PetCo’s 2024 Halloween Bootique Livestream reinvented how pet brands connect with their audience, blending influencer marketing, entertainment, and seamless shopping. Hosted by Antoni Porowski, the 30-minute event featured pet safety tips, adoptable pets, and behind-the-scenes content, all while promoting PetCo products. Antoni's star power helped attract a dedicated audience, while shoppable links in the livestream made purchasing effortless.
The campaign’s strategy combined entertainment with direct sales by integrating real-time product links, creating a smooth path from engagement to purchase. PetCo didn’t just sell products; they built an interactive experience that turned viewers into customers. This approach capitalized on the growing trend of livestream shopping, setting PetCo apart as a leader in the space.
For pet product brands, PetCo’s livestream is a perfect example of how influencer marketing can create an engaging, multi-channel experience that boosts both brand loyalty and sales. It’s all about blending entertainment with easy purchasing—an approach other brands should definitely take notes on.
- 6 Effective Influencer Marketing Strategies for Pet Products
- 1. Utilizing Pet Micro-Influencers to Showcase Real-World Product Testing
- 2 . Boosting Engagement Through Influencer Giveaways
- 3. Tapping into the "Pet Celebrity" Phenomenon: Working with Famous Pets
- 4. Partnering with Veterinary Experts on Podcasts to Elevate Brand Authority
- 5. Leveraging Pet Influencers and Paid Ads Combo to Boost Box Subscriptions
- 6. Partnering with Influencers for Major Pet Industry Events and Exposure
- Unlocking Success with Influencer Marketing for Pet Brands
- Frequently Asked Questions
6 Effective Influencer Marketing Strategies for Pet Products
Influencer marketing has become one of the most powerful tools for pet product brands looking to connect with passionate pet owners. By tapping into influencers with authentic connections to their pets, brands can create meaningful, relatable content that resonates with their target audience.
Here are 6 proven strategies to help you leverage influencer marketing and take your pet product brand to the next level.
1. Utilizing Pet Micro-Influencers to Showcase Real-World Product Testing
When marketing pet products, there's no better way to demonstrate durability and effectiveness than through real-world testing. Enter pet micro-influencers—pet owners with highly engaged, niche followings who can authentically showcase your products in everyday life. These micro-influencers are often seen as more relatable and trustworthy by their audience, making their content incredibly impactful for driving awareness and trust in pet products.
A standout example of this strategy is BarkBox’s "Indestructible Challenge" series, which featured tough-chewing dog influencers like Miffy Doggy and Tula Pawventures. The campaign highlighted the strength and durability of BarkBox’s Super Chewer toy line by having these pets put the toys through rigorous tests. With pet owners trusting micro-influencers for advice on pet care, the content resonated deeply with a like-minded audience.
By tapping into the power of micro-influencer marketing, the campaign not only addressed a key concern for dog owners—finding toys that truly stand up to aggressive chewers—but also made the testing process fun and engaging. The challenge format, which showcased these pets in real-life scenarios, increased the authenticity of the product’s claims.
The results speak for themselves: over 10 million views, a significant surge in subscriptions, and a 25% drop in durability-related customer service inquiries. This type of micro-influencer-driven content is an effective way to build trust, foster community engagement, and drive sales, all while highlighting the practical benefits of your products.
Pro Tip:
Choose influencers who align with your product’s unique selling points. Whether it's durability, functionality, or a specific feature, leverage influencers who can effectively demonstrate how your product solves real-world problems.
2 . Boosting Engagement Through Influencer Giveaways
When it comes to promoting pet products, it's not just about showing how well they work—it's about how they fit seamlessly into the everyday lives of pet owners. A powerful way to do this is by combining lifestyle content with engaging giveaways that encourage interaction while offering tangible rewards that drive loyalty.
April Golightly wrote on her blog a post titled, “How to Make Your Pet-Friendly Home Smell Nice.” This post is a perfect example of this approach. April created content around keeping pet-friendly homes fresh. By incorporating various products into her daily life, she naturally showcased how they could make life easier for pet owners.
aprilgolightly.com
To further increase engagement, April partnered with PetCo and launched a giveaway in her content. Her readers were invited to enter an Instagram contest to win $100 worth of PetCo gift cards, along with other exciting prizes. This strategy encouraged participation, helping build buzz and drive interaction with her audience.
Pro Tip:
Combine lifestyle content with engaging giveaways to increase interaction and excitement around your brand. Giveaways create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, while offering followers a chance to experience your products firsthand.
3. Tapping into the "Pet Celebrity" Phenomenon: Working with Famous Pets
In the world of pet product marketing, collaborating with "pet celebrities" has proven to be a highly effective strategy. Just like influencers, pets can have massive social media followings, and their presence on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube can turn them into brand ambassadors with a loyal fanbase of pet lovers. When brands partner with these pet influencers, they can tap into a wide audience, increasing engagement and driving sales with authentic, relatable content that pet owners trust.
One prime example is Chewy’s collaboration with Nala Cat. Nala, a celebrity feline with over 4.5M followers, has become an icon in the pet influencer space. Together, they launched the Love Nala account and premium cat food line that’s specifically designed for picky eaters. By teaming up with Chewy, Nala’s star power was harnessed to promote Love Nala’s natural, high-quality ingredients—no fillers, no artificial flavors, just wholesome food.
The collab focuses on Nala herself enjoying the food, creating an aspirational connection between her fans and the brand. This partnership not only boosted visibility for Love Nala but also helped Chewy establish itself as a trusted provider of premium, healthy pet food options.
Pro Tip:
When working with pet celebrities, ensure the partnership feels authentic. Pet owners follow these furry influencers because they trust their personalities and preferences—so the product should align with the pet’s “brand” and values to avoid coming across as overly promotional.
4. Partnering with Veterinary Experts on Podcasts to Elevate Brand Authority
In the pet care industry, trust is everything, and partnering with veterinary professionals on trusted platforms, like podcasts, is a powerful way to build it. One standout example is the Pet Food Science Podcast, which regularly hosts pet food experts, veterinarians, and industry leaders to discuss key topics affecting pet health.
In one episode, the podcast collaborated with Dr. Lisa Weeth, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and owner of Weeth Nutrition Services, to tackle one of the most pressing issues in pet care: pet obesity.
In this highly informative episode, Dr. Weeth provided actionable strategies for managing pet obesity, explaining the vital role of nutrition and therapeutic diets in improving pets’ health. The discussion also covered how obesity impacts metabolism and how balanced nutrition can significantly enhance a pet’s well-being. The collaboration not only helped elevate Dr. Weeth’s authority but also positioned the podcast as a go-to resource for trustworthy pet nutrition advice.
For pet brands, partnering with experts like Dr. Weeth can create valuable content that educates consumers while subtly integrating product recommendations. This strategy boosts brand credibility by aligning your business with industry leaders, ultimately driving consumer confidence and loyalty.
Pro Tip:
Leverage educational podcasts with expert voices to turn valuable information into a subtle promotion for your products. It’s a great way to educate while boosting brand trust and authority.
5. Leveraging Pet Influencers and Paid Ads Combo to Boost Box Subscriptions
Subscription box services, especially those for pets, thrive on excitement and surprise. Pet brands like BarkBox have perfected this by combining influencer marketing with paid social media strategies to create a buzz. A key example is their collaboration with dog-influencer Eris The Borzoi, who shared the joy of unboxing her BarkBox each month. Her fun, relatable content—showcasing Eris' excitement as she tore through the box—captured the attention of followers, sparking engagement and creating a sense of anticipation for what’s inside each delivery.
But the collaboration didn’t stop there. BarkBox took Eris’ authentic content and turned it into Partnership Ads across Instagram and Facebook. By promoting these influencer-generated Reels through paid media, BarkBox significantly boosted its reach and ensured the campaign would have a wider, targeted audience. This strategy resulted in a 13% increase in subscriptions compared to regular campaigns, as well as a 13% reduction in the cost per action, showing the effectiveness of pairing influencer content with paid promotion.
This hybrid approach of organic influencer content + paid ads is a powerful way to create more touchpoints with potential customers, making the product feel both aspirational and accessible. It turns followers into customers and drives conversions in a more direct, measurable way.
Pro Tip:
Combine influencer marketing with paid media to maximize reach and conversions. This approach ensures your content doesn’t just go viral—it actually drives sales.
6. Partnering with Influencers for Major Pet Industry Events and Exposure
Hosting pet industry events can be an excellent way for brands to engage directly with their audience, showcase new products, and create buzz around their offerings. By partnering with influential pet content creators, brands can amplify their messaging and increase visibility through authentic, engaging content. Pet influencers can act as brand ambassadors, attending events, sharing live updates, and creating content that resonates with their followers—bringing added credibility and excitement to the event.
For pet brands, collaborating with influencers at these events is an effective way to ensure greater exposure and build a sense of community. Influencers bring their loyal, engaged audiences with them, helping brands tap into new communities, increase social proof, and generate real-time engagement. Whether it’s an exclusive product launch or a live-streamed Q&A session, influencers can help brands create moments of excitement that drive both digital and in-person traffic.
An example of this strategy in action is the Global Pet Expo 2025, which is partnering with prominent pet influencers to generate excitement and amplify brand exposure. One such influencer is WILLY | GoodDog, a popular TikTok account with over 416k followers, who collaborated to promote the event.
@officialwillygooddog Looking forward to the @Global Pet Expo this March! #globalpetexpo #doglover ♬ original sound - WILLY | GoodDog
On their TikTok. Willy the Good Dog posted about their excitement in attending the event, which is set to happen in March, and of all the goodies they'll get their paws on like new products, new brands, and of course, all the hanging out they'll be doing with the other dogs.
Pro Tip:
Partner with influencers to create pre-event buzz and exclusive content. This helps build anticipation, drive engagement, and ensure your brand stands out long before the event even begins.
Unlocking Success with Influencer Marketing for Pet Brands
Influencer marketing has emerged as a game-changer for pet product brands looking to connect with their audience in authentic and engaging ways. By collaborating with pet influencers, brands can amplify their message, drive engagement, and increase sales. Whether through micro-influencers showcasing product durability, pet celebrities promoting new food lines, or livestream events combining entertainment with direct sales, the possibilities are endless.
Integrating influencer partnerships with strategies like giveaways, podcasts, and paid ads ensures that pet brands not only stand out in a crowded market but also build lasting relationships with their customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can pet brands avoid appearing too promotional when working with influencers?
When working with influencers, it’s essential to maintain authenticity and avoid coming across as overly promotional. Here are some key strategies to strike the right balance:
- Allow creative freedom: Give influencers the flexibility to incorporate your product naturally into their content. This prevents the campaign from feeling like a hard sell.
- Focus on storytelling: Encourage influencers to share genuine experiences with the product, highlighting how it fits into their everyday lives.
- Provide value-driven content: Instead of just promoting the product, share tips, tutorials, or behind-the-scenes content that adds value to the audience.
What social media platforms are best for pet product influencer marketing?
The effectiveness of each platform can vary depending on your target audience and campaign goals. Below is a table to help you understand which platforms work best for pet product marketing:
| Platform | Best For | Audience | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual content, influencer partnerships | Pet owners, millennials | Highly engaging with visual appeal; great for stories, reels, and photos. | |
| TikTok | Short-form videos, viral content, trends | Gen Z, younger pet owners | Ideal for viral challenges, trends, and quick pet product demos. |
| YouTube | Long-form video content, educational campaigns | Pet enthusiasts, families | Perfect for detailed reviews, how-to videos, and pet care tutorials. |
| Community-building, product promotions | Older demographics | Works for niche pet groups, events, and community-focused pet content. |
Understanding your target demographic and content goals will help you decide which platform to focus on.
What types of pet products are most effective when promoted by influencers?
When considering pet product promotions through influencers, it's important to choose items that naturally lend themselves to personal endorsement. Here are some types that tend to perform well:
- Pet food and treats: Pet owners trust influencers for nutritional recommendations, especially when influencers share their pet's positive experience.
- Toys and accessories: These products offer a fun and shareable aspect, especially for playful or adorable pet content.
- Pet grooming products: Pet care routines are highly relatable, and influencers can easily demonstrate these products in action.
How do influencers help build trust and loyalty for pet product brands?
Influencers play a critical role in building trust and loyalty for pet product brands by fostering authentic connections with their audiences.
- They create content that feels personal and relatable, making their product endorsements more trustworthy.
- Their direct interaction with followers (via comments, Q&As, etc.) helps build a sense of community around your brand.
- The consistency of influencer endorsements over time can build long-term relationships, making followers more likely to trust and purchase from your brand.
Is influencer marketing effective for new pet brands with limited budgets?
Influencer marketing can still be a powerful tool for new pet brands, even with a tight budget. Here are some ways to make it work:
- Leverage micro-influencers: They typically have smaller, more engaged audiences and are often more affordable.
- Offer product exchanges: Instead of paying influencers upfront, offer your products in exchange for reviews or mentions.
- Start small: Run smaller campaigns with influencers who have a direct connection to your niche, focusing on building a strong brand presence before scaling.
How can I ensure my pet product brand stands out in a crowded influencer market?
In a saturated influencer market, it’s important to differentiate your brand by offering something unique. Here’s how you can ensure your pet brand stands out:
- Define your brand's story: Develop a compelling narrative that resonates with your target audience. Whether it’s sustainability, innovation, or community, make sure your brand stands for something meaningful.
- Create exclusive collaborations: Partner with influencers to co-create unique products or limited-edition items that generate buzz and FOMO (fear of missing out).
- Focus on niche markets: Identify underserved pet owner groups or niche products that can help you tap into specific communities.
Can pet influencers create educational content for my brand?
Yes, pet influencers can absolutely create educational content that resonates with pet owners and positions your brand as a trusted resource. Here’s how they can help:
- Pet care tips and advice: They can share essential information like training tips, health recommendations, or product usage, while subtly promoting your brand’s products.
- Expert collaborations: Influencers can collaborate with veterinarians or trainers to provide expert insights that align with your product's benefits, increasing credibility.
Should I partner with pet owners or just their pets for influencer campaigns?
When deciding between partnering with a pet owner or their pet, it’s important to consider the type of content you want to produce.
- Partnering with pet owners: This works best if you want a personal, authentic feel where the influencer can tell stories, share experiences, and build a connection with the audience.
- Partnering with pets: If you’re focusing on showcasing cute or engaging visuals, pets themselves can create shareable content, especially on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
How do I encourage influencer-created content that aligns with my brand's values?
To encourage influencer-created content that aligns with your brand’s values, follow these strategies:
- Provide clear guidelines: Set expectations on messaging, tone, and content themes while allowing influencers room to create authentically.
- Share your brand values upfront: Be transparent about your mission and values during the collaboration process to ensure that the influencer's content matches your vision.
- Collaborate on content: Work closely with the influencer to brainstorm ideas that feel true to their style while aligning with your brand's values.
How important is the pet influencer’s audience size compared to engagement rates?
Audience size and engagement rates both play significant roles, but engagement rates tend to be more important for effective influencer marketing. Here's why:
| Factor | Audience Size | Engagement Rates |
|---|---|---|
| Importance | A large audience can reach more people, but may lack connection. | High engagement leads to more meaningful interactions and higher conversion rates. |
| Cost | Larger influencers often charge more for collaborations. | Smaller, highly engaged audiences can still produce great results at lower costs. |
| Effectiveness | Reaching a broader audience doesn’t guarantee impact. | High engagement ensures that the audience is actively involved and more likely to take action. |
