NEW RESEARCH REVEALS TRADITIONAL ADVERTISING DRIVES MORE PET PRODUCT/BRAND DISCOVERY THAN ANY OTHER MARKETING CHANNEL
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FWV Fetching-commissioned survey finds 40% of pet parents use channels such as print, radio or TV to find information
RALEIGH, N.C. (Aug. 2, 2023) — Two in five (40%) pet parents in the U.S. report using traditional advertising, including channels like print, radio or television, to get information about pet products and brands. This is according to a survey of nearly 1,500 U.S. pet parents (defined as those who own any type of pet) commissioned by FWV Fetching, the division of French/West/Vaughan (FWV) dedicated to pet and animal health PR/marketing, and conducted online by The Harris Poll.
According to the survey, pet parents more likely to use traditional advertising are ages 45 – 54 (46% vs. 36% ages 18 – 34) and those living in the Northeast (46% vs. 34% in the West). Traditional advertising was followed by review sites and digital advertising at 29% and 24%, respectively, when it comes to driving pet product/brand discovery.
Additional survey findings include:
- About one in five pet parents use human (22%) or pet (19%) social media influencer pages to discover pet products/brands.
- Younger pet parents, ages 18 – 34, are about twice as likely as their older counterparts, ages 35+, to use human (37% vs. 15%) or pet (30% vs. 15%) social media influencer pages to discover pet products/brands.
- Older pet parents, ages 55+, are the least likely age group to use digital advertising (15% vs. 33% ages 18 – 34, 30% ages 35 – 44, 21% ages 45 – 54) and official product or company social media pages (9% vs. 27% ages 18 – 34, 20% ages 35 – 44, 16% ages 45 – 54) to discover pet products/brands.
- Only 14% of pet parents say they do not use any marketing channels to discover pet products/brands.
“Although the pet products and marketing industries have both evolved and transformed in response to new technologies, tools and digital offerings in recent years, our research shows that some of our tried-and-true methods of reaching consumers are still relevant for a majority of pet owners,” said FWV Fetching Founder and current special counsel Kristen Levine. “That said, as older generations age of out of pet ownership, it will be critical for members of the pet care community and their marketing partners to utilize and prioritize the channels younger generations are frequenting, like human and pet social media influencers, for example.”
Founded in 2003, FWV Fetching was the nation’s first agency dedicated exclusively to pet and animal health clients and is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. FWV acquired FWV Fetching in 2017. The division continues to reinforce its leadership role in the industry, with its current client roster including the American Pet Products Association (APPA) and the association’s Global Pet Expo, and the North American Veterinary Community’s VMX. Today, with the multi-disciplinary capabilities of FWV, FWV Fetching brings a comprehensive array of integrated marketing services to clients both directly and indirectly involved in the $136+ billion pet care community.
This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by The Harris Poll on behalf of FWV Fetching from June 28 – 30, 2023, among 1,493 U.S. adults ages 18 and older who are pet owners. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.9 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Leah Markham at LMarkham@fwv-us.com.