Next week, pet industry leaders gather in Boulder for the Pet Sustainability Coalition’s Impact Unleashed event, where sustainability in pet products is the focus. For pet brands, much of that conversation comes back to a simple question: when they make an environmental claim, who do pet owners believe? The answer shows brands where their credibility on sustainability comes from.
Owners trust pet health experts on environmental claims too.
The voices owners trust most on environmental claims are the ones they rely on for their pet’s health. Vets are chosen most often (21%), and together with animal nutritionists and other pet health experts (16%), they are the first choice for more than a third of owners (37%). Pet owners tend to see sustainability as part of what makes a product good for their pet, so when a claim needs checking, they turn to the people who they feel know their pet’s health best.
The more surprising voice is the brand itself. One in five owners (20%) trust the brand most to vouch for its own environmental claims, nearly as many as trust their vet. That gives pet brands a direct voice on sustainability with a large share of their customers. It also comes with responsibility, because owners who take a brand at its word are counting on that word to hold up.
Nearly as many owners trust the brand as trust their vet.
A bag of pet food can make a lot of promises about the planet, from sustainably sourced protein to a lighter footprint, and owners have no easy way to check them at the shelf. That makes the voices behind a claim important. For pet brands, this points to two sources of credibility: the brand's own messaging and the health experts owners turn to. Each reaches a different group of owners, and an environmental claim is most convincing when both can stand behind it.
What's the Takeaway?
Pet brands have two natural routes to credibility on environmental claims. Brands may find their claims carry further when vets and nutritionists support them. Giving these experts the facts behind a sourcing or ingredient claim can help them answer owners’ questions and recommend the product with confidence. Because so many owners trust the brand itself, its own messaging deserves the same care, with claims specific enough to hold up when owners look closer.