Pet Care Pod Episode 2: Understanding Education, Experience, and Behavior Across Pet Owners

Jun 16

By Liz Miller, Vice President of Business Development | June 16, 2020

Following up on Maru/Matchbox’s introductory Pet Care Podcast, Episode 2 digs into more detail about the first trend and behavioral science for pet owners in this short series. In this conversation with Erica Ruyle, Sr. Vice President of Qualitative Insights, we explored the range of experiences pet owners have, particularly pertaining to education and purchase choices.

Today, education around pet care varies widely; while some pet owners depend on vets more than ever for expert guidance, specialized communities through social media (have you ever heard of a Silken Windhound?), and even brand-driven content, can impact purchase decisions.

Why do dog owners, cat owners, and parents of every animal in-between make the purchases they choose to make for their pets? What experiences and backgrounds impact these decisions?

We’ll also cover Erica’s observations on segmentation and demographic drivers relating to this wide range of choice. Many of us have noticed that our parents are treating pets more like family than ever before - why is that and how pervasive is this trend?

Lastly we’ll cover the implications for brands and retailers in the pet care industry, and some of the key findings this research resulted in for those companies.