Personalized Marketing: The Key To Winning Over Pet Parents

Imagine a pet food company that remembers Bella the Labrador’s birthday — and sends Bella’s mom, Susan, a card and special discount for her pup’s favorite chicken-flavored treats. Or envision a subscription box service that curates squeaky toys and durable chews specifically for Max, Brian’s energetic pug who loves to play fetch. These small but meaningful gestures tap into the heart of personalization and make pet parents feel truly seen. And they highlight how, by embracing personalization in pet marketing, pet brands can connect with their audience on a deeper level — and stand out in an ever-growing market.

Unleashing the power of pet-brand personalization

Research shows that more than three-quarters of consumers say personalized communications increase the likelihood they’ll buy from a brand. Further, nearly eight in 10 consumers report they’re more likely to do business with a brand again if it personalizes its post-purchase communications. And this data applies to brands across all industries — imagine how powerful the tactic can be coming from a pet-focused brand that demonstrates a familiarity with our beloved furry friends and a desire to improve their lives.

“Pet parents see their furry companions as family, and that deep emotional bond creates a unique opportunity for brands to connect on a personal level,” says Courtney Olbrich, chief growth officer and pet care category expert at Brandon. “When a brand remembers Bella’s birthday or suggests the perfect toy for Max, it’s not just marketing — it’s building trust and loyalty. Personalization allows pet brands to celebrate the love we have for our pets while fostering meaningful relationships that keep customers coming back.”

The ample advantages of personalization in pet marketing

By tailoring consumer experiences to meet the unique needs of pets and their parents, brands can reap a range of benefits, including strengthened brand connections, increased consumer loyalty, brand differentiation, and added brand trust . Here’s a closer look at the leading ways your brand can use pet marketing personalization tactics to drive added value for consumers and spur business growth:

Build emotional connections

Recognizing the unique needs of pets and their parents, such as recommending hypoallergenic, fragrance-free shampoo for a dog with skin sensitivities or allergies, can demonstrate a friendly familiarity with consumers and help your brand create meaningful bonds with them.

Foster customer loyalty 

Tailored shopping experiences, such as exclusive discounts on a pet’s favorite products or timely reminders for seasonal items like flea treatments, encourage repeat purchases and long-term relationships.

Differentiate your brand 

Personalized offerings help brands stand out from competitors by moving beyond generic solutions to truly meet customer needs.

Strengthen trust 

Showing an understanding of the deep bond between pets and their owners builds confidence and positions your brand as a caring, thoughtful partner.

A tactic that packs a punch across numerous channels 

To effectively engage consumers, pet brands can personalize across a range of channels with tactics driven by data collected on specific pet owners. For example, on an e-commerce site, brands can recommend grain-free dog food for pet parents with a history of browsing for allergy-friendly products. Or for new cat owners, brands can create a landing page spotlighting kitten toys. On social media, a targeted ad might promote large-breed dog beds to owners of Labradors, while an interactive poll could ask cat parents about their pets’ favorite scratching post styles. Email marketing can also include behavior-driven campaigns, such as a reminder to reorder senior dog vitamins or a link to an article featuring grooming tips tailored to long-haired breeds. In a brick-and-mortar store, a loyalty program can offer discounts on frequently purchased items like pet treats, and a kiosk can guide dog owners to the best leashes for their active breeds.

Examples of personalization in pet product marketing

Personalization in pet-brand marketing can come to life through a range of creative, customer-centric strategies. In addition to the tactics mentioned above, here are a few more examples of impactful ways your pet-focused brand can use personalization to amplify its marketing efforts:

Create customized shopping bundles

Offer pre-built bundles of products based on a pet’s activity level or lifestyle, such as an “Active Dog Pack” with a harness, leash, and high-protein treats or a “Pampered Cat Kit” with grooming tools and relaxation sprays.

Offer personalized loyalty rewards

Create loyalty programs that reward customers with tailored perks, like free dental chews for dogs prone to tartar buildup or discounts on wet food for cat owners who routinely purchase it.

Send customer-tailored mobile notifications

Deliver mobile app alerts with tailored suggestions, such as recommending a canine jacket during the winter for dog parents in colder regions or a chew-resistant toy if their purchase history shows frequent replacement of chew-toys.

Provide interactive tools

Online quizzes help match pets to the right products, like the best chew toys for a teething puppy or the ideal diet for a cat with sensitive digestion. Augmented reality apps let pet parents better visualize items like collars or pet beds, creating a more engaging shopping experience. Brandon helped client Primal Pet Foods create and launch a “Bowl Builder” feature on its website, a nice example of how an interactive tool can offer pet owners a personalized experience. After asking the user a few questions about his or her petBuild a Better Bowl | Primal Pet Foods and the animal’s diet, the tool offers the pet parent a customized shopping list they can take to a local retailer to purchase recommended products that will improve the pet’s diet and well-being.

Deliver personalized packaging

Adding a pet’s name to the packaging used to send pet products creates a special, unique touch that pet parents love, and adds a feel of brand thoughtfulness to every order fulfillment.

Brandon: Here to help you add punch — and personalization — to your pet-brand marketing efforts

Looking for ad agencies that specialize in promoting pet brands to help you get ahead of the competition? At Brandon, our team of skilled marketing experts has extensive pet-industry experience — and we know how to put powerful marketing tactics like personalization to work to help your brand connect with more pet owners and drive more brand loyalty. Contact us today to discuss all the ways we can boost your pet brand’s marketing efforts.