Purr-fect Pitches: PR Secrets for Pet Businesses with Pamela Mitchell
This week on The Whisker Report hosts Mary and Alex dive into the world of PR and marketing for pet businesses with a special guest, Pamela Mitchell, Editor-in-Chief of Pets+ Magazine. In this insightful episode, Pamela shares her expert take on what makes a standout pitch, the challenges editors face with generic outreach, and best practices for pet businesses looking to shine in national publications like Pets+. The conversation explores hot topics such as the role of AI in press release writing, eye-catching strategies for pitches, and how the rise of pet influencers is transforming PR and marketing. Plus, Pamela offers a glimpse into future trends in the pet industry for 2025. Whether you’re a small pet business owner or simply curious about the inner workings of pet media, this episode is packed with valuable insights and advice. Don’t miss it!
Listen to Episode #16 Now:
BIO:
Pamela Mitchell is the Editor-in-Chief of PETS+ magazine, a leading publication dedicated to the pet industry. She operates from her home office in Phoenix, Arizona, with her Boston Terrier, Ty, as her assistant.
Before her current role, Pamela served as a Senior Editor at Dogster magazine, where she honed her expertise in pet-related journalism.
In addition to her editorial work, Pamela volunteers at 4 Paws Farm, reflecting her commitment to animal welfare.
Her leadership at PETS+ has been instrumental in providing valuable insights and information to pet business professionals nationwide.
Transcript:
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Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.
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Announcer: Let's talk pets.
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Mary Tan: Welcome to the Whisker Report.
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Mary Tan: We're a new podcast dedicated to helping anyone in the pet industry, whether you're an animal welfare or a for-profit pet company.
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Mary Tan: We want to give you some PR and buzz for your nonprofit or business, and we're gonna teach you how to do it yourself.
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Mary Tan: Hello, everyone, I'm Mary Tan, one of the hosts of the show, along with Alexane Ricard, a French gal who currently lives in Vancouver, and she travels the world in the hopes of spaying and neutering stray cats.
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Mary Tan: Bonjour, Alexane.
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Alexane Ricard: Bonjour, tout le monde.
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Alexane Ricard: I hope you guys are okay.
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Alexane Ricard: I know Mary just had a big snowstorm, so we've just been talking about White Christmas.
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Alexane Ricard: Oh, and I just watched the movie White Christmas.
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Alexane Ricard: I've never watched it before.
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Mary Tan: That's a fantastic movie.
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Mary Tan: I love it.
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Alexane Ricard: Yeah, it was really nice.
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Alexane Ricard: I'm glad.
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Alexane Ricard: And then we're here with the producer, Mark Winter of Pet Life Radio, who is the man who gets us to you each and every week.
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Alexane Ricard: Hi, Mark.
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Mark Winter: Hi! Merry Petmas!
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Mary Tan: Oh, what a great thing.
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Mary Tan: I love that.
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Mary Tan: We did holiday cards and we wrote, Happy Clawlidays, right, Alex?
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Alexane Ricard: Yeah, Happy Clolidays.
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Alexane Ricard: I think that's cute.
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Mark Winter: I think we got one of those cards.
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Mark Winter: Thank you for sending it.
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Mary Tan: By the way, Pamela, I need your address so I can send you one too.
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Pamela Mitchell: I was going to say I would like one of those cards if you don't mind.
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Mary Tan: Yes, Alex.
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Mary Tan: Alex made it.
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Alexane Ricard: Very cool.
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Alexane Ricard: Designed them, yes.
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Mary Tan: So, Mark, what's coming up on Pet Life Radio?
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Mary Tan: What are your other shows working on?
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Mark Winter: They're working on all kinds of stuff.
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Mark Winter: We just had on Rappaport to the Rescue, we just had Ben Mankiewicz, who is the host of Turner Classic Movies, which is one of the movies that Alex would have just seen, White Christmas.
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Mary Tan: Oh, wow.
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Mark Winter: And we have a lot of celebrities coming up.
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Mary Tan: That's amazing.
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Mary Tan: Yeah, Mark has like 80-something podcasts out there, all dealing with the pet industry.
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Mary Tan: And so it's something you got to tune in.
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Mary Tan: There's something for everyone.
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Mary Tan: And we are ourselves honored to be part of Pet Life Radio.
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Mary Tan: And we are going to dive into this week's show.
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Alexane Ricard: Today, we have the editor of Pets Plus on our show.
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Alexane Ricard: Pamela Mitchell has more than 30 years of experience in journalism and content creation.
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Alexane Ricard: And she receives hundreds of pitches a day about anything pet related.
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Alexane Ricard: So she's here to tell us more about it all.
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Alexane Ricard: Hi Pamela, welcome to our show.
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Alexane Ricard: Could you tell us how you ended up in the pet industry?
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Pamela Mitchell: Oh, goodness.
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Pamela Mitchell: I started off as a news reporter, then I was an entertainment reporter, and then I was an entertainment editor and got into the digital space.
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Pamela Mitchell: And then I joined, you all are very familiar with Dogster and Catster magazines.
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Pamela Mitchell: And so I joined Dogster back before Dogster had a print component, which was Dog Fancy, which became Dogster, and just have been in the pet industry now for 10, 11 years now and love it.
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Pamela Mitchell: It's like I say, I've had my dream job like three times ever, but this is my ultimate favorite.
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Pamela Mitchell: So now I'm the editor in chief of Pets Plus Magazine, and we are a publication for independent pet retailers and service providers.
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Pamela Mitchell: But we are read by the entire industry.
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Pamela Mitchell: We have a print subscription that goes out to 22,000 readers, and have some amazing brand partners.
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Pamela Mitchell: And I just love what we do.
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Pamela Mitchell: We love supporting small businesses.
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Pamela Mitchell: And so I was very happy to come on the show today.
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Pamela Mitchell: For the podcast.
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Pamela Mitchell: Sorry, I just aged myself.
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Alexane Ricard: The podcast.
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Mary Tan: Well, we're so appreciative, because you're like one of the grand dames of the pet industry in terms of pet journalism.
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Mary Tan: And can you talk a little bit about what kind of pitches are you looking for when it comes to Pets Plus Magazine?
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Pamela Mitchell: So in a sense, we have two audiences and that we have the retailers and service providers who are direct to consumer, dealing with consumers and customers in their stores.
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Pamela Mitchell: And then we also have the brands who read our magazine and the many of them who are our brand partners.
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Pamela Mitchell: So kind of two audiences there.
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Pamela Mitchell: The retailers have great access to us in the sense that they can join our brain squad and contribute to the magazine that way.
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Pamela Mitchell: So that's kind of how they get their stories out there through the contributions for hot sellers, for inbox, for the main stories that we do.
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Pamela Mitchell: So they are able to contribute that way.
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Pamela Mitchell: And also through our America School List Contest, which we will open up in February.
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Pamela Mitchell: So that's how they pitch themselves in a sense.
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Pamela Mitchell: So they're saying, this is my business.
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Pamela Mitchell: I would love for you to write about it.
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Pamela Mitchell: And here are the many reasons why.
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Pamela Mitchell: We're very fortunate that SuperZoo has come on as our America School sponsor.
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Pamela Mitchell: So that's going to be fun again next year, next week.
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Pamela Mitchell: So for brands, we make it really easy.
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Pamela Mitchell: We and Mary, you know this, got a call for pitches before every issue, about six to eight weeks before every issue.
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Pamela Mitchell: And we let them know what our category rounds are going to be.
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Pamela Mitchell: And we say, just tell us about your products.
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Pamela Mitchell: And it's really that simple.
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Pamela Mitchell: As long as the products fit our audience, which they have to be available wholesale to independent pet retailers, to pet rich retailers.
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Pamela Mitchell: So we don't feature any direct to consumer products.
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Pamela Mitchell: We don't feature products that are available only through online retailers.
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Pamela Mitchell: But that's it.
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Pamela Mitchell: We have a form that is petsplusmag.com/submit a product.
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Pamela Mitchell: Fill out the form.
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Pamela Mitchell: It feeds into our system and our email.
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Pamela Mitchell: And then our product writer, Melissa Kaufman, and I get together and we go through the pitches and we pick what's going to run the magazine.
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Pamela Mitchell: But I will tell you that we try to make sure that every product that fits our specifications gets featured.
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Pamela Mitchell: When we have too many pitches, then I'll figure out, all right, can it run a new notable?
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Pamela Mitchell: Can we run it in an upcoming section because it's a better fit if it's like a category specific product?
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Pamela Mitchell: But we really try to make sure that anybody who wants to tell our readers about their products has the opportunity to.
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Pamela Mitchell: And so what I'm looking for, and like I said, it has to fit our specifications, so available wholesale to independent pet retailers, new and notable, and then like I said, we have four to five categories for each issue that they fall into, and that's all available on our website at petsplusmag.com, under Advertise and you can see our media kit with all of the categories for the coming year.
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Mary Tan: So I have a tip for working with Pamela too.
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Mary Tan: Make sure you read the magazine before you pick.
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Mary Tan: And that's for all magazines and all media in general.
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Mary Tan: Wouldn't you agree with that?
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Pamela Mitchell: So I don't get hundreds, I'll have a little correction on Alex.
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Pamela Mitchell: I don't get hundreds a day, but I certainly get a hundred pitches at least a week.
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Pamela Mitchell: And I've written up a reply that I send to any that don't fit our specs, which is basically, this is what we're looking for, this is how to pitch to us, this is the form to use.
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Pamela Mitchell: And it's very obvious when we're getting blind pitches that are going to a thousand editors across the country.
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Pamela Mitchell: And one bit of advice, I'm going to plug Mary's team here, one bit of advice I would offer to brands is to work with an agency that specializes in pet.
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Pamela Mitchell: It is so much, it makes my job and the other editor's job so much easier if you're working with a Mary or Mary and Alex or the half a dozen others in the industry who have a focus on pet.
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Pamela Mitchell: They know who are audiences, they know who every magazine's audience is, and they make sure to get you pitches directed to that so that it makes it easier for us to digest those hundreds of pitches we get every week.
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Pamela Mitchell: Yes, I often reply with our guidelines and I'll get, and I know we're going to talk about AI at one point, I don't know if this isn't a component of AI, but I get blind replies.
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Pamela Mitchell: Then I'll reply and I'll say, did you read my response?
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Pamela Mitchell: Because if you read my response, you would see that we don't write about that.
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Pamela Mitchell: And it's not that we don't think it's important, it's not that we don't think that there's an audience for it.
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Pamela Mitchell: With everyone in today's day and age, we have resources, we have a set amount of resources, and we cannot cover the entire world, even the entire world within pet.
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Pamela Mitchell: We can't cover consumer the way the consumer pet magazines do.
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Pamela Mitchell: So really working with an agency that specializes in pet is so important.
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Pamela Mitchell: And if you can't do that, if you're not at the point where you can do that, you can always reach out to me and I'll give you some advice and tips, but be sure that you've at least picked up our magazine and gone, oh, I get it.
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Pamela Mitchell: I get what their audience is.
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Pamela Mitchell: It's pretty clear that we serve independent retailers, brick and mortar.
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Pamela Mitchell: I didn't mention that brick and mortar.
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Pamela Mitchell: So if you've read our magazine, you know what we're looking for and we're more than happy to help share your brand.
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Pamela Mitchell: Absolutely.
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Alexane Ricard: So talking about AI, can you spot when press releases have been written by AI?
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Pamela Mitchell: So it was interesting that you asked this because I thought about it and I said, no, but I'm not looking for it.
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Pamela Mitchell: Because as far as I'm concerned, that's really none of my business.
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Pamela Mitchell: If a brand has figure out a way to use technology to make their job easier, and I'm getting the information that I need, then again, it's none of my business.
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Pamela Mitchell: I as a journalist, I don't use AI.
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Pamela Mitchell: I know that makes me sound like an old foe you too, but I use AI in that way.
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Pamela Mitchell: But if a brand can use AI and it helps them do things more efficiently, it helps them reach their audience, good for them.
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Mary Tan: Tell us about some of the bad pitches you've gotten.
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Mary Tan: What are some of the worst things you've ever seen?
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Pamela Mitchell: Oh, I don't know that I could say that I get bad pitches.
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Pamela Mitchell: I just get off-topic pitches.
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Pamela Mitchell: The one thing that I would say to brands, though, is there are some amazing organizations that do surveys and do studies.
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Pamela Mitchell: And I get tired of reading the first three sentences of a pitch that says the so-and-so organization found that X percent of consumers, you know, at this point, like I said, if you're working with an agency that specializes in PET, they're going to tell you, you don't need to tell an editor in the vertical, in the industry, about these studies.
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Pamela Mitchell: We know.
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Pamela Mitchell: We've read them.
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Pamela Mitchell: We've read them from the organizations.
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Pamela Mitchell: So I think you just waste the first few sentences bit of attention that you have of editors' time by telling them a stat that they know.
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Pamela Mitchell: So not necessarily bad, but not necessarily useful for anybody.
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Pamela Mitchell: And like I said, that tends to come from the big agencies that are covering the big brands and are sending out press releases to thousands of people.
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Mary Tan: Wow.
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Mary Tan: That's amazing.
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Mary Tan: So have you noticed any kind of trends?
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Mary Tan: You've seen, you've been in the pet product industry for a long time.
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Mary Tan: What's changed in terms of PR and marketing from when you started to now?
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Pamela Mitchell: I think there are fewer agencies that specialize in pet, which does have an impact for the brands and for the editors and for the journalists who cover the industry.
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Pamela Mitchell: So there's fewer agencies that do that.
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Pamela Mitchell: There are more brands who are doing it themselves, which is okay if you have somebody within your team who can devote the time to that.
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Pamela Mitchell: And we have some brands who are one and two and three people shops.
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Pamela Mitchell: And I fully admit that I'm more than happy to give them more time and to give them more patience because I want to help them.
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Pamela Mitchell: I want to help those small businesses grow.
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Pamela Mitchell: So essentially just seeing fewer people specializing in pet and more bigger brands or bigger agencies that are with the bigger brands and they're shooting press releases and pitches to consumer, to trade, to celebrity.
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Pamela Mitchell: We've got all these celebrities involved in the pet industry now.
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Pamela Mitchell: So that's sort of what I've seen in terms of PR and marketing.
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Pamela Mitchell: And I think we're going to talk about this to the rise of social media influencers.
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Pamela Mitchell: That has definitely changed for both sides, for y'all as well as for us.
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Pamela Mitchell: So that's changed marketing and PR for sure.
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Alexane Ricard: And what's your opinion on it?
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Alexane Ricard: Because I know you had some thoughts.
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Pamela Mitchell: Well, I was thinking about that.
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Pamela Mitchell: And I would say there's a few aspects of it.
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Pamela Mitchell: And please feel free to interrupt me.
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Pamela Mitchell: I'm gonna talk a little bit more like we're here.
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Pamela Mitchell: You know, for the brands and for the retailers, because our retailers ask us, should we be working with influencers?
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Pamela Mitchell: And what we tell the retailers is, if you have an influencer in your area who can prove to you that they have local reach, not a TikTok that got 2 million views, because you know what?
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Pamela Mitchell: That's not gonna bring people into your door.
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Pamela Mitchell: That's not gonna result in sales.
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Pamela Mitchell: It's just not.
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Pamela Mitchell: You could be famous for a hot five minutes, but it's not gonna bring in revenue.
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Pamela Mitchell: So we tell retailers to if you have somebody who is like the dog mom of Pittsburgh, I don't know if that's a thing, but if you have someone like that who can drive traffic to your store and to drive sales, figure out an arrangement that works for both of you.
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Pamela Mitchell: Stores tell us all the time that influencers walk in the door and they just want free product.
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Pamela Mitchell: Feel like we've graced you with our presence, give us free product and we'll talk about it.
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Pamela Mitchell: But unless that influencer can prove to you that it's going to benefit your business, it's not worth your time.
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Pamela Mitchell: We've heard from retailers who have had good success if they are in tourist areas working with travel bloggers.
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Pamela Mitchell: So they're not just hitting people in their area, people in their community and opening that up, but they're getting tourists who are following these travel blogs.
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Pamela Mitchell: But again, I would ask for proof and to set up a relationship that benefits you both and that is minimal risk on your part until they do prove themselves to the extent that they are bringing sales to your door.
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Pamela Mitchell: With brands, I would actually say the same thing.
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Pamela Mitchell: And this is kind of what I was talking about in terms of being just a little bit negative.
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Pamela Mitchell: I have friends who are influencers in the pet space.
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Pamela Mitchell: I think they do amazing work.
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Pamela Mitchell: The one thing that I would say is that at trade shows, if a brand is going to be open to talking to influencers and having those meetings, that they have enough staff in their booth so that a retailer is not waiting behind an influencer.
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Pamela Mitchell: Because the retailer is in your booth, the retailer wants to know, hey, can I buy your products?
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Pamela Mitchell: Tell me about your products.
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Pamela Mitchell: I want to bring your products in.
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Pamela Mitchell: I want to be a partner with you.
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Pamela Mitchell: Let's sell your products.
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Pamela Mitchell: And it's a little bit different for an influencer.
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Pamela Mitchell: So my advice to brands would be, I think it's great if you set up these relationships, especially if you've got strong direct-to-consumer programs.
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Pamela Mitchell: But please don't make the retailers wait behind you, wait behind them because they have a limited amount of time.
00:14:29.023 --> 00:14:31.863
Pamela Mitchell: They spent a lot of money and a lot of time.
00:14:31.863 --> 00:14:38.623
Pamela Mitchell: They've left their stores to come to a trade show and to talk to you about your products in the hopes of bringing them into your store.
00:14:38.623 --> 00:14:46.463
Pamela Mitchell: And if they have to wait for 15, 20 minutes because obviously somebody's filming a TikTok and it's not someone that you...
00:14:46.463 --> 00:14:55.863
Pamela Mitchell: They're going to walk away because they're going to say, this is how you treat me in a trade show when our entire purpose of being here is to do business with each other, then I don't know how you're going to treat me outside of a trade show.
00:14:55.863 --> 00:14:57.523
Pamela Mitchell: So that would be sort of...
00:14:57.523 --> 00:14:59.663
Pamela Mitchell: That would be my advice that I offer to brands.
00:14:59.663 --> 00:15:01.903
Mary Tan: Well that is great advice.
00:15:01.903 --> 00:15:05.023
Mary Tan: And when we come back, we're going to talk a little bit more about trade shows.
00:15:05.163 --> 00:15:09.763
Mary Tan: But first, Mark needs to run an ad.
00:15:14.483 --> 00:15:16.963
Announcer: Take a bite out of your competition.
00:15:16.963 --> 00:15:21.763
Announcer: Advertise your business with an ad in Pet Life Radio podcasts and radio shows.
00:15:21.763 --> 00:15:28.963
Announcer: There is no other pet-related media that is as large and reaches more pet parents and pet lovers than Pet Life Radio.
00:15:28.963 --> 00:15:35.863
Announcer: With over 7 million monthly listeners, Pet Life Radio podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms.
00:15:35.863 --> 00:15:45.303
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00:15:45.303 --> 00:15:52.163
Announcer: For more information on how you can advertise on the number one pet podcast and radio network, visit petliferadio.com/advertise today.
00:15:56.663 --> 00:15:59.763
Announcer: Let's talk pets on petliferadio.com.
00:16:09.686 --> 00:16:14.686
Mary Tan: And we're back with the wonderful Pamela Mitchell of Pets Plus Magazine.
00:16:14.686 --> 00:16:16.646
Mary Tan: Everybody needs to pick up a copy.
00:16:16.646 --> 00:16:17.746
Mary Tan: They can subscribe.
00:16:17.746 --> 00:16:20.566
Mary Tan: You can read their newsletters which come out.
00:16:20.566 --> 00:16:22.406
Mary Tan: Is it once a week, Pamela?
00:16:22.406 --> 00:16:23.466
Pamela Mitchell: Oh no, we're daily.
00:16:23.466 --> 00:16:25.146
Pamela Mitchell: Well, we are Monday through Saturday.
00:16:25.146 --> 00:16:26.546
Mary Tan: Oh, okay, yeah.
00:16:26.546 --> 00:16:32.446
Mary Tan: I read all of them, and the content is really amazing what you're putting out there.
00:16:32.446 --> 00:16:44.906
Mary Tan: Talking about trade shows, so at Global Pet, they took a different kind of, not Global Pet, I mean Super Zoo, last year, they took a different route in terms of approving influencers.
00:16:44.906 --> 00:16:48.866
Mary Tan: And there were so many fewer influencers than normal.
00:16:48.866 --> 00:17:00.586
Mary Tan: And I believe they did that because they did get a lot of complaints about influencers and them coming in and just wanting free product and nothing ever happening about that.
00:17:00.586 --> 00:17:06.826
Mary Tan: I'm curious, as a traditional journalist, how do you feel about that?
00:17:06.926 --> 00:17:21.366
Mary Tan: Like, you know, when we work with press versus influencers, we know that the press relationships are going to typically result in something being mentioned about the product or something.
00:17:21.366 --> 00:17:26.766
Mary Tan: But with influencers, we don't always get that reciprocation.
00:17:26.766 --> 00:17:29.726
Mary Tan: And I was just wondering what you guys think about that.
00:17:29.926 --> 00:17:34.306
Mary Tan: I sort of feel like, how do you guys feel about these influencers?
00:17:34.586 --> 00:17:36.966
Mary Tan: I know, Pamela, you just spoke about that.
00:17:36.966 --> 00:17:41.446
Mary Tan: But do you think it's taking away from traditional media?
00:17:41.446 --> 00:17:43.606
Pamela Mitchell: I think there's room for everybody.
00:17:43.606 --> 00:17:50.286
Pamela Mitchell: And all I would ask again is that there be staffing to deal with everybody.
00:17:51.306 --> 00:17:59.806
Pamela Mitchell: From my perspective, I guess I am a traditional journalist in the sense that I've been in print for so long, but I've also been digital and social media.
00:17:59.806 --> 00:18:05.206
Pamela Mitchell: But from my perspective, I actually, and I don't remember which show organizer I said it to.
00:18:05.206 --> 00:18:11.026
Pamela Mitchell: I said I would appreciate it if social media influencers were identified as such.
00:18:11.026 --> 00:18:17.486
Pamela Mitchell: Because when I walk up, and y'all know, we do 1,084 videos every trade show.
00:18:17.486 --> 00:18:22.526
Pamela Mitchell: When I walk up to a booth and I say, hey, Pam from Pets+, we would love to hear about your new product.
00:18:22.526 --> 00:18:24.526
Pamela Mitchell: We can do like a minute, minute 30.
00:18:24.526 --> 00:18:26.706
Pamela Mitchell: I'm wearing a press badge or a media badge.
00:18:26.706 --> 00:18:33.626
Pamela Mitchell: And when I'm doing that from an editorial perspective, and that is my perspective, I'm not asking the brand for money.
00:18:33.626 --> 00:18:35.526
Pamela Mitchell: I'm covering it as a journalist.
00:18:35.526 --> 00:18:41.866
Pamela Mitchell: And I think that's very different than, and it's hard for social media influencers as well, because they sometimes wear two hats.
00:18:41.866 --> 00:18:45.906
Pamela Mitchell: So they may be providing coverage for their followers, but they're also asking for money.
00:18:45.906 --> 00:18:46.926
Pamela Mitchell: They're asking for product.
00:18:46.926 --> 00:18:49.506
Pamela Mitchell: They're asking for a business relationship.
00:18:49.506 --> 00:18:56.206
Pamela Mitchell: So for me, I would appreciate it if the trade shows didn't have an umbrella media badge that they had.
00:18:56.206 --> 00:19:04.866
Pamela Mitchell: I don't know if you would call it journalists, because that seems silly, but if you had a media badge, but then you also have an identifier that says social media influencer, or media influencer, or whatever.
00:19:04.866 --> 00:19:11.746
Pamela Mitchell: I think that would help the brands as well, because I spend a lot of time saying to them, I'm not asking for any money.
00:19:11.746 --> 00:19:13.566
Pamela Mitchell: This is where I'm an editor.
00:19:13.566 --> 00:19:15.046
Pamela Mitchell: This is editorial.
00:19:15.046 --> 00:19:26.766
Pamela Mitchell: And so with new relationships that I'm trying to build, so we can get a variety of products in our magazine, it makes it harder for me at times, because the first thing they think is, what do you want?
00:19:27.046 --> 00:19:28.426
Pamela Mitchell: What do I have to give you to do this?
00:19:28.426 --> 00:19:32.326
Pamela Mitchell: And I'm like, nothing, just five minutes of your time, and we'll post it to social media.
00:19:32.326 --> 00:19:34.166
Pamela Mitchell: We're including our bulletins.
00:19:34.166 --> 00:19:42.626
Pamela Mitchell: So for me, like I said, as long as there's differentiation, as long as there's appropriate staffing, I don't mind influencers being at the show.
00:19:42.626 --> 00:19:43.946
Pamela Mitchell: It's not my place to mind anyway.
00:19:43.946 --> 00:19:45.306
Pamela Mitchell: It's not up to me.
00:19:45.306 --> 00:19:53.846
Pamela Mitchell: But it doesn't bother me as long as brands are treating the retailers with respect, and that the influencers are treating everybody with respect.
00:19:53.846 --> 00:19:55.586
Pamela Mitchell: And I would say that 95 percent of them do.
00:19:57.266 --> 00:20:05.566
Pamela Mitchell: Mary, have you seen otherwise with your clients where you've had influencers just inundate you at shows and want free, free, free and...
00:20:05.606 --> 00:20:06.426
Mary Tan: Yeah.
00:20:06.426 --> 00:20:08.406
Mary Tan: So this is really interesting.
00:20:08.406 --> 00:20:09.846
Mary Tan: And Alex can attest to this.
00:20:09.846 --> 00:20:17.726
Mary Tan: So we have a client who you know, Pamela, but he told me, like, I don't want to talk to any influencers.
00:20:17.726 --> 00:20:32.906
Mary Tan: But on the other hand, if an editor from Pets+, like you, he's like, I want to talk to them because I've actually educated him because he also got inundated with, you know, what can you give me from the influencers?
00:20:32.906 --> 00:20:35.226
Mary Tan: So he's kind of soured on that.
00:20:35.226 --> 00:20:39.266
Mary Tan: But I also wonder if it's a generational thing too.
00:20:39.266 --> 00:20:44.026
Mary Tan: Like Alex is Gen Z, but I'm Gen X.
00:20:44.026 --> 00:20:45.586
Mary Tan: Mark, are you Gen X?
00:20:45.586 --> 00:20:46.046
Mark Winter: Sure.
00:20:46.046 --> 00:20:47.486
Mark Winter: Yeah, let's go with that.
00:20:47.486 --> 00:20:48.026
Mary Tan: All right.
00:20:48.026 --> 00:20:50.566
Mary Tan: And then Pamela, you've got to be Gen X too.
00:20:50.566 --> 00:20:51.506
Mary Tan: I'm Gen X, yes.
00:20:52.046 --> 00:20:56.726
Mary Tan: So I think there's a generational thing as well.
00:20:56.726 --> 00:21:00.206
Mary Tan: Because I'm a former journalist, a reporter as well.
00:21:00.206 --> 00:21:05.406
Mary Tan: And so I sort of feel it does kind of go into the generational thing.
00:21:05.406 --> 00:21:19.506
Mary Tan: And when you talk to different brands, I always tell them the founder needs to talk to the journalists and your marketing people or even your salespeople can talk to the influencers.
00:21:19.506 --> 00:21:20.866
Mary Tan: Alex, do you have any thought on that?
00:21:21.366 --> 00:21:23.566
Alexane Ricard: Yeah, yeah.
00:21:23.566 --> 00:21:30.586
Alexane Ricard: Well, I don't know if it's a generation thing, because when we take influencers on tour, there are influencers that are Gen X too.
00:21:30.586 --> 00:21:31.486
Alexane Ricard: So it's not only Gen Z.
00:21:32.306 --> 00:21:33.426
Mary Tan: That's a good point.
00:21:33.426 --> 00:21:33.686
Alexane Ricard: Yeah.
00:21:33.686 --> 00:21:40.666
Alexane Ricard: To be honest, I think three-quarter of influencers in the pet industry that actually come to the show are not Gen Z.
00:21:40.666 --> 00:21:41.806
Alexane Ricard: They're a bit older.
00:21:41.806 --> 00:21:50.546
Alexane Ricard: But they do when they go to a booth, it's I won't say they don't care about the product, but I think they care more about what the brand can give them than the actual product.
00:21:50.986 --> 00:22:04.446
Alexane Ricard: That's why when we do our tours, we do vet the influencers we actually take to our clients because we don't want that kind of influencers going to our clients and just ask for free stuff without giving anything in exchange.
00:22:04.446 --> 00:22:06.826
Alexane Ricard: So we're very precautious in that.
00:22:06.826 --> 00:22:18.106
Alexane Ricard: We do check the account, we check that the influencer is very genuine, authentic, it actually wants to learn about the brand and the values of the brand before there's anything that can happen between them.
00:22:18.106 --> 00:22:18.346
Mary Tan: Yeah.
00:22:18.346 --> 00:22:19.686
Mary Tan: Alex does all of that.
00:22:20.126 --> 00:22:22.766
Mary Tan: I'm not as much of a digital person.
00:22:22.766 --> 00:22:26.686
Mary Tan: I am on social media, but Alex does all the posting.
00:22:28.226 --> 00:22:34.846
Pamela Mitchell: Well, and just to sort of share what my sort of percentage was coming from, you all probably also know Chlo DeVita.
00:22:34.846 --> 00:22:46.466
Pamela Mitchell: So for me, when I think of influencers, I think of her and her team and the impact she's trying to have in the industry in trying to set standards to certify these influencers before they can be approved for a trade show.
00:22:46.466 --> 00:22:49.106
Pamela Mitchell: I think those are the people that I most come in contact with.
00:22:49.466 --> 00:22:58.066
Pamela Mitchell: Honestly, if I see somebody with their little dog and their phone in a booth, I just say, excuse me, and I just move around them and don't worry about it too much.
00:22:58.066 --> 00:23:05.546
Pamela Mitchell: I probably don't get as irritated as the retailers do or as the brands do with the innovation of social media influencers.
00:23:05.546 --> 00:23:09.746
Pamela Mitchell: I think it's smart for the trade shows to put some regulation on that.
00:23:09.746 --> 00:23:12.226
Pamela Mitchell: I hope there can be more vetting.
00:23:12.226 --> 00:23:16.246
Pamela Mitchell: I almost wish, and I don't remember which trade show this was, but they put a cap at the number.
00:23:17.226 --> 00:23:19.926
Pamela Mitchell: I think it should just be about quality, not quantity.
00:23:19.926 --> 00:23:26.326
Pamela Mitchell: There are some people who are out for Super Zoo who are very qualified and who are looking to improve that in the industry.
00:23:27.086 --> 00:23:37.446
Pamela Mitchell: That is something that I would hope that we're looking at quality, not quantity in terms of influencers, because with y'all, if they're pitching your clients, they should be able to prove what the result is going to be.
00:23:37.446 --> 00:23:40.386
Pamela Mitchell: They should be able to prove the impact that they can have for the brand.
00:23:40.386 --> 00:23:49.486
Pamela Mitchell: It's sad because I think these brands, I think I know you're talking about, they have such love for what they do and such pride in what they do.
00:23:49.486 --> 00:23:58.546
Pamela Mitchell: And it bums me out if their limited time at shows is being wasted by people who don't care, who are only looking to get a free bag of whatever.
00:23:58.546 --> 00:24:01.886
Pamela Mitchell: As you know, we do the Pets Plus sample box, and I love it.
00:24:01.886 --> 00:24:05.406
Pamela Mitchell: I get tons of free product, but 80% of it I can't use.
00:24:05.406 --> 00:24:10.186
Pamela Mitchell: I'm donating it because it has wheat in it, and my dog can't have wheat.
00:24:11.586 --> 00:24:14.966
Pamela Mitchell: So it's a lot of things that I can't use, and so I donate it.
00:24:14.966 --> 00:24:20.926
Pamela Mitchell: That would be my question for an influencer, is that if you don't care about the product, then why are you trying to get your hands on it?
00:24:20.926 --> 00:24:29.026
Pamela Mitchell: I'm very careful with what I donate and who I donate to, because I've donated products in the past and seen them pop up on Facebook Marketplace, and I'm like, oh, no, no, no, no, no.
00:24:29.026 --> 00:24:30.826
Alexane Ricard: Oh, my.
00:24:30.826 --> 00:24:40.246
Pamela Mitchell: So I'm curious as to why influencers would want free product that they don't care about, that they're not going to use, that they're not going to stand behind with their followers.
00:24:41.486 --> 00:24:43.666
Alexane Ricard: I think for them, I mean, I see it that way.
00:24:43.666 --> 00:24:46.886
Alexane Ricard: It's a sense of validation.
00:24:46.886 --> 00:24:49.146
Alexane Ricard: I'm an influencer and I get free product.
00:24:49.146 --> 00:24:52.786
Alexane Ricard: So, yeah, I guess validate them as an influencer.
00:24:52.786 --> 00:24:56.126
Mary Tan: Hey, I think Mark had a question for you too, right, Mark?
00:24:56.126 --> 00:25:04.346
Mary Tan: Ask Pamela about Pet Life Radio and how, you know, what would be an angle that maybe you could get in the Pet Trade magazine?
00:25:04.346 --> 00:25:06.886
Mark Winter: I mean, we're not new, but we're definitely notable.
00:25:06.926 --> 00:25:16.186
Mark Winter: We've been going on our 18th year, and we're the number one, really the only, pet radio network and podcast network since 2007.
00:25:16.186 --> 00:25:24.806
Pamela Mitchell: Well, I would say for that, we used to have, back in the day, back in 2007 to where we were lost, we used to have a section called Pet Pro Tools.
00:25:24.806 --> 00:25:29.266
Pamela Mitchell: And to me, what you do would be a tool for our readers.
00:25:29.266 --> 00:25:31.346
Pamela Mitchell: So we've kind of folded that into new and notable.
00:25:31.346 --> 00:25:38.006
Pamela Mitchell: So, as you said, you're not new, none of us are new, maybe Alex is a little bit, but it's notable.
00:25:38.006 --> 00:25:56.006
Pamela Mitchell: So if it's something where, and I'm just thinking off the top of my head now, if it's something that stores could encourage their employees to read or to listen to, to give them time to listen to, or I don't know if any of the content is suitable to play in their stores.
00:25:56.006 --> 00:25:59.726
Pamela Mitchell: They're always looking to do videos, they're always looking to do audio in their stores.
00:25:59.726 --> 00:26:04.466
Pamela Mitchell: So, or even just from an educational perspective, that's something we could feature as a Pet Pro Tool.
00:26:04.866 --> 00:26:06.006
Mary Tan: That's a great idea.
00:26:06.006 --> 00:26:10.786
Mary Tan: I never thought about running the podcasts in the store, because they always have music.
00:26:10.786 --> 00:26:15.686
Mark Winter: When we write trade shows, we always talk to people about that, because all the content is pet related.
00:26:15.706 --> 00:26:20.566
Mark Winter: I mean, there's pet fashion and pet health and pet PR, and we have everything.
00:26:20.566 --> 00:26:25.446
Mark Winter: So, it would interest anyone that's walking through the store or people that own the store.
00:26:25.446 --> 00:26:33.266
Pamela Mitchell: Well, we always advise to during the busy season, so especially during the holidays right now, and of course, I'm sure they're going to play Elf from Christmas movies and Christmas music.
00:26:33.886 --> 00:26:39.646
Pamela Mitchell: But, if you've got somebody waiting in line and they've got something to engage them, it makes them less impatient.
00:26:39.646 --> 00:26:42.826
Pamela Mitchell: So, around the holidays, that might be an option as well.
00:26:42.826 --> 00:26:46.206
Mark Winter: Yeah, we have a live radio stream that's like regular radio.
00:26:46.426 --> 00:26:48.706
Mark Winter: I mean, even during the holidays, we switch the music.
00:26:48.706 --> 00:26:55.426
Mark Winter: It's pet holiday music and pet comedy on there, and there's all our podcasts and all kinds of stuff.
00:26:55.426 --> 00:26:57.506
Mark Winter: So, it's like regular radio for pets.
00:26:57.506 --> 00:27:12.146
Pamela Mitchell: Yeah, well, definitely around when we come around this time next year, which I feel is going to be here before we know it, Mary, please pitch and remind me that for either the September, October issue or the November, December issue, we can feature that as a tip.
00:27:12.146 --> 00:27:14.546
Pamela Mitchell: We can feature that as a tipper, we can feature a new notable.
00:27:14.546 --> 00:27:15.466
Pamela Mitchell: That's how easy it is.
00:27:15.466 --> 00:27:17.406
Mary Tan: See, we're pitching Pamela.
00:27:17.406 --> 00:27:20.306
Mary Tan: This is a working podcast.
00:27:20.306 --> 00:27:22.526
Pamela Mitchell: This is how easy it is to get in Pets Plus Magazine.
00:27:22.526 --> 00:27:25.946
Pamela Mitchell: Just tell me what we do and why.
00:27:25.946 --> 00:27:32.766
Pamela Mitchell: All we want to do is to share with our readers and with our brand partners, all the cool stuff happening in the pet industry.
00:27:32.766 --> 00:27:38.126
Pamela Mitchell: So as long as we figure out the angle or youth at our guidelines, then more than happy.
00:27:38.126 --> 00:27:38.966
Pamela Mitchell: We don't gatekeep.
00:27:38.966 --> 00:27:40.286
Pamela Mitchell: We don't have velvet robes.
00:27:40.286 --> 00:27:42.766
Pamela Mitchell: Everyone is welcome within our guideline.
00:27:42.766 --> 00:27:43.546
Mary Tan: Wow.
00:27:43.546 --> 00:27:53.166
Mary Tan: Well, speaking of advertising, we just need to take a quick break and we'll be right back with Pamela, and we're going to talk about products, specifically cat versus dog.
00:28:14.726 --> 00:28:18.246
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Mary Tan: PetLifeRadio.com PetLifeRadio.com All right, and we're back with Pamela Mitchell of Pet Plus Magazine.
00:29:34.792 --> 00:29:44.612
Mary Tan: Pam, tell us, I've talked to quite a few people, and they always say, like, for every one new cat product, there's like 10 dog products.
00:29:44.612 --> 00:29:55.172
Mary Tan: Are you finding that that to be the case in terms of especially animals like the critters and, you know, the lizards and reptiles and stuff?
00:29:55.172 --> 00:29:58.692
Mary Tan: It seems like a lot of pet products are really dog focused.
00:29:59.232 --> 00:30:01.592
Pamela Mitchell: Well, I think that's true, but I think that's changing.
00:30:01.592 --> 00:30:06.672
Pamela Mitchell: I think that we have some amazing cat only stores that have popped up over the past five years.
00:30:06.672 --> 00:30:12.552
Pamela Mitchell: We have retailers reaching out to us and saying, tell us how to build the cat customer.
00:30:12.552 --> 00:30:17.372
Pamela Mitchell: And Mary, you could speak to this like an expert that I'm not in this particular area.
00:30:17.372 --> 00:30:21.852
Pamela Mitchell: But, you know, their thought is that dog customers are easier sell than cat customers.
00:30:21.852 --> 00:30:25.812
Pamela Mitchell: The cat customers tend to be, cats tend to be more picky, more finicky.
00:30:26.572 --> 00:30:40.672
Pamela Mitchell: And, but I think that what we're seeing happen with food in terms of coming out with all these amazing different textures for wet cat food, getting fresh cat food and raw cat food out there into customers.
00:30:40.672 --> 00:30:46.952
Pamela Mitchell: I think that cat customers are starting to think about their cats in the ways that they think about their dogs.
00:30:46.952 --> 00:30:50.592
Pamela Mitchell: I think that's just in the past five years or so, something that's happened.
00:30:50.592 --> 00:31:00.752
Pamela Mitchell: So I think that the brands are seeing that buy in from the customers and they're coming out with more new products and the retailers are thrilled because we have a feature called Retailer Wishlist.
00:31:02.472 --> 00:31:05.612
Pamela Mitchell: For every issue we ask, what do you wish existed in this category?
00:31:05.612 --> 00:31:10.372
Pamela Mitchell: And almost every single time, unless it's specifically about dog, it says more cat options.
00:31:12.752 --> 00:31:18.312
Pamela Mitchell: So in the jam-fab issue, we did the retailer wishlist and little survey on enrichment.
00:31:18.312 --> 00:31:22.832
Pamela Mitchell: And I would say that four or five of the ones that we ran are specific to cat.
00:31:22.832 --> 00:31:25.792
Pamela Mitchell: They want more flavors with cat lickables.
00:31:25.792 --> 00:31:27.292
Pamela Mitchell: They want more options.
00:31:27.292 --> 00:31:30.092
Pamela Mitchell: I mean, it's just retailers want more cat.
00:31:30.092 --> 00:31:39.412
Pamela Mitchell: And I think that brands are catching up to that and are starting to put more research and development into that and to put marketing support behind it, which I'm thrilled that I love seeing more cat products.
00:31:39.952 --> 00:31:41.572
Mary Tan: Yeah, it's kind of amazing though.
00:31:41.572 --> 00:31:42.772
Mary Tan: I have a question.
00:31:42.772 --> 00:31:48.152
Mary Tan: Do you find that demographics plays a role in products?
00:31:48.152 --> 00:32:01.732
Mary Tan: So just off of the top of my head, I have read some statistics that the wealthier you are, the more dogs you own, and cat owners tend to be less resourced than dog people.
00:32:01.732 --> 00:32:05.592
Mary Tan: Do you have any kind of thoughts on that or?
00:32:05.592 --> 00:32:09.232
Pamela Mitchell: I don't know about you, but I can only have one dog now because I'm still paying off dogs.
00:32:10.412 --> 00:32:18.692
Pamela Mitchell: I don't know if these people are going to be really wealthy if they can afford to have multiple dogs with all the vet bills and raw supplements and all that stuff.
00:32:18.692 --> 00:32:20.172
Pamela Mitchell: I don't have any statistics on that.
00:32:20.172 --> 00:32:22.532
Pamela Mitchell: That would be a good thing to look into.
00:32:22.532 --> 00:32:27.172
Pamela Mitchell: I know the APPA does their consumer study in terms of demographics.
00:32:27.172 --> 00:32:29.372
Pamela Mitchell: So no, I don't really have any insight into that.
00:32:29.372 --> 00:32:34.972
Pamela Mitchell: I think that we're all pet poor, as I like to say.
00:32:34.972 --> 00:32:36.592
Mary Tan: Oh, another quick question.
00:32:37.332 --> 00:32:42.812
Mary Tan: Your readership, who are, in terms of, is most of your readership female?
00:32:42.812 --> 00:32:46.772
Mary Tan: Because pet industry seems to be very female focused.
00:32:46.772 --> 00:32:52.192
Pamela Mitchell: So we recently did the big survey, which if you did not get your November, December issue, please do.
00:32:52.192 --> 00:32:57.312
Pamela Mitchell: And sorry, I took my glasses back on for this because I can't see anything in front of my face.
00:32:57.312 --> 00:33:02.652
Pamela Mitchell: So we did do, for the big survey, we did ask those demographic questions.
00:33:02.652 --> 00:33:10.312
Pamela Mitchell: So I can tell you quickly who took our big survey, which was 500 independent pet retailers and service providers.
00:33:10.312 --> 00:33:15.992
Pamela Mitchell: So what I'd be speaking to is more so that aspect of the industry.
00:33:15.992 --> 00:33:20.352
Pamela Mitchell: And so we found that it is predominantly women, which we knew that.
00:33:20.352 --> 00:33:22.032
Pamela Mitchell: We knew that it's predominantly women.
00:33:22.032 --> 00:33:26.752
Pamela Mitchell: And the largest group of survey takers was 50 to 59 years old.
00:33:26.752 --> 00:33:30.392
Pamela Mitchell: But we did see some growth in the...
00:33:30.392 --> 00:33:34.052
Pamela Mitchell: So in 2023, 19% were 40 or younger.
00:33:34.712 --> 00:33:36.372
Pamela Mitchell: But this year, that went to 29%.
00:33:37.392 --> 00:33:41.632
Pamela Mitchell: So I feel like there's an influx of young people starting pet stores, starting...
00:33:41.632 --> 00:33:43.732
Pamela Mitchell: And there's some amazing ones out there.
00:33:43.732 --> 00:33:45.352
Pamela Mitchell: Young entrepreneurs who are...
00:33:45.352 --> 00:33:49.932
Pamela Mitchell: For the reasons why many of us got into this industry, they typically had a sick pet.
00:33:49.932 --> 00:33:54.572
Pamela Mitchell: And then they started to die deep and worried about nutrition and supplements and said, I want to open a pet store.
00:33:54.572 --> 00:34:01.992
Pamela Mitchell: Or they had a behavioral dog, and they started to learn more about training and behavioral help that you can provide for pets.
00:34:01.992 --> 00:34:05.472
Pamela Mitchell: And they said, I want to become a trainer and open a facility.
00:34:06.132 --> 00:34:11.492
Pamela Mitchell: So yes, I think from the retailer and service provider perspective, I think it is predominantly female.
00:34:11.492 --> 00:34:20.252
Pamela Mitchell: It is, I would say, older, but we are seeing young people come up, young entrepreneurs come up to join us in the industry, which is amazing.
00:34:20.252 --> 00:34:26.492
Pamela Mitchell: On the brand side, I can't really speak to that, but I do know that, I don't know, Mary, what do you think?
00:34:26.492 --> 00:34:28.792
Pamela Mitchell: I think I would say that it's probably male dominated.
00:34:29.232 --> 00:34:43.232
Mary Tan: Yeah, and I would say that this is just my perception, and I feel like, okay, so the big legacy pet brands are all older white males, for sure, right?
00:34:43.232 --> 00:34:44.852
Mary Tan: And that's where the money is.
00:34:44.852 --> 00:34:53.312
Mary Tan: But all the small innovative products tend to be women, and then they sell to the big companies once they're successful.
00:34:54.892 --> 00:35:00.192
Mary Tan: But I feel like it's more women that are starting pet businesses.
00:35:00.612 --> 00:35:09.352
Mary Tan: This is anecdotal, just from freaking out to Whisker Media, and we just talked to this wonderful lady, Amy, with Lofty Lou.
00:35:09.352 --> 00:35:12.212
Mary Tan: I don't know if you've heard that, but she has a cool product.
00:35:12.212 --> 00:35:20.352
Mary Tan: It's a piece of furniture so that elderly folks and people with disabilities don't have to bend down and clean their litter box.
00:35:20.792 --> 00:35:27.932
Mary Tan: That's something I see, products for people with disabilities to take care of pets, that's going to take off eventually.
00:35:27.932 --> 00:35:34.432
Mary Tan: But she and Carrie Van Wert, who invented the Kitty Sift, it's all these...
00:35:35.132 --> 00:35:38.932
Mary Tan: I'm seeing more and more female entrepreneurs in the pet space.
00:35:38.932 --> 00:35:45.072
Mary Tan: They have all started it to solve a problem that they had with their individual pet.
00:35:45.932 --> 00:35:47.212
Mary Tan: Do you think that's the case?
00:35:47.652 --> 00:35:58.512
Pamela Mitchell: I do, and I think that one of the really cool things that Super Zoo did this year was that they gave buyers the ability to filter by certain verticals.
00:35:58.512 --> 00:36:07.572
Pamela Mitchell: So you could filter by BIPOC, which I'm not sure if you're familiar with the Black Pet Business Network and LaShonda, and the work that they're doing.
00:36:07.572 --> 00:36:24.852
Pamela Mitchell: But to your point, it's a lot of women, and I'm loving seeing the amount of diversity that is entering the pet space, because we do want it to be an industry where all are welcome, and that all pet parents can see themselves reflected in the products and in the stores.
00:36:24.852 --> 00:36:33.772
Pamela Mitchell: So we do, LaShonda is a columnist for us, and we do talk about DEI a lot, and how stores can reach consumers and to the products that they carry.
00:36:33.772 --> 00:36:36.172
Pamela Mitchell: So I think that that was cool that SuperZoo did that.
00:36:36.172 --> 00:36:39.232
Pamela Mitchell: You could also search by sustainability and a few other things.
00:36:39.232 --> 00:36:51.012
Pamela Mitchell: So I think as an industry, we're encouraging and trying to get more diversity of age, of ethnicity, of race, and we're trying to make it a broader industry.
00:36:51.012 --> 00:36:53.092
Pamela Mitchell: And so I agree with you.
00:36:53.092 --> 00:36:57.992
Pamela Mitchell: I think it is predominantly the traditional of what it has been in the past, but I think it's changing.
00:36:57.992 --> 00:37:06.712
Pamela Mitchell: I think it's changing pretty quickly too, thanks to programs like what LaShonda is doing and what SuperZoo are doing, and Global also has the ways that they support as well.
00:37:06.712 --> 00:37:08.312
Mary Tan: Yeah, it's really exciting to see.
00:37:08.792 --> 00:37:11.352
Mary Tan: I mean, and this is just a growing industry.
00:37:11.352 --> 00:37:13.912
Mary Tan: It's like, it's insane.
00:37:13.912 --> 00:37:23.932
Mary Tan: But getting back to the BIPOC pet owners, I work with a nonprofit called Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity, and they are a workforce development.
00:37:23.932 --> 00:37:29.312
Mary Tan: So they're encouraging more people to get into the pet industry who come from diverse backgrounds.
00:37:29.312 --> 00:37:39.472
Mary Tan: And what they found is that there is no difference in pet ownership between white communities and people of diverse backgrounds.
00:37:39.472 --> 00:37:45.732
Mary Tan: African Americans, Hispanics, Latinos, Asians, we all have about the same rate of pet ownership.
00:37:45.732 --> 00:37:47.212
Mary Tan: Everybody loves pets.
00:37:47.212 --> 00:37:52.212
Mary Tan: And that's one thing that I think can be very unifying that other industries can't.
00:37:52.212 --> 00:37:58.212
Mary Tan: I mean, you can go up to anybody who is so not like you, but you can say, I love your dog, right?
00:37:58.892 --> 00:38:05.672
Mary Tan: So, you know, this is, this is like the, the uplifting moment of the show.
00:38:05.672 --> 00:38:13.392
Mary Tan: Well, I think we have come to the end, but I just want to thank Pamela and also ask you, is there anything else you'd like to add?
00:38:13.392 --> 00:38:15.272
Pamela Mitchell: Like I said, we're coming up on a new year.
00:38:15.272 --> 00:38:19.052
Pamela Mitchell: So our JanFib issue is mailing out in the next couple of weeks.
00:38:19.052 --> 00:38:20.672
Pamela Mitchell: It's already up on our website.
00:38:20.672 --> 00:38:24.872
Pamela Mitchell: Like I said, we're doing nine to 10, could be 12 sample boxes next year.
00:38:24.872 --> 00:38:29.592
Pamela Mitchell: So I really encourage smaller brands who are looking to make an impact to look into that.
00:38:29.592 --> 00:38:41.672
Pamela Mitchell: And anybody can always email me at editor at petsplusmag.com to find out how to get in the magazine, to find out how to get in the sample box, to the one thing I didn't mention is press releases.
00:38:41.672 --> 00:38:46.952
Pamela Mitchell: We are more than happy to run your press release if it suits our audience on our website and our eBulletin.
00:38:46.952 --> 00:38:52.092
Pamela Mitchell: Mary sends us them all the time, and we get them up usually within one business day.
00:38:52.092 --> 00:38:55.752
Pamela Mitchell: And that's a great way to let readers know about new products that are coming out.
00:38:56.192 --> 00:39:00.192
Pamela Mitchell: So to just think of Pets Plus as your partner, that's what we're here to do.
00:39:00.192 --> 00:39:08.572
Pamela Mitchell: We're here to just spread information about the industry, to connect brands and retailers, to connect buyers with brands.
00:39:08.572 --> 00:39:12.372
Pamela Mitchell: So just feel free to reach out to me at editor at petsplusmag.com.
00:39:12.372 --> 00:39:13.032
Mary Tan: All right.
00:39:13.032 --> 00:39:13.972
Mary Tan: Thank you so much.
00:39:13.972 --> 00:39:19.672
Mary Tan: Also, one last thing, I wanted to give a shout out to Chloe Devita and her blog Paws team.
00:39:19.672 --> 00:39:21.852
Mary Tan: Alex and I were just out in Denver.
00:39:21.852 --> 00:39:22.892
Mary Tan: They are wonderful.
00:39:22.892 --> 00:39:23.952
Mary Tan: They work with Pamela.
00:39:24.112 --> 00:39:27.272
Mary Tan: They do a lot of your videos at the shows.
00:39:27.272 --> 00:39:30.272
Mary Tan: So you'll see Pamela and Chloe.
00:39:30.352 --> 00:39:34.452
Mary Tan: I'm sure anybody can just come up to you and say, hey, I'm a brand.
00:39:34.452 --> 00:39:35.652
Mary Tan: I just want to say hi.
00:39:35.652 --> 00:39:40.912
Mary Tan: So everybody say hi to Pam at the upcoming shows.
00:39:40.912 --> 00:39:43.992
Pamela Mitchell: But don't be offended if I hit my business card and say, can we talk later?
00:39:43.992 --> 00:39:45.252
Pamela Mitchell: Because I'm usually on the way to have a picnic.
00:39:45.252 --> 00:39:46.872
Mary Tan: Oh, yes.
00:39:46.872 --> 00:39:48.092
Alexane Ricard: Totally offended.
00:39:48.092 --> 00:39:49.532
Mary Tan: All right.
00:39:49.532 --> 00:39:51.012
Mary Tan: Well, that's a wrap for the show.
00:39:51.012 --> 00:39:56.972
Mary Tan: We're so excited to be doing this for all of you out there who are making life better for animals.
00:39:56.972 --> 00:39:59.552
Mary Tan: Do you have a question you want us to answer on the show?
00:39:59.552 --> 00:40:08.412
Mary Tan: Well, reach out to us on Instagram or Facebook under Whisker Media and we'll try to answer it in a future podcast episode.
00:40:08.412 --> 00:40:13.672
Mary Tan: And as we always say, Park Loud and Purr Smart.
00:40:13.672 --> 00:40:15.852
Mary Tan: See you later, everybody.
00:40:15.852 --> 00:40:21.812
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