Many veterinarians have expressed concern about pet owners using the internet to seek advice about pet healthcare rather than visiting a veterinarian for an examination of their pet by a professional. Veterinarians fear that pet owners may even reduce their visits to the clinic due to the abundance of information readily available online. These concerns are understandable. But need veterinarians fret?
If you play a role in marketing today you’ve likely heard the attention span of the average human has shrunk to only eight seconds. Last year, the New York Times published a story that stated our attention span is now shorter than that of a goldfish. Since we are exposed to seemingly endless choices and messages every moment of every day, it’s no wonder our ability to focus has decreased. As a result, marketers are constantly seeking new ways to effectively reach out to their audience and gain their attention.
The battle for pet pharmaceutical sales has grown to a point where brick-and-mortar retailers and Internet/mail order retailers accounted for a combined 42% of the nearly $8 billion in national pet medication sales in 2014 according to a report by the market research firm, Packaged Facts. The same report forecasts that pet pharmaceuticals will be one of the highest growth areas of pet retailing over the next 10 years due to increased over-the-counter drugs and interest by chain retailers.
Having too few options in life can be limiting and frustrating. This is especially true in the pet pharmaceutical market where pet owners want more prescription options from both a price and convenience standpoint. We uncovered this trend in our recent Pet Pharmaceutical Market Study, which revealed a shift in pet pharmaceutical revenue from the veterinary pharmacy to online pharmacies and brick-and-mortar retail pharmacies.
Our survey of nearly a thousand US home internet customers revealed that over 62% of both mid- and fiber-tier respondents are most influenced by an internet provider’s reputation when considering switching their service.
Your internet customers aren’t as loyal as you’d think. In fact, according to our March survey of nearly a thousand US home-internet customers, 22% of mid-tier and fiber-tier respondents would seriously consider switching providers if they experienced three to five buffering or lagging issues in a span of one week.
Just under 80% of both mid- and fiber-tier respondents believe that their home internet service is a “basic amenity,” viewed on par with running water or electricity. From smart televisions to smart thermostats, the number of household electronics that require an internet connection is growing. Marketing fiber as a “convenience” could be deterring customers who are on the fence about upgrading.
Welcome Pet Brand Marketers to Millennial Training 101. At Trone Research + Consulting we understand that millennials can be a challenging breed of shoppers to reach. We’ve put together a series of training videos to help your brand answer common questions, including: How do you get a millennial to come when they’re called? How do you make a millennial do tricks? And how do you keep a millennial from running away?
When it comes to canine owners, they can be as different as the breeds they care for. While some are highly involved and very attentive to what’s going on in their dog’s lives, others prefer to care from a distance. These dog owners come in all varieties and are grouped into four main categories. Want a deeper look into these segments from our extensive 2014 Pet Health study? Stay tuned to this blog or contact us directly.
Don't Be Fooled by Bad Data
We constantly rely on data to point our clients in the right direction when shaping their brands. The quality of the solutions we deliver can only be as good as the data our research provides. Recently, we learned an important lesson in how sample size can affect both research results and the conclusions we draw from it.
In 2014, Trone Research + Consulting fielded a proprietary study that examined how pet parents care for their animals. The goal was to help brands speak the health language of their audience. We explored trends, consumer perceptions and the differences between wellness and prevention to determine the opportunities and challenges facing brands today. We spoke with more than...
The days of veterinarians ruling supremely over pet medications are over. In a recent study with partner Brakke Consulting Inc., we learned that more than 20% of human pharmacists are filling CVM approved pet prescriptions. We also confirmed veterinarians’ concern about pharmacists’ preparedness to accurately fill these prescriptions and their intent to seek new ways of maintaining control.
