Did you know that October 16th is Global Cat Day? Never one to shy away from a global holiday, we bring you insights learned from cats (well, from studying spending by cat owners and marketing to cat-owning people by veterinarians) that transcends across all industries.
~ Dr. Nicole Widmar
Fact or Fiction?
Consumer and client needs are forever evolving and changing; today’s fact is tomorrow’s fiction. Business is not cut and dry. For example, lobster used to be known as the “cockroaches of the sea” and were used as fertilizer and food for prisoners (Willett, 2013). Yet, you would be an unsuccessful fishmonger today if you didn’t charge a premium for lobster. Keeping the pulse on changing client and consumer needs and being willing to pivot or change the offerings of your business are both important components of staying relevant and successful in today’s marketplace.
An Unexpected Case Study: The Whole Kitten-Kaboodle
Cats and dogs are ubiquitously seen as opposites; phrases like “fighting like cats and dogs” are common. As of 2018, 25% of households owned cats, while 38% owned dogs (AVMA, 2018). Given this number, it would be expected that veterinarians would see their fair share of cat clients. Unfortunately, both for the health of cats and veterinary businesses, cats less frequently visit the veterinarian, and cat owners spend less money at the veterinarian on average (AVMA, 2018).
In order to determine potential differences between veterinarian and cat owner perspectives on cats that may explain this behavior, Bir et al. (2016) compared survey responses of veterinarians and a nationally representative population of the U.S. Cats were primarily characterized by members of the public and veterinarians as a member of the family (56% of veterinarians, 41% of the public) or a pet (41% of veterinarians, 39% of the public) (Bir, 2016), which challenges conventional wisdom that cats are aloof. But why was this member of the family not going to the veterinarian? A series of statements regarding cat behavior was presented to both veterinarians and the general population to help understand differences in perspective.
Veterinarians disagreed more with the statements, “It is easy to see when cats are in pain,” and “It is more important to address cats’ physical needs than their behavioral needs” compared to the general population (Bir, 2016) (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Veterinarian and general population level of agreement on cat needs. Mean response on a scale from 1 (agree) to 7 (disagree).
It is possible that this perceived or actual lack of confidence from both groups impacts clients’ willingness to go to the veterinarian. Communication between veterinarians and cat-owning clients regarding behavior and health resources, as well as service expectations and needs may help increase cat veterinary visits. Without meeting the needs and expectations of evolving cat clients, veterinary clinics may be missing out on a source of revenue.
This case study is just one example from one type of business. Are you considering the evolving needs of your clients and consumers? Or are you treating cats the same as dogs and failing to see the marketplace as it really is? Are you using lobster as fertilizer? That’s leaving a lot of money on the table (or in the case of fertilizing with lobsters…sadly, they are off the table!). Routinely evaluating consumer and client needs, wants and demands is a good way to make sure you are considering all of your options. Are you making investments to ensure that you understand your market as it really is rather than how you assume it is?
References
AVMA. 2018. U.S. Pet Ownership Statistics. Available online: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/reports-statistics/us-pet-ownership-statistics
Bir, Courtney, Nicole J. Olynk Widmar, and Candace C. Croney. 2016. “The Whole “Kitten”-Caboodle: Perceived Differences in Veterinary and General Population Opinions Regarding Cat Behavior and Health.” Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine 6 (12): 177-192.
Dictionary, Merriam-Webster. 2002. Merriam-webster. Available online: On-line at https://www.merriam-webster.com/
Willett, Megan. The Remarkable Story of How Lobster Went from Being Used as Fertilizer to a Beloved Delicacy. Available online: https://www.businessinsider.com/the-history-of-gourmet-lobster-2013-8
ConsumerCorner.2020.Letter.22
