

Senior Pet Owners

Pet owners from the Third Age category, along with those with no children under 15, are most likely to view their pet as a member of their family, to think of them as being great company and to believe that a house isn’t a home without one. One-person households under 65 are also a key group when it comes to enjoy spoiling their pets, probably because their pet is a much-loved companion to them.

Pet owners who feel bad about leaving their pet alone tend to be 15-19s and 55-64s. The most guilty-feeling people are those from the C1 bracket. Those who are guilty about leaving their animal at home all day are more likely to be popular tabloid readers. However, it is the older and less well-off pet owner who is most inclined to take their pet everywhere with them, highlighting the fact that the animal is viewed as a much-valued companion. Consumers from the ACORN Thriving category are most inclined to take their pet with them everywhere they go - suggesting that this group’s affluence means that they have access to pet-friendly transport such as a large car suitable for carrying dogs and/or cats.

• The fact that these groups have no children under 16 suggests that they view their pets as child-substitutes, and appear to be besotted with their pets. They feel guilty about leaving their pets on their own, and among the older group and the lower echelons of the socio-economic scale, they tend to take their pet with them everywhere.
  

• There is an opportunity to target this group in a two-way approach. Treats and ‘special’ foods can be targeted at those feeling guilty, whereas mini-versions of certain foods can be targeted at those who tend to take their pets everywhere with them. Packaging and product developments such as ease of opening, resealable packets, and, bearing in mind that these consumers tend to be older, easy-to-pour and easy-to-open packaging with big print for ease of reading are likely to appeal to this group.

Worries about the cost of pet ownership

Men worry more than women about the fact that having pets can prove to be quite expensive. This view is also most prevalent among owners from the better-off AB socio-economic group who, although they can most afford it, are concerned about the expense. Respondents in the 45-54 age group also baulk at the expense. Pet owners from the pre-/no family brackets are most likely to believe keeping a pet is quite expensive and to feel guilty about leaving their pet alone all day. Scottish pet owners and those from the East Anglia/Midlands region are most anxious about the expense of keeping pets. This is also an issue for pet owners from the most affluent ACORN Thriving category, who ironically, are in the best position to afford it.

• This may be due to the fact that these owners are likely to be more educated about nutritional needs and therefore may spend more on feeding their dog or cat. The best marketing approach to reach these consumers is probably to point out the cost savings of bulk buying pet food - this could be done through direct mailings aimed at Scotland, East Anglia and Midlands, focused on the ACORN A - Thriving neighbourhoods.

Source: NOP/Mintel