How to win the hearts of millennial consumers?

Only the best

More than half of world’s population is under 30 years old. Over the past decade, millennials have slowly but steadily entered the marketplace and now they are a force we cannot neglect: they will shape, colour and change the world we live in profoundly.

For starters, research shows that millennials like to treat themselves and their loved ones with special care. Even if that care comes at a cost. This is reflected in the phenomenon of pet humanisation. As pets increasingly become an important part of the family unit, pet owners are looking for ever-better, exclusive quality. For a millennial pet, only the best is good enough.

At odds with industry ideals

From a business perspective, it is smart to cater to the new demand, but doing so can be at odds with existing industry quality marks and ideals. The Clean Label Project, for example, is all about providing honest, fact-driven information about the true contents and properties of popular consumer products. But what is there to measure if ingredients are only used in small, practically negligible quantities? Is there scientific proof that a new ingredient is beneficial for the wellbeing of pets, or is it on the package just to appeal to pet owners?

Honesty is more important than ever

Millennials like brands they can trust. They prefer to do business with honest companies and do not hesitate to hold them to account. With information easily available online, telling a truthful story today is more important than ever. For pet food producers, it is crucial to build trust and be as transparent as possible. Make no claims the product cannot live up to, but instead focus the attention on other trademarks and selling arguments. Quality, sustainability and transparency can be just as convincing, if not more convincing, than the purported effect of a single ingredient.

True story

IQI helps pet food producers make a unique claim. All its premium pet food ingredients, however exclusive and exotic, are 100% pure, fully certified and traceable to the source. The company guarantees absolute quality and pet owners, be it millennials or not, can rest assured that they are buying the best meal for their companions.