Mark Penn, better known as Hilary Clinton’s chief strategist who predicted she would clinch the nomination with the California primaries, wrote a book about microtrends (Microtrend: the small forces bdehind tomorrow’s big changes, Hachette Book Group USA, 2007). While his credibility as a trend watcher may have taken a hit, he’s credited with having identified “soccer moms” as a crucial constituency in President Clinton’s 1996 reelection campaign
His book lists more than seventy such microtrends in the US – trends that are wielding great influence on politics and business that marketers can tap into. Penn claims that only one percent, or three million people, is enough to launch a business or social movement. I periodically review some of these trends and look for signs that they offer similar opportunities in Quebec.
Microtrend: Pet Parents
There is a new breed of pets, and they have a new role in
our society. They are replacing kids as the
number one companion in America.
And as literally the new kids on the block, some pets are being elevated to a
new life of luxury, with practically a black American Express Card, a Platinum
Frequent Flyer card, and permanent maid and a butler. They have achieved what
few have achieved before them – the chance to have high-class problems and a
high-class life. In America today, the top 1 percent of pets live better than
99 percent of the world’s population.
What about “pet parents” in Quebec?
In January 2006, RBC’s Annual Housing Survey asked Canadians if they had pets in their home. 56% of Canadian said yes, 52% in Quebec, 57% in Ontario and as high as 67% in the Maritimes. It also asked Canadians if they had altered their home in any way to accommodate their pets. That would most likely be a sign of pet parenthood… 21% of Canadians with pets in their home said yes – as high as 30% in BC. Quebeckers were the least likely to say yes at 11%.
In his book, Mark Penn writes about the market opportunities created by Pet Parents – clothing, toys, and even mattresses. He refers to Honda’s 2005 introduction of the Wow, a concept car for people who regularly transport dogs. The floors are wood for easy cleanup and the back door has compartments for leashes, brushes, and pooper-scoopers. But Pet Parents’ biggest impact has to be in the area of animal medicine. We took a look at the purchase of animal health products among pet owning households in Quebec and the ROC based on PMB data. Quebeckers are significantly less likely to have purchased these types of products in the past year than Canadians in the rest of the country.
Based on these two data points, I’d say that Pet Parenting isn’t yet a microtrend in Quebec.
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