In times of stress, our pets can help with stress relief, lessen our anxiety and even lower our blood pressure. We are in unprecedented times right now and more than ever we need our pets.
Forging an emotional connection with pet parents has been the driving force behind PrideBites. Our offices are pet-friendly, we share photos of our pets with one another daily and we use our pets as models for products and prototypes.
In this time of sheltering at home, we are spending more time with our beloved cats, dogs and other pets. They may be a bit disconcerted because of the change in their usual daily routine, but we imagine they are welcoming having access to you all day, every day!
How can you make the most of your time home with your pets to forge an even stronger emotional connection? How can you, as a brand, reach that pet parent and be part of that stronger emotional connection?
How To Forge An Emotional Connection With Pet Parents
Offer tips and advice. Whether you’re a car company, a craft brewery, or a shoe business you can reach out to the pet parents who love your business and offer them some tips. During this time of closed dog parks and remote working, offer ideas on how to entertain a frisky puppy. Share upcoming pet holidays and offer unique ways in which a pet parent can incorporate their dog into the holiday. For example, Easter is coming soon. A pet parent can hide treats for their dog to find during the family Easter egg hunt. Dress the pup up and have him in your Easter family photos.
Do you send out a company newsletter? If so, incorporate a “pet corner” into it. Feature a pet owned by a staff member. Feature a shelter pet who is waiting for his or her forever home. Show your commitment to pets and to your company’s emotional connection to them by featuring them in your advertising and customer conversations.
Get involved. If you and your staff or family have recently adopted a rescue pet, share photos and the pets’ story with your customers. Does your business host pet-centric events or support a local shelter or rescue group? Give that event or group a shout out on your social media and help them get known to a wider community.
Use pet merch in your marketing, as giveaways, in a new-pet-parent adoption pack from a local shelter or let a shelter sell your branded pet merch and keep the profits.
Why should your company look to pet merch? Here are some eye-opening facts:
1. 180 million households in the United States (68%) have pets
2. Spending on pet merch is an $80 million market
3. The growth rate on pet spending has quadrupled in the past twenty years.
How do pet parents spend their money?
1. 60% buy their pet a birthday gift
2. 44% buy their pet a vacation souvenir
3. 67% include their pets on family vacations
4.. 52% buy special meals for their pets
5. Pet parents spend, on average, $140 per month, on their pet
If your business has a commitment to pets and pet causes and if you and your staff have pets, why not offer pet merchandise to your customers. Pet merch will help you forge that emotional connection with pet parents and will strengthen the pet parent’s loyalty to you and your brand.
Contact one of our design specialists if you want to get pet merch that will help your business forge the emotional pet parent connection.