Did you know that an estimated 66 percent of U.S. households own a pet? And those owners are absolutely dropping money on their pets to get the best Pet Care products. A Forbes Advisor survey of more than 5,000 U.S. dog owners found that 41 percent of dog owners spend between $500 and $1,999 a year on their dogs, and 8 percent spend more than $2,000, and that’s just dog owners!
Pet owners also have proven to splurge on their pets for special occasions. According to Petcube, more people (43 percent) plan to buy Valentine’s Day gifts than people who plan to buy them for their significant others (42 percent).
With the Pet Care industry booming, brands should be looking at ways they can enhance their marketing to best reach pet owners. MikMak took a closer look at pet owners’ online shopping habits, and here’s what we found.
Strengthening your Pet Care brand’s website can lead to more conversions
When looking at the media mix for Pet Care brands, social channels see the highest share of Purchase Intent Clicks, or in-market traffic, at 35.2 percent, when compared to other media channel types. This is likely attributed to the amount of media spend brands are placing on social. Display follows social with 28.1 percent of Purchase Intent Clicks, followed by brand websites at 23.1 percent.
However, when looking at Purchase Intent Rates, which measure the rate at which a shopper clicks through to a retailer option from media, brand websites lead the way with a Purchase Intent Rate of 19.8 percent (6.1x the category average). Search follows with a Purchase Intent Rate of 8 percent (2.5x the category average). Meanwhile, social falls slightly below average at 2.6 percent. While social is still a very important part of any brand’s eCommerce strategy, brands that invest in their brand website may see a higher number of conversions.
YouTube is the top social channel for Pet Care brands
When comparing social channels, the MikMak Shopping Index shows that YouTube leads the way for Pet Care brands, driving a 6.6 percent Purchase Intent Rate (2.1x the category average). Facebook also drives an above average Purchase Intent Rate at 3.9 percent (1.2x the category average). In third place, Instagram trails just below average with a Purchase Intent Rate of 1.9 percent.
Google reported that 68 percent of YouTube users are utilizing the platform to inform purchasing decisions; maximizing potential on this platform could be the key to “unleashing” major success for your Pet Care brand. To unlock more potential for your brand on the platform, build eye-catching, informative video ads. For more information on getting the most out of YouTube as a platform, download our recent guide, YouTube Benchmarks and Insights for Multichannel eCommerce Brands.
Amazon is the top retailer for Pet Care brands
While Pet Care shoppers may be discovering and noticing products on YouTube, they’re checking out on Amazon. The MikMak Shopping Index revealed that the major retailer drove 29.3 percent of Purchase Intent Clicks, when compared to the other top five pet retailers. Meanwhile, specialty retailer Chewy was just behind with 28.4 percent of Purchase Intent Clicks. Walmart is third with 21.8 percent. Specialty retailers, Petco and Pet Smart, round out the top five Pet Care retailers with 10.9 and 9.6 percent of Purchase Intent Clicks, respectively.
Most pet owners are Millennials; older generations are slightly more likely to buy online
So what demographics should your brand be marketing to? According to the American Pet Products Association, 33 percent of pet owners are Millennials. Gen X accounts for 25 percent of pet owners, and Gen Z accounts for 16 percent. Meanwhile, the Silent Generation (Ages 78 - 96) accounts for about 2 percent of Pet Owners.
However, the MikMak Shopping Index showed that Purchase Intent Rates for the older generations are actually slightly higher than those for Gen X and younger, meaning that older pet owners might be more inclined to buy online.
Staying close to the data, and knowing how different age groups and demographics are shopping for your brand, can help you carefully target your ads and enhance your marketing strategy. Partnering with an eCommerce analytics software like MikMak can help your brand unlock this data, and help your Pet Care brand better understand its audience segments.
Enabling shoppable media allows consumers to get their “paws” on your product
Creating a seamless shopping experience for customers by enabling media that allows them to shop directly from the ad helps your brand not miss out on sales.
One example of a company that has put this methodology into action is Nutrish. Last year, they featured their Valentine's Day-specific variety pack and made their creative shoppable with MikMak. With this capability, Shoppers can buy this special V-Day gift at their preferred retailer, making for a convenient and hassle-free shopping experience, leaving consumers happy and ready to buy again
In turn, the brand can now quickly see powerful trends and data to enhance its eCommerce strategy, and notice shopping trends from its consumers. To learn more about how your Pet Care brand can also enhance shoppability and unlock valuable data, schedule a demo with MikMak today.
