If you feel like you’re seeing more pet cameos on your daily conference calls, you’re not imagining things: pet ownership is on the rise in the U.S., increasing 4% in 2020 to nearly 71 million households. With February 20 being “Love Your Pet Day”, we wanted to recognize the unique opportunity for pet brands to drive consideration and brand loyalty with the next generation of customers.

Making use of Quantcast’s unique access to thousands of content consumption signals across the open web, we looked at the browsing interests of “cat people” and “dog people” in the U.S. to better understand these audiences and help you craft messaging that resonates.

You can download the full report here, but if you prefer a dog bite-sized version, here are some key highlights:

1. The Curious Keywords of Puppy Love and Amusing Catitudes

Looking at keywords related to content consumed by dog people, we see a strong interest in adding  these furry additions to their household, with keywords such as “local dog adoption,” “puppies for sale,” “breeders,” and “loving home” featured prominently. The same audience also seems interested in ensuring the well-being of their puppy pals, as evidenced by interest in  “dog rescues,” “non-profit helping,” and “save a life.” 

Cat people on the other hand, appear to be interested in the humorous nature of their feline friends. They are actively looking for memes, funny blogs, “fur babies,” and “laughs.” 

Key Takeaway: Messaging aimed at “dog people” might benefit from showcasing charitable links and actions taken in support of animal welfare, whereas “cat people” are likely to respond well to lighter, humorous messaging.

keywords

2. It’s a Dog-Eat-Dog World

Looking at interest in branded keywords “Petco” and “PetSmart,” we also see that customers are not loyal to only one retailer, given the 23-30% overlap between audiences researching either retailer. This shows that consumers likely comparison shop, choosing a retailer based on pricing differences and product availability. We also found that while both dog and cat people over-index for “couponing,” cat owners are 123x+ more likely than the average internet user to look for savings on supplies and pet care. 

Key Takeaway: In order to stay ahead of the competition, advertisers should help consumers skip the research: Cross-promotions with specific retailers should include tangible offers, providing promotional details within the creative to more rapidly push consumers to purchase.

Overlapping interests
Audience planning

* Quantcast Audience Planner Insights, based not on purchases at these retailers, but instead on audience browsing content related to Dog and Cat Interest plus “Petco” and “PetSmart” branded keywords, Dec 1, 2020, to Jan 16, 2021

3. Kibbles ‘n Bytes: Shopping for Pets In-Store and Online

Aside from general pet-related topics, audiences interested in keywords for leading pet stores show two interesting trends: interest in online deals and concern over retail locations closing. There is a strong interest in “coupons,” “promo codes,” and “promotions,” but this is also sprinkled in with “shop online,” “online world,” “closings,” “major brands closing stores,” and “bankrupcy.” Consumers are clearly tapping into the discount power of online purchase options to make what traditionally was a brick-and-mortar sale. 

Key Takeaway: Find ways to promote your online buying options. This could include online deals, but it also may include messaging on preferred digital retailers.

Online interests

* Quantcast Audience Planner Insights, based not on purchases at these retailers, but instead on audience browsing content related to Dog and Cat Interest plus “Petco” and “PetSmart” branded keywords, Dec 1, 2020 to Jan 16, 2021

Want to Make Sure You’re Barking up the Right Tree?

For a more in-depth picture on cat and dog people, download our full 2021 US Pet Insights Report. And for more on how Quantcast insights can help reach your customers, check out our data insights and case studies pages.