Animals of one type or another have long been a favorite of the advertising industry.  Why?  Because people love animals, and they respond strongly to marketing that includes animals.  And the truth be told, we’re really not marketing to pets, but we’re marketing to the people who love those pets.

A couple of statistics that may get your attention are that 62% of U.S. households have at least one animal living in their home.  The largest category is dogs, followed by cats.  A distant third favorite is birds, and amazingly almost 2 million households in the U.S. still have horses.  These numbers dwarf the families favoring fish, rabbits, reptiles and other assorted creatures. 

Americans spend about $50 billion per year on their animals, so the pet industry is thriving.  If you have a way to connect your business with what those furry (or scaly) friends need, you’re in a growing sector that should see you prospering. 

Oster and Associates has long been a partner with the San Diego Humane Society.  We love the work they do – and they love the work we do.  It’s a mutual admiration society!  And although most people look at SDHS as a place to adopt stray animals, they offer so much more, including veterinary care, animal advocacy, animal rescue and community education. 

All this comes because this Friday is Pet Owners Independence Day.  The thought behind it?  If you’re fed up of going out to work every day to earn a crust, while your dog, cat, rabbit or budgie lounges around the house, Pet Owners Independence Day aims to change that. The idea is that we owners get a turn at lying on the carpet while our fluffy friends try out their talents in the workplace.

At Oster, we’re not suggesting you try letting your business go to the dogs.  But why not see how you could use them a bit to spark up your creative messages to your existing and potential customers.  And if you bring them to work to exploit them a bit, they may even make friends with everyone from the president to the postman.