Welcome to the Week’s Review of Canine Social Media
Welcome to this Special Feature on the DoggieU K9 Blog for an update on this week’s dog-related social media from around the world. There are so many stories. Here we will share some of the best stories this week.
Enjoy & share them.
Dog Owners Show their Best ‘Dog Face’
Some dog owners wonder… wouldn’t it be great to live a dog’s life – to be cared for, pampered, fed, groomed, etc. Perhaps some dogs wonder… what it would be like to be the human and be in charge and have access the refrigerator or cabinets.
- People often comment how either dogs look their owners or vice versa.
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Well, the readers of at Reddit took the ‘look alike’ concept and blended them together. Perhaps a trip to the groomers might help but these are hilarious and interesting
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No photoshop trickery, just camera angles. Give it a try, see how you look!
(Click to enlarge, Photo Credit: Reddit)
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Pet and Pet Food Industry: So Many Options, So Many Choices, Consumer Confusion?
The increase of dog ownership has been highlighted since the beginning of the pandemic. And, where there are business opportunities, there are investors and businesses.
- Dog-related items, such as: food, clothing, toys, nutritional supplements, stress supplements, day care facilities, dog walkers, trainers, books, apps, technologies, DNA testing, insurance, viral social media, etc. are being marketed to consumers in volumes. It is almost like a ‘gold rush’ for pet paraphernalia.
The current (March 2022) business reports of pets food and supplement-related items estimates show:
Increase in adoption of pets, awareness regarding the pet food, and concerns about the health of pets are the major driving forces of the pet food and supplement market.
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global pet food market size is expected to gain momentum by reaching USD 136.82 billion by 2028 while exhibiting a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 4.96% between 2021 to 2028. In the tough times of pandemic, demand for pets increased. For instance, a report published by Mars Petcare, a leading pet (dog & cat) food manufacturer, stated that the combined sales of cat and dog treats grew by 6.5% in the 12 weeks between February and May 2020.
According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, “Pet Supplement Market by Pet, Application, Source, and Distribution Channel: Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021–2027,” The global pet supplement market size was valued at $596.8 million in 2019, and is expected to reach $822.6 million by 2027.
As a result, current companies that sell dog food have increased supplies, added every imaginable supplement, other companies have created new toys and gadgets and other options for pet care. Numerous celebrities who are pet lovers have decided to cash in on the ‘gold rush’ and partnered with food and supplement companies to ‘lend their name’ to food products or other pet items. These include TV personalities, famous musicians, football stars, TV Chefs and many more; even a major women’s magazine has launched a line of dog toys, beds, carriers and apparel.
So where does this leave the consumer? As the pet food market expands with a flood of options… most probably bewildered and somewhat confused.
Social media talks about influencers that are paid to ‘influence’ people’s purchases. In the US and globally, we have been influenced for many, many years by TV, radio and online commercials, marketers saying ‘this is the best,’ TV, media and movie personalities who have sponsored products that ‘we should buy.’
Engaging in Personal Research to Learn About What is Healthy
Research shows that knowing the meaning and importance of the items on your pet food labels only matters if pet owners are actually reading the labels. Your research into your choices is of utmost importance and while many consumers state that they read the labels, only 40% follow the feeding instructions.
This may be another opportunity for pet food brands to take a look at their packaging and labeling to ensure they are utilizing their packaging real estate most effectively to ensure this crucial information is not being buried or overlooked. Though this may seem like a relatively insignificant finding, factors like these that directly correlate to a pet’s health and well-being are likely to correlate to the owner’s own satisfactions with the product. The numbers don’t lie. 84% of pet owners want more information on pet food labels. 42% say the biggest factor in choosing a pet food is its label information. 41% says the biggest deterrent against purchasing a pet food is the lack of information on the label.
Lastly, finding the foods that are right for your breed or mix, their size, age, gender, level of activity and/or competition involvement, all should factor into your personal research. And we all know, the most expensive or most exotic or most marketed, aren’t necessarily the best.