Marketing Ideas for Cat Lovers
- Learn how to market your cat products toward cat owners.Life On White/Photodisc/Getty Images
When you are putting together a marketing plan for a product, it is important to understand your target market. A product that is designed to appeal to cat lovers requires a different kind of approach than other types of target markets. There may be some similarities in marketing to people who loves cats and those who have other pets, but in order to get the cat lover market interested you need to have some unique marketing ideas. - Cat lovers sometimes have a inferiority complex when it comes to dog owners and pet marketing, according to cat expert Carole Rexer on the Pet Sitters International website. The dog seems to be the dominant pet in many marketing campaigns, so one of the ways you can market to cat lovers is to emphasize the importance of a product to a cat. This may sound a bit simplistic in its approach, but making a cat look like the center of your marketing campaign, without the presence of dogs or other pets, will create an instant appeal for your product for cat lovers.
- Kittens are to cat lovers as puppies are to dog lovers. A cat lover will pay attention to almost any marketing campaign that uses positive images of kittens in it. Kittens at play, kittens at rest and kittens looking at the camera with what is referred to as "kitten eyes" create very strong marketing images for your cat-related product. Once you have the cat lover's attention with your use of kitten images, your product then needs to have some sort of value for kittens or just cats in general. A product geared toward older cats may benefit initially from the use of kitten images, but this approach will be confusing to consumers in the long run.
- Veterinary bills can be expensive. If you offer a product for cats that will help the cat owner maintain her pet's health without the need for taking the cat to the vet, then you need to emphasize that in your marketing. While offering to help with the cat's health can be a powerful marketing tool, you should also remind cat owners to take their pet to the veterinarian at least once a year. It shows that your company is concerned with the overall health of cats, and that you are not suggesting that your product replace a visit to the vet.
- The primary difference between cats and dogs is activity. Dogs are commonly seen as active pets while cats are seen as more reserved animals. In order to appeal to cat owners in your marketing, you can use the image of a cat and its owner sitting by a fireplace, resting on a couch or pursuing some playful activity in the living room. These can be powerful association images that allow the cat owner to picture your product in conjunction with activities typically associated with owning a cat.
