Rombach, M., & Dean, D. L. (2021). It keeps the good boy healthy from nose to tail: Understanding pet food attribute preferences of US consumers. Animals, 11(11), 3301.
Important: While based on the work performed by the above researchers, this article is a unique piece of content created by Intersect, designed to offer a summary of important takeaways for busy readers.
Introduction
Pets are growing in importance in US society, with 85 million people owning at least one pet.
Pet owners have become more mindful in their choices for pet care, including pet food, which accounted for $44.1 billion in sales in 2020.
Pet owners may spend between $254 to $287 per year on basic pet food, with an additional $120 to $160 for treats and vitamins.
The choice of pet food varies among owners, with the following factors being the most important:
- Price
- Perceived ingredient safety
- Perceived quality and nutritional value
Factors like natural, wholesome, organic, or cruelty-free production are also gaining popularity among pet owners.
It has also been shown that social and cultural factors, such as the eating habits of pet owners, influence their decision-making process when buying pet food.
However, other key factors that determine pet food preferences of US consumers are widely unexplored, which the present study aims to address.
Context
Key Factors Determining the Importance US Consumers Place on Pet Food Attributes
The importance of pet food attributes to US consumers is determined by several key factors. Pet food purchase involvement, objective and subjective knowledge of consumers, and their sociodemographic backgrounds play a significant role in shaping the importance placed on pet food attributes.
a) Pet food purchase involvement
Pet food purchase involvement refers to the extent of interest and effort pet owners invest in purchasing pet food.
High involvement is associated with high value and extensive research prior to purchase, while low involvement signifies habitual purchases with minimal research. The level of involvement influences how the product is evaluated by pet owners, impacting their emotional response and satisfaction with the purchase.
b) Objective and subjective knowledge of consumers
Objective and subjective knowledge of consumers also influence their attitudes and the importance placed on pet food attributes.
Consumer knowledge is closely related to perception and can lead to either positive or negative evaluations of pet food attributes. Studies show a discrepancy between subjective and objective knowledge, and consumers may overestimate their knowledge about pet food.
c) Socio-demographic backgrounds
It is also found that socio-demographic backgrounds, such as gender, age, income, and education, can impact pet food purchase.
However, the relationship between socio-demographics and pet food purchasing behavior is complex and inconclusive, suggesting the need to consider consumer attitudes and preferences in future models.
d) Intrinsic versus extrinsic attributes
When evaluating pet food products, consumers consider both intrinsic and extrinsic attributes. Intrinsic attributes include physical properties like chemical composition and nutritional properties, while extrinsic attributes encompass factors like brand, price, and product claims related to sustainability and animal welfare.
Research highlights that natural ingredients, value for money, and health claims are crucial in determining pet food quality for consumers.
A conceptual framework is proposed based on the literature, suggesting that the importance placed on pet food attributes is influenced by sociodemographic backgrounds, pet food purchase involvement, and objective and subjective knowledge of consumers.
Materials and methods
The research paper employed an online survey in Qualtrics to gather information from a sample of U.S. residents targeted for pet ownership in July 2021.
The survey collected:
- Socio-demographic data
- Respondents' knowledge about pet food
- Their feeding practices
- Preferences for pet food types and product attributes
The sample consisted of 206 respondents (156 males, 50 females).
The study utilized a combination of 6-point non-specific frequency scales, 7-point Likert scales, and 7-point similarity scales to measure various constructs, including pet food purchase involvement, subjective knowledge, and objective knowledge.
A factor analysis on the 9 pet food product attributes resulted in three factors: importance placed on convenience, value and health claims, and natural ingredients.
| Definitions |
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Likert scale A Likert scale is a psychometric scale commonly used in questionnaires to measure attitudes or opinions, typically featuring a range of responses from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree." |
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Subjective knowledge Subjective knowledge in the context of pet food refers to the information and perceptions individuals have based on personal experiences, beliefs, and opinions rather than objective data or scientific evidence. |
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Objective knowledge Objective knowledge in the context of pet food refers to information that is based on empirical evidence, scientific research, and verified data. |
Results
This study examines the key factors that determine the importance US pet owners place on intrinsic and extrinsic pet food attributes.
The results highlight the significance of pet food purchase involvement, as well as pet owners' objective and subjective knowledge about pet food, as factors impacting the importance placed on:
- Convenience
- Value and health claims
- Natural ingredients as product attributes.
Only some sociodemographic factors were found to have an impact.
| Definitions |
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Purchase involvement Pet food purchase involvement refers to the extent of interest and effort pet owners invest in purchasing pet food. High involvement is associated with high value and extensive research prior to purchase, while low involvement signifies habitual purchases with minimal research. |
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Subjective knowledge Subjective knowledge in the context of pet food refers to the information and perceptions individuals have based on personal experiences, beliefs, and opinions rather than objective data or scientific evidence. |
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Objective knowledge Objective knowledge in the context of pet food refers to information that is based on empirical evidence, scientific research, and verified data. |
It emphasizes that both types of knowledge are the strongest predictors of the importance placed on convenience and natural ingredients.
However, only subjective knowledge impacts the importance of value and health claims. Objective knowledge may lead pet owners to view claims as extrapolations rather than fact-based.
The findings on the impact of sociodemographic factors are only partially confirmed. Gender had no significant impact, while age negatively impacted the importance of convenience.
Education positively impacted the importance of convenience, value and health claims, potentially due to lifestyle and self-extension factors.
Conclusion
The study focuses on pet food consumer behavior in the US, particularly the importance US pet owners place on intrinsic and extrinsic pet food attributes.
The results indicate that pet food purchase involvement positively influences subjective and objective knowledge about pet food.
Subjective knowledge has the strongest influence on the importance consumers place on convenience, natural ingredients, and value and health claims as product attributes, followed by objective knowledge.
Socio-demographic factors like gender, age, income, and education have limited impact on predicting the importance consumers place on product attributes.
Managerial and marketing implications
The study's findings hold managerial implications for various participants in the pet industry.
Veterinarians and animal welfare organizations can invest in awareness campaigns and best practice advice related to healthy feeding strategies, aiming to prevent undesirable feeding practices and improve animal health and wellbeing.
Marketing managers should consider the findings related to pet food purchase involvement, convenience, and health and value claims to tailor offerings to different target groups
For instance, they can address the needs of elderly pet owners by adjusting product design to accommodate their requirements.
In conclusion, the study contributes to the existing literature by providing a marketing perspective on pet food attributes, complementing the veterinarian and food science perspective.
