Groundbreaking study sheds light on “the new clinic.”
Unfenced Animal Health, a division of Kansas City-based JNA advertising, is an expert in marketing animal health products. Recently, they partnered with Merck Animal Health and Kynetec market research to conduct a large scale qualitative and quantitative research study with 2000 pet owners to help the animal health industry better understand these dynamics. The groundbreaking research, called the Pet Owner Paths™ study, provides insights for the animal health industry into the specific steps pet owners take when making decisions about their pets’ health, and how veterinarians, marketers, retailers and manufacturers can more successfully be a part of their decision outcomes.
From this research, the partners have created a white paper and shared key elements with a large audience of practicing veterinarians at a 3-hour CE session this past March at WVC in Las Vegas. Among those who attended the session, 50% rated it to be very helpful and one of their favorite sessions of the entire conference. The CE session was recently followed with a Facebook Live event and an online RACE webinar. The message is hitting home with veterinarians, who are often frustrated by what they perceive as an increasing lack of client compliance and trust.
Today’s pet owner is much like this persona. Let’s call him “Chris.” He’s 34, and he’s a New School pet owner. Chris rescued his dog, Clyde, from a local shelter and he makes no bones about considering himself as Clyde’s pet parent. Chris owns his own home, he makes a great salary and he is hyperconnected, spending countless hours talking to others and reading about how to keep Clyde physically and emotionally healthy, on his smartphone. Clyde goes with him almost everywhere and Chris’s Instagram feed and Snapchat stories are full of shots showing the two of them living the good life, together. Chris trusts his veterinarian and makes regular veterinary appointments online. There is nothing Chris says he wouldn’t do to keep Clyde healthy and safe.
It’s loud and clear that good communication with clients are essential to today’s clinic. Here are just three important findings that this study yields to helps veterinarians relate to “Chris.”
- Today’s veterinarian needs to adapt to a higher level of communication to satisfy the pet owner’s appetite for information and responsiveness. Websites must be first class, clinics need to be active and interesting with social media and clinic apps will continue to grow in their importance.
- Pet owners like “Chris” require a longer journey before making a final decision on products or services. This means that clinics need to be prepared to have a sustaining dialog about treatment options with their clients.
- From a resource point of view, clinics will need to strongly consider the adoption of a full-time staff communication specialist to support the growing communications needs.
JNA advertising is a full-service agency that does everything from full-blown multi-media national advertising campaigns to project consulting. With an entire staff dedicated exclusively to an animal health division, JNA is committed to bringing fact-based, informed insights like these, beyond veterinarians, and directly to animal health companies. Their animal health division is led by Dr. Karen Padgett, a long-time veteran in the animal health industry, who was recently recognized in March by Pet Age Magazine, at the Global Pet Expo, as one of the “Women of Influence” in the pet world as well. After leaving small animal practice, Karen has spent 29 years in commercial leadership roles at Hill’s Pet Nutrition and Ceva Animal Health and has lived first-hand many of the complex challenges senior leaders face in managing a P&L and driving business growth.
If you are a business leader developing and refining your own growth plans, consider reaching out to JNA Advertising to see how they can bring insights and new approaches to help you grow your brands and business in today’s new hyperconnected world. Check them out at jnaadv.com.