Valentine’s Day has gone to the dogs – literally. Milk-Bone now sells treats packaged specifically for Fido to share with his buddies – whether they be neighborhood pals, BFFs at doggie daycare, or other pooches in his circle.
Of course, the audience is actually pet owners but Milk-Bone was wise to capitalize on their love of pets. The American Pet Products Association (APPA) reports that in 2019 Americans spent $95.7 billion on their animal companions. To put it in perspective, $95 billion is the same amount of damage from all the U.S. climate disasters last year! And even pre-pandemic projections forecast increases in pet spending with no end in sight.
Is there a way for your organization to capitalize on this love affair? Maybe you can incorporate pet products into your fund-raising repertoire. Perhaps you can add information about the pets of your clientele or donors and specifically acknowledge them in your communication. At a minimum, know that 67% of families have a pet and over half of American households own a dog, making it an ideal conversation starter or feature story subject.
You’d be doggone crazy to ignore the pet-lovers in your audience.
