Super Bowl is going to the dogs!

We all know that one of the fun things about watching the Super Bowl beyond the big game of course, is watching the creative and fun commercials.

I always enjoy the commercials as much as the game, even when my beloved Colts and Cowboys were in there battling it out for the championship in past years. Ok, so you're not a fan...anywho...

At $3 Million for 30 seconds - these ads have got to be good, effective, creative and fun. So, if you're going to be watching the Super Bowl this weekend, be on the look out for Pedigree's new Pet Adoption drive commercial.

Watch closely as Pedigree doesn't push their product, but pushes their cause in an effort to build their brand, their company and product loyalty, a cause close to their hearts, and in turn build their sales. And visit the Pedigree website for more information about their adoption drive.

Here's a preview:

According to the Wall Street Journal:

"Pedigree, a dog-food brand owned by Mars, is joining the likes of well-known marketers such as Anheuser-Busch InBev and PepsiCo in the advertising battle taking place during the gridiron matchup on Feb. 1.

But rather than hawking its chow, the pet-food maker will be pushing a cause: pet adoption. The advertising strategy of promoting a cause instead of peddling one's wares more directly in tough times -- especially in such a fiercely competitive product category -- could fall short."

And according to Ad Age Magazine:

Pedigree takes a lighthearted approach to Bowl ad and also aims to increase dog adoptions, and feed shelter dogs.

"NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Pet-food marketer Pedigree may be known for ads that tug at the heartstrings, but for the Super Bowl it plans to make viewers laugh.

For its first Super Bowl commercial, Pedigree opts for a humorous tack to highlight the role pooches play in our lives. The 30-second ad, which will run during the first quarter of Super Bowl XLIII, airing Feb. 1 on NBC, imagines life with wild animals instead of Fido: a dog sticking its head out the car window is replaced with a wild boar, and rather than a pup chasing the mailman, it's an ostrich."

According to John Anton, marketing director for Pedigree, "we go into the Super Bowl with a lot of confidence from a business point of view," Mr. Anton said. "It doesn't feel risky for us because we've had so much success over the past four years of the campaign ... it really does help more dogs get adopted, and inevitably, it's going to better help us communicate to consumers what we stand for," he said.

For a full list of advertisers for the Super Bowl, visit Ad Age's "Who's Buying What in Super Bowl XLIII."

Reportlinker.com announces a new market research report available related to the pet food industry

Reportlinker.com announces a new market research report related to the Pet food industry available in its catalog.

Learn about the Pet Food in The U.S.: Health, Humanization and High Quality Ingredients in an Increasingly Value-Driven Global Market, 8th Edition

Here's a synopsis: (Learn more about the report - available for purchase $4700.00)

The U.S. pet food market has not just survived the spring 2007 recalls but proven its resiliency, with 2007 sales up over previous years and healthy growth continuing through 2008.

Yet heightened safety concerns on the part of pet food makers and consumers continue to shape product development and marketing, as well as the choices of pet owners looking for the safest and healthiest products possible.

At the top of the list are kibble, canned and raw/frozen foods made with ingredients that are natural, organic, grain-free/non-allergenic and pure, as well as made in the U.S.A., locally grown, “whole” (fruits, vegetables, grains, etc.) and human-grade. Foods making functional appeals also continue to proliferate, especially those targeting age- and weight-related conditions via the inclusion of novel ingredients like glucosamine, omega fatty acids, antioxidants and probiotics.

In other words, premium pet foods remain the primary value growth driver in the U.S. market, with ever higher quality ingredients fueling the premium wave.

Working with animals, a quick start guide!

I was visiting the site Dog Star Daily the other day, one of my favorite sites for tips, tricks and information on canines. I ran across a good basic article for those considering working with animals or starting a new business related to working with 'best friends.'

Check out this article by Veronica Boutelle, MA, CTC, it includes some good basic information on getting started in your new pet business. And if you are looking for more guidance, here is a great list of books all geared toward starting or running a business or career with animals, including the recently published "101 Best Businesses for Pet Lovers."

News: Pet owners splurge on premium food

According to a recent article on MSNBC, pet owners are splurging on premium foods for their animal companions.

"The premiumization trend in the global pet food market indicates that pet owning consumers are as willing to spend more on premium food infused with health fortifying ingredients such as glucosamine, omega fatty acids, antioxidants, and probiotics for their pets as they are for themselves.

Premium pet foods cover all bases -- from natural/organic to functional/nutraceutical to special diet (segmented by lifestage, weight, health condition, breed, etc.) to gourmet -- while also often reflecting trends in human foods.

North America accounted for the largest share of global pet food sales in 2008 with 40%. "Particularly in the United States, the premiumization trend goes beyond the tendency Americans have to be better educated about health and nutrition issues. In addition, the pervasive humanization dynamic cannot be underestimated. Pet owners often view their pets as part of the family, or even as surrogate 'children.' Thus they are looking for the safest and healthiest products possible," says Tatjana Meerman, Publisher of Packaged Facts. "

To read more, visit the MSNBC website article.

Top Pet Industry Trends for 2009

Throughout the year I talk with many pet owners and pet business owners. We discuss what's hot, and what's not. We talk about the next 'big thing.'

We talk about our concerns, our ideas, our plans, our wants and needs, and how the industry addresses or needs to address these items. And I read about the pet industry - a lot, online and offline.

In finalizing their marketing plans for 2009, my clients have been asking me what I see as the Top Pet Industry Trends for 2009. Here's my short list:

Affects of the current economy

The economy may currently be on a down slide, but pets and pet spending will continue to be an important part of pet owners lives. Pet owners will cut back their spending on other categories of of their lives, but when it comes to their pets they will continue spending on pet related wants and needs, therefore retailers won't see the significant decline they may be expecting.

The pet industry, in most categories will not be as affected by the current state of the economy nearly as quickly or as significantly as industries related to other categories of consumer spending. However, the pet industry is not recession proof and pet product and service companies will need to be more creative, targeted and keen in their marketing strategies to see growth and offset the price increases expected in products and services needed to run their businesses.

We will see continued spending on not only the necessities for pets, but we'll also see continued and overall increased spending for luxury, green and exceeding pet products and services. Pet owners will spend more on their pets current needs, and they will continue the trend of previous years of increasing their spending on additional needs and wants, as well. Quality, over quantity will be an important factor to pet owners this year, meaning they will be spending more for higher quality products and services, but will not purchase items as often.

Retailing

With past pet related spending growing at at over $2 billion each year* over the past seven years, pet product and service retailing has grown in leaps and bounds. What does the face of retailing look like for 2009?

You will see growth in not only brick and mortar retailing, but online as well. Larger retailers will broaden their products and services to attract growing segments of pet owners - those that want more luxury and green types of products and services; non pet related companies will broaden their product base to target the pet industry; and you will see growth in smaller retailers through more niche oriented types of product and service offerings.

Partnerships between companies will be forged to help alleviate the cost of providing additional products and services on their own. You will see mergers and acquisitions as companies seek to provide added offerings for their customers (although not as much as previous years), you will see continued growth in the boutique and independent related retail business category, and new businesses will be launched to provide products and services related to these growth categories for pet owners, online and brick and mortar.

Green Is The New Black

With all the past and persistent concerns of pet foods and pet products containing dangerous, toxic, and too often times, deadly ingredients, pet owners will continue their pursuit for safer and healthier products for their pets - from foods, to toys, to clothing, to medicines, health care, environmentally and pet friendly products and more.

In their quest for these healthier and safer products, they will in turn evaluate their pet's environment (as well as their own), ultimately steering them toward a more greener lifestyle. The majority of pet owners will not change their lifestyle overnight, but will migrate their lifestyle as they become more educated about how their environment affects not only their pets, but their own life as well.

This will broaden the availability and accessibility of greener products for pets for the current select group of concerned pet owners, as well as drive education for the general pet population. It will be a viable business opportunity for those looking to broaden their pet business product base; companies that currently provide 'green' products and services will seek out the pet market; and 'green' products and services will be a key niche for enterprising business owners.

Trends in Health and Care

As pets become more and more a part of the family, the health and care of their pets will become even more of a concern.

Pet owners will seek out the new, significant and wonderful advances that are being discovered in pet health care and diagnosis. Related treatments and procedures come at a significant price - prices that are generally over and above budgets of most pet owners. Because of this, pet lovers will seek out a variety of payment and budgeting methods to manage their pet's care - including health and wellness insurance for their pets, individual health savings accounts, corporate payment plans, and the like. And these plans will become much more widely and readily available through insurance companies, retailers, veterinarians, groomers, and more. Comparison shopping among plans will be key for consumers.

In addition, pet lovers will seek out and broaden their use of alternative treatments to help their pets live a longer and happier life, including massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, hydrotherapy, nutrition, herbs, homeopathy and more, thus creating more niche service providers, and opportunity for current providers to expand their services.

Pet lovers will continue and grow in their patronage of groomers, doggie daycares, dog walkers, and pet sitters. And we will see a growth in service categorizes such as day spas, luxury pet hotels, rehabilitation and workout facilities, and camps. And as pet owners seek closure of the loss of their 'best friend,' we will see an increase in products and services related to the the pet funeral industry and in pet trusts.

All of these health and care services will create not only opportunity for the small business opportunist and owner, but create a niche for existing larger companies through acquisitions, partnerships, or the development of additional business segments.

You Can Take 'Em With You

As pets continue to become a cherished part of the family, they will travel more and more with their families. This will lead to increased products and services in the pet travel category, as well as increased purchasing of pet travel related items and services.

Companies will beef up their car safety and transport product lines, automotive and auto insurance companies will expand their marketing to pet lovers, and you will see an influx of travel related services for pets; from major airlines catering to pets as part of their offerings, to websites and companies that provide information and services geared toward pet related travel.

Social Networking

Beloved pet parents want to share their beloved pets with the world, and they want to interact with other pet lovers. Online social networking has become a way for these pet lovers to interact with other like minded people to share information, meet new friends, seek important health and behavior information related to their pets, network with other pet lovers, and keep abreast of new products, services, news and information related to their pets.

From Dogster/Catster and MySpace, to Facebook, Twitter and more, pet loving parents of dogs, cats, hamsters, horses, ferrets and and other pets will be online, interacting with other pet lovers at an unbelievable increasing rate. You will see a growing trend of pets and pets parents online, as well as continued growth and expansion of services by the companies that provide these online services for this category.

And because these pets are 'online' you will also see a growing trend of pet related companies getting in on the online social networking bandwagon in an effort to market to, inform, and promote their products and services to this growing online segment.

What's in Store for Products and Services

Luxury, green, organic, all-natural, interactive, convenient, high-tech, and personalized - these are the trends you will see take center stage with growth in both pet products and services in 2009. Pet product manufacturers, retailers, distributors and service providers will be growing and building their offerings in all of these categories - whether they be toys, foods, clothing, grooming, training, boarding, or any and all pet related categories.

These are just a few of the trends we see affecting and directing the pet industry in 2009. As an aspiring pet business owner, or current owner, we hope that these trends will help you increase your business and your sales in the coming year, and provide pet owners with the products and services they want and need.

*APPA - Industry Statistics & Trends