Pumpkin the Raccoon, Hamlet the Piggy, and even Geordi La Corgi- animals as influencers is on the rise and becoming a common trend in social media marketing. If you skim through my accounts following on Instagram, you will find many to be animal influencers. All of the accounts I follow that showcase these adorable wet noses and soft paws are a part of influencer marketing. Influencer marketing is a branding tactic that allows companies to hire people (or animals) with a large influential presence, usually on social media channels, to dote on their brand.
So we know that using pets to advertise your brand is the hot new thing, but why use a four-legged, furry mammal over a person? Many brands question the effectiveness and impact of using pet influencers. Well, those brands can keep chewing over the idea of a chinchilla wrapped up in a pashmina while Coach, Brooks Brothers, Jimmy Choo, and Banana Republic all book contracts with Bodhi the Menswear dog. The facts are in:
- The number of followers on each pet influencer’s can range from 100k – 1M.
- Pet influencer accounts can engage up to 10x as many users as human influencers
- Business is building quickly – The Dog Agency is a New York-based management agency who specializes in connecting brands with dog influencers.
Don’t be surprised if you start to see great pet influencer campaigns like these popping up in your news feed more often in the future.
However, using pets to promote products and services has received some pushback from animal lovers community. The biggest concern is subjecting an animal to a situation that puts stress on the animal. Bright lights, costumes, and loud noises are most definitely not the norm for life as a pet – how can we be sure these aren’t negatively affecting these innocent animals?
Another criticism of pet influencers is the possibility of promoting the popularity of certain species or breed of dog that is difficult to take care of which later leads to poor pet care and later abandonment.
Responsible branding campaigns that include low-stress environments and educational disclosure for these special animals is an important aspect for companies to consider when partaking in pet influencer marketing.