The role of petfluencers in the pet marketing boom

Pet ownership is continuing to grow. Both in the US and the UK, millennials are now the generation that owns the most pets, after they recently overtook baby boomers in this role.

This doesn’t just hold opportunities for the pet industry, but for other brands and businesses looking to connect with younger audiences. To connect with this target audience, more brands are making pets the stars of their market, including on social media.

Why is pet marketing growing?

Pets are increasingly becoming an important part of our lives. The pandemic has accelerated this trend, with people spending more time at home and being able to welcome pets into their households. In addition, pet owners are getting younger. A recent survey showed that 78% of 20 to 38-year-olds now had a pet in their household.

This means that pets are now having a greater influence on millennials’ purchasing decisions. Of those surveyed, 49% of 16 to 34-year-olds said that pampering their pet made them happy, 42% said that they think of their pets as their kids and 29% claimed they regularly brought presents for their pet.

As a result, many brands are taking advantage of the influence that pets have on these younger consumers by including them in their marketing, particularly across social media – and that’s where petfluencers come in.

What part do petfluencers play in this growth?

Petinfluencers have been identified as one of the fastest-growing influencer trends on social media. As well as attracting thousands of followers with their unique content and authentic voice, they’re also capturing the attention of big, brands who want to tap into their organic audience.

Whether it’s through product promotions or long-term brand ambassadorships, petfluencers are returning huge levels of engagement, reach and impressions for businesses. By cultivating their own ‘voice’ and maintaining their authenticity, petfluencers are having a significant impact on millennial pet-owning consumers.

How are brands working with petfluencers?

Petinfluencers are creating a range of engaging, interesting and entertaining content with brands. For some inspiration, here’s how some of the top influencers of 2021 are working with their brand partners.

@jiffpom

One of the most successful petfluencers currently on social media, Jiffpom’s 9.9m followers love watching this cute little guy as he goes about his daily adventures. Fans include celebrities like Katy Perry and Ariana Grande both of whom he’s partnered with to create content, including music videos.

Alongside starring in his own calendar, appearing in movies and owning his own line of emojis, Jiffpom has worked with brands to create cute and creative organic ads on his own feed. Some of the most recent promotions include the game Farmville and Just Right Pet Food.

@nala_cat

As well as being a Guinness World Record Holder and influencer to 4.3m followers, Nala the adopted cat has her own range of premium cat food, Love Nala. Alongside her funny, cute and quirky content, Nala shares sponsorship codes for pet product ranges like Zymox, promotes causes close to her heart like National Adopt a Senior Pet month and even reviews products that have been gifted to her human owner.

@itsdougthepug

A celebrity in his own right, Doug the Pug has started his own charity foundation, won two People’s Choice Awards and been spotted with a range of A-listers like Dua Lipa, Camilla Cabello and Shakira.

Indeed, 2021 saw Doug reaching out to his 3.8m followers in new ways. As well as working with brands like Budweiser and Petco, he was transformed into an animated character for an award-winning Netflix movie and pledged his support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

@tuckerbudzyn

Based in Michigan USA, Tucker the Golden Retriever has his own YouTube channel that is regularly watched by his 3.2m Instagram followers. With influence across multiple platforms, his hilarious voice and characterful content is as attractive to brands as it is to followers.

Working alongside his owner and puppy son Todd, Tucker has launched his own merchandise, taken part in social media challenges and reviewed products in his own unique way across YouTube and Instagram.

@loki

This malamute and husky cross is one of the highest quality content producers on Instagram and YouTube. Full of adventure and aspirational lifestyle imagery, his feed also shares partnerships with businesses want to align themselves with Loki’s fun-loving, outdoor living brand such as Toyota and room design company Havenly.

This subtle, high-quality approach to sponsorships and promotions is what makes Loki’s content unique and appealing to specific brands.

What are you waiting for…

As you can see from each of these case studies, the brands they choose to run sponsorships or promotions with match their own values and image. This brand alignment is key to ensuring that a petfluencer partnership is successful. Whether you’re fun, fluffy and cute or cool, adventurous and focused on quality, there’s a petinfluencer that matches your brand and has a following for you to tap into.

With a huge range of petfluencers on our books, our team are experts at matching the right social media star to your brand, business objectives and budget. So, if you want to reach out and engage with a whole new audience, then get in touch with us by calling 020 8161 6556 or emailing influencers@urbanpawsagency.com