Certain demographic groups spend more money on their pets each month than others. Identifying these groups allows targeted marketing to reach pet owners who are more likely to spend more on pet food. For example, more educated pet owners tend to spend more on food for their dogs, cats, and other pets.
A group of researchers analyzed the relative importance of price, ingredients, and attribute claims when purchasing pet food among U.S. dog owners. They considered the importance that education level has on monthly pet food spending to identify where pet spending is likely to be concentrated.
“Our analysis recommends targeting advertising efforts at schools and universities,” the Kansas State University researchers wrote in a poster presented at the 2024 Agricultural and Applied Economics Society Annual Meeting, held July 28-30 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. The researchers’ analysis was based on a survey of 5,000 US dog owners.
Survey respondents selected the most important attributes in three categories: health, ingredients, processing, and supply chain. Of these, “gut health” and “joint health” were the most important health claims. “Natural” and “grain-free” were the most highly ranked ingredient attributes. “Fresh” and “minimally processed” were the most important processing-related claims.
Education level correlates with pet ownership spending
There are several interrelated factors that may influence why pet owners’ education level correlates with their willingness to spend on pet food each month. Generally, more educated consumers are more health and nutrition conscious, have more disposable income, and may have access to a variety of information sources. The same trend is seen with dogs, cats, and other pet animals due to the humanization of pets.
More educated pet owners may have a better understanding of their pets’ nutritional needs. This awareness leads to more informed choices, prioritizing their pets’ long-term health and well-being over short-term cost-savings. Because education often provides access to well-paying jobs, college-educated pet owners are also more likely to have more disposable income to spend on premium pet foods. Due to the experience gained from formal education, these pet owners may be better equipped to research and identify reliable information on pet nutrition.
Education also influences where people live: More educated pet owners are more likely to live in urban or suburban areas where premium and ultra-premium pet food options are more available. These pet owners may also be part of social networks where premium pet food is the norm, which drives their purchasing decisions.
For pet food manufacturers, awareness of these interrelated factors can lead to targeted marketing strategies and product development to meet the needs of this high-spending, highly educated customer segment.
Created by Tim Wall using DALL-E 3
