Marketing assignment: Article Analysis on Pet Power
Question
Task:
For this assessment, each student will be analysing two news articles for tutorial discussion
and submission on two separate weeks (3 & 5). The emphasis is on identifying the marketing
implications for the events or incidents described in the article.
Students are required to choose ONE of the news articles (from the list below) that focuses
on one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and write
marketing implications of the news. The first two tutorial weeks are designed to discuss how
to analyse the sample news articles that focuses on UNSDGs. Specific questions that students
need to answer include:
(1) Which of the UNSDGs does the new article relate to?
(2) Who are the important stakeholders?
(3) What potential marketing issues can be identified from the article?
(4) How would you respond to these issues and why?
For the last question students are required to include minimum of 5 references for each
submission. This is an individual assessment with a maximum word limit of 1000 for each
article analysis
Answer
Introduction
The news article 'Pet Power' has been selected and analyzed in the present context of marketing assignment to identify the marketing implications of the described events. Pets have been in demand more than ever as families have spent more time during Covid-19. A plethora of studies depicts there are hundreds of benefits of having pets at home, especially for kids. Pets bring psychological as well as physical well-being. Pets have proven to be a child's confidant, to let them know how they are feeling at a given moment. According to RSPCA Queensland spokesman Michael Beatty, they witnessed an unbelievable rise in the number of people wanting to sign up as a foster care in just over four days of the initiation of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, new pet owners should be cautious as to when they would return to their usual lives. How will the pets cope with this circumstance? It also cannot be denied that they come with a cost; however, what we get surpasses the cost required.
Related UNSDG
There are 17 UNSDGs (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals). The third UNSDG is Good health and well-being. This goal talks about ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being. As addressed in the article explored herein marketing assignment, children having pets are better at sharing, co-operating, and coping. They also have low-stress levels, lesser feelings of loneliness, improved self-esteem, and trust and empathy for others. Hence, the article selected to prepare this marketing assignment is related to the third UNSDG which is Good health and well-being.
Important Stakeholders
Many stakeholders are associated with the pet business and some of them are addressed in this section of marketing assignment. Those are providers, organizations, government, merchants, service providers, retailers, pet-food makers, government, people referring to animal-welfare and, non-government organizations identified with pets, pet proprietors, and just as pets. Suppliers supply raw materials such as raw food to another business entity. The manufacturer is the entity who is responsible for the final product. The company sells the final product by branding, advertising, research, etc. The final products will be distributed by distributors to retailers. Retailers would market and offer the final item to pet owners who are the consumers. Professional Pet Care services are provided by Service Providers in return for money related advantages. The Government affects each member in the pet industry as the administration sets rules and guidelines for retailers, quality principles of conclusive items, wellbeing guidelines, and so on. The pets themselves are the initiative stakeholders who have their own requirements for food, water, cover, and so on.
What are the potential marketing issues noticed in the present report on marketing assignment?
In the initial days of the pandemic, people spent a lot of time at home and the belief that pets will relieve their stress during the difficult times of COVID-19 acted as the main drive behind the people rushing to foster and adopt pets. One prospect can be as people are at home with a lot of time on their hand; this situation emerges with a short term desire of adopting a pet. However, there can be a possibility that after returning to their usual lifestyle, they no longer have the desire to keep pets. The pets also would not be able to cope with not being around their owners all the time.
From a marketing standpoint, people may be reluctant in buying or adopting pets as it is a long term commitment. As of now, people are uncertain as to when the circumstances are going to be normal. These thoughts can create apprehension in their minds, whether it is a suitable time to invest in pets or not. In the initial days, people considered pets to be their stress busters; on the other hand, people could see their pets as liabilities. This can act as a setback to the pet industry. There will be less number of pet enthusiasts wanting to adopt and foster pets. Hence, the pet industry may experience a downfall.
Solutions Proposed
Adopting a pet is a responsibility that demands a lot. There are several aspects to cover such as feeding them, vaccination, training, exercising, socialization, etc. It cannot be denied that there is a cost involved. People can be skeptical about investing their money if they are uncertain about their lifestyle going back to normal. Pet owners need to be conscious while making decisions regarding adopting pets. According to Monica Weymouth (2020), pet owners need to mimic their schedule. By developing a sense of consistency and routine helps pet owners minimize the chances of getting separation anxiety. According to Grace Jennings-Edquist (2020), different breed of dogs need different levels of ongoing exercise. One should be conscious of selecting a specific breed that suits his or her lifestyle. Another proposed solution to this issue identified in the marketing assignment would be to start a monthly adoption scheme so that pet owners can pay according to their suitability. Instead of a bulk amount repeatedly, either they can pay monthly or they can pay a one-time bulk amount. It would be less risky and consumers would be investing a relatively small part of their money at a time. Balaban (2020) recommends walking and feeding your dog every day at the same time will help your pet transition to post-pandemic life. According to Cassandra Brooklyn (2020), there is a pet dispensing pet cameras, allows to dispense treats via a mobile app, that also helps to reinforce your pet’s positive behavior. Hollow (2020) suggests contacting a behavior professional to schedule pet therapy sessions. Promoting pet therapy as a concept and encouraging the pet owners just by getting their pets for therapy for a few hours can also help. It is advisable to look for a qualified dog behaviorist or trainer rather than just believing any random person from the internet. There is extremely useful information available on the internet; however, there is some ludicrous information as well. As it will be difficult for the pets to cope with their owners not being home all the time, these pets can be enrolled for hourly therapies as well, so they can be treated by professionals. There is another option mentioned in the marketing assignment that is one-on-one session with pet trainers or dog trainers. These are some proposed solutions to the potential marketing issues mentioned earlier.
References
Balaban, S. (2020, May 11).Should I Adopt A Dog During The Coronavirus Crisis?NPR.https://www.npr.org/2020/05/08/853088872/should-i-adopt-a-dog-during-the-coronavirus-crisis-read-this-first
Brooklyn, C. (2020, June 17). What to Keep in Mind When Adopting an Animal During the Pandemic. Shondaland.https://www.shondaland.com/live/a32881745/what-to-keep-in-mind-when-adopting-an-animal-during-the-pandemic/
Hollow, M. C. (2020, May 6). A Guide for First-Time Pet Owners During the Pandemic. The NewYork Times.https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/06/smarter-living/a-guide-for-first-time-pet-owners-during-the-pandemic.html
Jennings-Edquist, G. (2020). 5 things to consider before adopting a dog during the coronavirus crisis. Marketing assignment Https://Www.Abc.Net.Au/Life/. https://www.abc.net.au/life/before-adopting-a-dog-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/12137390
Weymouth, M. (2020).6 Things to Consider Before Adopting a Pet During Quarantine. Pet Coach. https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-things-to-consider-before-adopting-a-quarantine-pet/
