Five emerging pet owner behaviours that could reshape the sector

Mindset: The Creative Solutionist

There’s so much info out there, so many new types of tech to explore. And since the cost-of-living crisis started to bite even harder, search engines are showing the evidence of pet owners really starting to get their teeth into it. We call pet owners who exhibit this behaviour the Creative Solutionist.

These creative problem-solvers are spending time overcoming issues that previously they may have just spent money on – whether that’s how to create a more pet-friendly home or how to help a pet in pain. For example, the RSPCA stated that the number of searches for ‘can I give my dog paracetamol’ was 28% higher in May 2022 than it was in April 2020 – and that was when vets were only partly open due to the lockdown.

Online research can bring obvious rewards, but it can also bring risks – particularly when we’re talking DIY health.  As we can see in the above AlsoAsked search, if the right information isn’t easily available to pet owners who are searching for ways to diagnose and medicate their pets, finding and following the wrong advice can lead to a life-threatening situation for the animal, however good the owner’s intentions.

“Whatever question the consumer is asking will likely have an answer displayed on the search engine results page. This is great when the customer is asking for creative ideas or information on a topic which has rich and safe coverage online – but there’s a real risk when someone is searching around a topic that doesn’t benefit from that.”
Sam Bettis, Customer Engagement Director

For both agile brands that act on this quickly and brands that have the authority to be recognised as a trusted source, this shift brings new possibilities. Think about:

•   creating self-help tools – do these need to be monetised, or could they fit within your customer experience in a different way?
•   embracing emerging technologies, such as AI or digital worlds to give help in a new way (and potentially provide passive income too)
•   how you could serve the right support in the right place at the right time.

 If you’re there for pet owners seeking digital support, there’s the potential to improve your brand perception and awareness. If you’re not already working on it, what might a digital transformation roadmap look like for you?

“More and more through this cost-of-living crisis, we’re seeing inadequate information presented in Q&A moments. If brands want to make a difference, now’s the time to make the internet a safer place with better answers to pet owners’ questions and more support for those customers who want to do it themselves.”
Sam Bettis, Customer Engagement Director

Mindset: The Community Champion

Pet owners have used the web to build rich communities over many years. Here they support one another to learn, navigate change and problem-solve – particularly on forums or closed Facebook groups where one-to-one help can be sought.

The Community Champion mindset categorises the trend of pet owners connecting to share and support one another through pet ownership and its challenges – and to create cost efficiencies, prompted in part by the high cost of living.

We’re observing this community-mindedness becoming more of a ‘phygital’ experience, with online and offline communities blending and real-world action happening as a result. Think BorrowMyDoggy and its rise to prominence, and also the increase in second-hand pet goods. Our digital listening has identified conversations about pre-loved pet items going from almost non-existent to a hot topic of 2022.

If pet owners are connecting among themselves, where do brands feature in their community? How can they be seen as more than simply a money-maker or even a distant corporate to become a real, human part of the conversation? And if your products are living a second life with a new owner, how does that impact or influence your strategy?

“For a brand to authentically tap into the success of community, a human-to-human (H2H) approach needs to be adopted, which can be a shift in comparison to existing B2C relationships and tone of voice. To achieve this, there’s a need to break down the wall between business and the consumer by basing activity on real conversations and queries.”
Eleanor Fitzpatrick, Client Partner

Brands that can achieve the ultimate achievement of turning a threat into a benefit could find a new place in the heart of pet owners by becoming part of their community. There’s a lot to think about here, including:

• how do you inject community into your experience in a way that blends digital convenience with real-world impact?
• what about your product or service could make it more marketable to this mindset, and how can you focus on those advantages?
• could pet owner communities form part of a meaningful CSR campaign for your business?

“Digital listening can help us grow our understanding of our customers in real time, enabling us to create ‘of the moment’ activity that’s directly being sought, removing guesswork to create a more direct route to engagement.”
Eleanor Fitzpatrick, Client Partner

Mindset: The Personaliser

Bespoke food. Perfectly sized outfits. Health and wellbeing tracked at every step. It’s all possible with less effort through better UX, and this is driving pet owners towards wanting increased individualism for their pets.

Pet owners with the Personaliser mindset feed uniquely, walk their own route and expect value through personalisation. Providing bespoke experiences for their pet is their way of expressing their care.

Brands are already building on the trend and recognising a pet’s uniqueness. Tably uses AI to find out how a cat is feeling, which can help owners better connect to their pet and support them with what they need. And personalised nutrition brands such as Tails.com create a unique food blend and deliver it in personalised packaging, helping pet owners to feel they’re providing exactly what their individual pet needs.

People with this mindset see their pets as a unique member of the family and want to find more ways to provide personalised care. Brands that clump pets into ‘cats’ or ‘dogs’ as a way of labelling their products or services are likely to lose the engagement of these owners. With improved user experience not only on websites but in IOT technology, wearables and digital worlds, it’s becoming simpler for brands to craft bespoke products and experiences that make providing personalised care for pets even easier.

“Users understand the value exchange of personalisation – providing detailed information about a pet is a step owners are happy to take in return for the right nutrition, exercise and care advice.”
James Matthews, Digital Experience Director

Those brands that can create an individual experience will win the hearts, minds and money of the Personaliser. Fortunately, there are different levels to providing personalisation, from including the pet’s name on a webpage to creating bespoke products.

If you want to attract pet owners with this mindset, consider:

• where and how can your customer experience and tone of voice recognise the uniqueness of each pet (avoiding the use of ‘your cat’ and ‘your dog’ as a catch-all term is a simple starting point)?
• what data can you make use of to bring in greater personalisation – or how can you gather those insights if they’re not already being harvested?
• how can you give pet owners new insights into the type of ‘person’ their pet is? Increasing their understanding could demonstrate the level of expertise your business has in this area.

“Brands that can create a trusted destination for highly relevant content and speak to the motivations of target audiences will make a purchase decision easier. In turn, first-party data allows brands to continually learn and hone the customer experience to become a more important part of the consumer’s (and their pet’s) life.”
James Matthews, Digital Experience Director