INFLUENCE: UNDERSTANDING WHAT AND WHO INFLUENCES PET PARENT CHOICE
INTRODUCTION
It’s no secret that in today’s digitally dominated landscape, pet focused businesses must explore multiple channels and
partnerships to bridge the gap between brand and consumer. Navigating the modern marketing mix, one thing is clear:
influencers play a crucial role in driving pet parent purchasing decisions. Those brands harnessing creative, authentic content,
engaged followers, and a clear strategy have successfully differentiating their brands with indisputable impact on their
bottom line. That’s why at Pet Connect USA 2024, Kisaco Research teamed up with Circa Healthcare to conduct a workshop helping businesses identify the key influencer’s for their brands and, ultimately, plan how to best harness that influence to expand their customer base
and leverage this tool for accelerated growth. Prior to the workshop, we asked all participants to complete a
survey to provide insight as to who they see influencing purchase of their goods or services, what role influencers play in their marketing strategy, and how they manage the process. The following pages reflect the results of that survey.
INFLUENCERS REGARDED AS PLAYING CENTRAL ROLES IN OUR RESPONDENTS’ MARKETING STRATEGIES
We have stated that Influencers have become a part of the modern marketing mix particularly in the digital landscape, and this was
reflected in our survey with almost half (48%) saying they play a central role in their marketing strategy.
ENGAGEMENT FOCUSED ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND PRODUCT LAUNCHES
Despite citing their importance, engagement with Influencers was limited, with the highest focus on social media (47%) followed by
invitation to participate in product launches and events.
ELICITING FEEDBACK
Respondents are seeking feedback from Influencers with over half of respondents conducting regular or occasional surveys.
MEASUREMENT OF THE INFLUENCER IMPACT
Measuring the impact of influencer activity was evenly split with just over half either tracking specific metrics such as referral rates
and sales conversions (41%) or using general indicators such as brand awareness and social media engagement (10%).
UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGES FACED IN LEVERAGING INFLUENCER RELATIONSHIPS
Limited knowledge to identify and target key influencers was scored as the highest challenge (2.0) faced by our respondents.
This was followed by difficulties in maintaining communication and a lack of resources to engage ambassadors effectively, each
of which ranked equally.
SELECTING STRONG MARKETING PARTNERS
Finally, when asked what they look for from their marketing partners in harnessing the influence of ambassadors, our respondents
focused on two areas: finding partners who can amplify the brand message and those who have a strong record in the (pet) space.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Firstly, a big thank you to Poppy and the Pet Connect team for inviting us to be part of the Pet Connect Conference and for giving us the opportunity to tap into the collective insights of the workshop attendees. It’s always a privilege to listen, learn, and contribute.
In reviewing the full data, some things stood out to us.
1.Influencers are all around.
Influencers matter—maybe even more in pet care than anywhere else. More
than 75% of survey respondents said influencers are either central or
important to their marketing strategy. And not just the ones posting on
social media. Many identified veterinarians and loyal users as key players—
people who have real credibility and sway in pet owners’ decision-making.
- Measurement matters.
Despite the impact that influencers could be having on brand credibility and sales, nearly half (49%) of respondents said they have no formal way of measuring that impact on their success. Key takeaway: Listening is just as important as telling. Given those key points, some common gaps emerged: A need for ongoing engagement with a range of influencers A better way to measure the actual impact of their influence. To truly meet the pet owner’s needs, we need to gain deep insights intotheir behaviors. By listening closely to your most influential advocates, you can uncover what’s working, what’s missing, and how your product or offering needs to evolve to stay relevant and valuable. Measuring the influence of your marketing efforts is also critical to ensure that you’re investing resource in the areas that provide the most fruitful outcomes.We get it: time is scarce, especially in the early stages of a business’sgrowth. But we promise — listening and learning is time well spent. Becausewhen you truly understand the needs and voices that shape youraudience’s choices, you can create marketing that doesn’t just speak at them, but resonates with them.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Key takeaways from Poppy Howard-Wall, Event Director, Pet Connect It’s been a pleasure collaborating with Steve, Mike, and the wider Circa
team to gather these insights from across our industry. A huge thank you to everyone who participated. Below are a few of my
personal reflections on the findings.
- Too much left to chance
Perhaps the most surprising revelation in the above is a staggering 47% of
brands admit they leave product or service amplification to chance. Given
the power of peer recommendations in pet parent communities, this is a
missed opportunity. Pet business’ should leverage influencer channels with
greater intention and strategy. - Trusted Influencers, Aligned Feedback
Respondents identified veterinarians and loyal customers as their most
influential voices — and those are also the groups they’re most actively
listening to. This alignment is encouraging and shows brands are attuned to
their most credible advocates.
Methods of retrieving this feedback particularly from the veterinary
profession), ideal frequency of engagement and implications for marketing
strategy will be highlights of discussion this December at Pet Connect
2025. - Belief Without Measurement
49% lack a formal way to measure influencer impact on brand credibility or
sales — in stark contrast to the only 16% who believe influencers play a
minor role. Suggesting a disconnect where brands see the value of
influencers generally but are grappling with how to quantify and
understand that value within their own operations. - Time Poor-Potential Rich
One possible explanation for the lack of formal understanding of influencer
impact at the individual brand level emerges from the penultimate
questions. Limited resources to engage ambassadors and difficulties in
maintaining consistent communication point to capable but time-strapped
teams.
For investors and C-suite executives managing pet-focused brands, this
should serve as a wake-up call to invest in scaling and formalizing
influencer marketing processes.
Fonte: kisacoresearch.com
