In Thailand, pet lovers are becoming big communities. There’s a growing trend among young people who have no children to become “pet parents” instead. The College of Management Mahidol University (CMMU) coined the term “petsumer,” which refers to a high-spending niche group that treats their pets as their children or family.
According to a study, 70% of pet owners think of their pets as family members. Of those surveyed, 66% say they are attached to their pets, 47% treats their pet like their child, and 37% admit they incur debt to cover their pets’ veterinary expenses. This presents a marketing opportunity for brands to target this group of consumers known for their high spending habits.
To attract petsumers, brands need to first understand their behaviour, preferences, and buying patterns. And if done well, engaging this niche group can help brands potentially increase their revenue and strengthen their market position.
Petsumers are willing to spend more compared to average consumers since they want more convenience for their pets. 39.8% of them get their information about their pets on social media, so they are also more receptive to digital marketing campaigns with personalised experiences.
The value of the Thai pet market is expected to expand at an average annual rate of 8.4% (to reach 66.7 billion baht in 2026). The increase in pet ownership and spending on premium products and services present an opportunity for brands to target petsumers and offer products and services that meet their needs.
There’s a lucrative market opportunity for brands to engage these consumers. If you want to target petsumers in Thailand, your campaign should highlight the emotional connection between pets and owners, while focusing on products that offer convenience and meet the unique needs of pet owners. There’s a lot of opportunity to market to this demographic and building your campaigns for purchase-ready buyers is a sure way to increase sales.
If you’re looking to navigate this strategy, here are some tips to help you engage high-spending pet lovers:
There’s nothing stronger than the emotional bond and attachment of pet owners to their pets. As 80.7% of pet owners are single, they tend to humanise their pets and provide a lot of attention and care to them.
Think of offering products and services that cater to their emotional needs. For example, you can create a social media campaign sharing stories of pets and their owners, and how your product or service fits into that story. You can also create a rewards programme as a way to thank your customers for their continued loyalty.
In a CMMU survey, using pets in advertising seems to be effective in influencing purchasing decisions. 44.82% agree that photos featuring animals and products together had the largest impact on purchasing decisions. With that in mind, a lot of consumers prefer to see pets featured in advertisements for a variety of products, including consumer goods, airlines, electrical appliances, and automobiles. Using imagery of pets and clever storytelling creates a memorable brand image and strengthens your marketing strategy.
Pet influencers, who are well-liked on social media, can significantly improve the marketing of goods and services for pets. They can assist in creating content and encourage their followers to engage in pet-related travel, entertainment, and leisure activities. Sponsored content, teaming up with pet-related brands, and various kinds of partnerships fall under this category. Overall, you can reach a highly engaged and enthusiastic audience by adding pet influencers or KOLs to your campaign.
This growing petsumer market represents a substantial opportunity for brands to target this group of pet owners, known for their significant spending habits. With that said, you must understand the customers’ requirements and preferences to create marketing efforts that will appeal to this market segment.
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