Younger consumers are independent, do-it-yourselfers, and less reliant on traditional authority figures and similar experts, writes Debbie Phillips- Donaldson. She describes factors that may explain changing influences on pet owner decision making.
In the old paradigm, consumers trusted veterinarians and major brands backed by vets, as well as large pet specialty retailers. Now, they are just as likely, if not more so, to turn to peers, breeders, e-commerce retailers and all brands – major, “challenger” and direct-to-consumer ones – even if not recommended by vets.
Source: Pet Food Industry, November 3, 2019. Link.
Veterinarians, the legacy authority, are no longer the center of the pet owner’s universe, having experienced usage decline in younger demographics and waning influence on product selection due to the rise of the internet and ties to large brand platforms.” – Cascadia Capital Fall 2019 Pet Industry Overview report
INSIGHTS: Resources for animal owners have improved significantly in the four years we’ve provided Animal Health Digest’s weekly Bulletin. We see more veterinarian authors, editorial committees and industry resources helping improve content. The efforts of the last 15 years to market direct to animal owners is evident and contributes to the shifting decision-making influences.
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