Of cats & dogs: The role of pets in a marketing mix...

With more and more brands featuring pets in their creatives and campaigns, Social Samosa deep dives into what works in pet marketing and the rules and regulations to remember while featuring furry companions in ads. 

Pets have become a go-to social media template. Grumpy and sobbing cats are used to capture everyday frustration that a consumer might go through and friendly dogs make for a perfect escape.

Even non-pet care category brands are throwing their hats into the ring to make consumers stop scrolling.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Zomato (@zomato)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Duroflex (@duroflexworld)

On Instagram, #cats and #dogs have 150 million and 165 million posts respectively. Newly popular #racoons have gathered 103k posts and #frogs has 1.8 million posts. The internet does love the animal kingdom and brands are aware of the effect they have on consumers. 

From Hutch’s pug that was met with many controversies to Zomato’s new sobbing cats, Social Samosa takes a walk down the memory lane to understand what works about pets in the marketing landscape. 

Paw-sitive Effect On Brand Affinity

Studies have shown that because humans experience positive emotions for animals. As per research, pets can improve social media engagement too. The biggest increase in engagement seen was for Instagram comments, where brands saw up to 295% more comments on content with pets. The average increase in comments of all 15 brands in the study was 89%, while the average increase in likes was 19%.

In today’s highly-cluttered market, when brands are chasing loyalty and affinity, Mitesh Kothari, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, White Rivers Media, believes that pets evoke strong emotions of love and happiness.  

He said, “When featured in ads, pets can create a sense of familiarity and connection with viewers as they see themselves in the situations portrayed.”

Perhaps relatability and humour are two factors making cats and dogs popular on the internet.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Swiggy (@swiggyindia)

A report shows people were more likely to take more risks with their purchases when ads featured a dog or cat as their spokesperson.

Emotions often outweigh logical reasoning and according to Shivani Kamdar, Associate Creative Director, SoCheers, pets have the ability to evoke strong emotional responses from their human audience. 

"Brands utilize pets in their ads to make them more appealing and relatable to their target audience, tapping into the emotional connection people have with animals and their positive feelings towards the brand. In addition, let's admit it, pets make for incredibly adorable and engaging actors on screen," said Kamdar. 

Also Read: ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ Movie Marketing strategy jumps multiple universes

Cuteness comes naturally to pets. Furry cats and puppy dog eyes glue people to the screen. Also, the traditional definition of families have changed. Due to increasing nuclear families and rising income levels, almost 6 in 10 Indians now have a pet.

As per a report, dogs and cats are the two most popular pet companions in India, followed by others.

Mukund Olety, CCO, VMLY&R believes that pets evoke an instant reaction and could be a good tool for storytelling.

He said, "The cultural definition of a family is changing and pets are increasingly becoming a part of it. So, featuring a pet family or a pet parent adds to the mix.”

Raj Kamble, Founder and CCO, Famous Innovations says that pets are attention drivers and create an instant connect.

He said, “Pets are a huge emotion and that’s a real authentic way to connect with the consumer emotions.”

Delivering Engagement

The other side of Petfluencers or Petfluencing has been building a social media profile for your pet, which in many occasions have been more popular than the profile of many human influencers.

For instance, Loki The Wolf Dog has nearly 2MN followers on Instagram.

Kamdar believes that incorporating pets into marketing campaigns can evoke strong emotional connections with consumers, leading to increased engagement. She said, “Brands like Ikea, Mercedes-Benz, Pizza Hut, Skittles, Netflix, LG and many more have all hopped on the feline bandwagon, witnessing a significant surge in their engagement.”

Prashant Kohli, CMO, Wiggles shared that pet-related content generates 2.5 times more engagement on social media than non-pet content. He believes this is because pets have a broad appeal and can evoke strong emotions in people, such as joy, love, and nostalgia. 

He said, “When brands tap into these emotions, they can create a deeper connection with their audience and build brand loyalty.”

One of his favorite ads featuring pets is the Subaru &list=PL9C5C8FE3C88141FC" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">"Dog Tested. Dog Approved." campaign. The ad features a variety of dogs driving Subaru cars, going on adventures, and performing everyday tasks. Kohli said that the campaign is clever, heartwarming, and showcases the bond between pets and their humans.

After social media, the attention span has decreased and brands are looking to leave a long-term mark on consumers today. 

Sharing why marketers love pets, Samriddh Dasgupta, Chief Marketing Officer, Heads Up For Tails said, "It can increase the likelihood of the ad being memorable and shareable. Incorporating a pet can give a brand advantage in capturing audience attention in today's world where people's attention spans are low and the digital space is cluttered."

This marketing tactic especially works well with younger audiences. 

"For younger demographics, such as Gen Z and millennials, pets resonate well due to their emphasis on authenticity, relatability, and emotional resonance in advertising," said Mohita Rathi, Marketing Lead - Supertails and Henlo. 

Do’s & Don’ts

Though pets make the best appearance on screen, there are some ethical issues to keep in mind. One of the most loved campaign, Hutch’s pug ad saw some severe consequences. 

PETA pointed out that pugs have been deliberately bred to have features so severely exaggerated that they cause physical suffering – just to suit a concept of ‘cuteness’. Pugs’ flat faces cause them struggle to breathe, making them susceptible to heatstroke.

As per PETA’s website, the advertisement popularised the breed in India, and breeders and pet stores cashed in on the demand. 

PETA India veterinarian and CEO urges @VodafoneIN to stop using pugs who are prone to breathing difficulties and numerous other serious ailments in their advertising.

— PETA India (@PetaIndia) April 3, 2018

The exploitation of these animals can have long-lasting effects on their physical and mental well-being. Hiraj Laljani, Associate Manager of Media and Celebrity Projects, PETA India told Social Samosa that these animals may develop behavioural issues, suffer from injuries from the set, or experience trauma that can impact them for the rest of their lives.

He said, “Increasingly, film and ad-makers are rejecting the use of animal actors and are opting to show animals in their natural state, animated or computer generated or not at all.”

Further, that all ads including those featuring animals and pets are subject to the ASCI code and  guidelines. Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General, ASCI shares that hence ads should be honest, not cause offence or show harmful practices. 

“In addition, there may be other regulations that govern the production process of keeping animals safe and well looked after," said Kapoor. 

While pets can improve storytelling and make an ad memorable, it should be done seamlessly and ethically. T

Speaking about the do’s and don’ts of featuring pets in advertisements, Priyank Narain, Executive Creative Director, Grapes, said,"The most important point to keep in mind is that there should be an important role for the pets to play in the ad. They shouldn’t merely be used as a prop. The character of the pet, be it a dog, or a cat, or a horse, should come out strongly and be an integral part of the story or the message."

Referring to an ad that he loved, Narain mentioned Bridgestone’s 'Dog suicide' ad to have a unique perspective, which tells the entire emotional tale of love and betrayal, but for a dog. 

Pets have a different appeal in the social media world and while there might be a strong inclination to feature the pet in an ad, it is integral that the animal has a contextual role.