Pet insurance marketing presents a growing opportunity nationwide. Nearly 100% (99.5) of pet owners who have purchased pet insurance do not regret it.

Owning and caring for a pet can be a strain on the household budget:

• 1 in 4 pet owners has taken their pet to an emergency hospital in the past year.
• 29% of pet owners were unable to provide emergency care for their pets due to cost.
• 30% of pet owners avoided taking their pet to the vet to prevent an expensive bill.
• 30% of pet owners had to rely on family or friends to help pay a vet bill.

In the rural U.S. markets Mspark serves, 2/3 of consumers own pets—so they have more pet expenses and spend more on pets overall.

Pet owners in Mspark’s rural coverage areas:

 

The Unique Rural Consumer Requires a Different Approach

Because media options to reach consumers in these markets differ from urban markets, and these consumers have different purchasing habits, a rural pet insurance marketing strategy requires a tailored approach.

Limited Media Options in Rural Markets

• Continuous rapid newspaper decline
  • 83 Newspapers closed in 2023
  • Over 370 Newspaper/TMCs ceased circulation since 2019
• 28% of rural consumers do not have broadband internet connectivity in their homes.

Inflation Has Greater Impact on Rural Disposable Income

• Rural consumers have 24% less disposable income than urban consumers due to higher fuel costs and home energy costs.
• Rural consumers are 21% more likely to use coupons than urban consumers in order to save money.

Overall, rural and urban consumers alike are looking to reduce their pet-care expenditures, yet most are willing to spend more for quality and better services. Companies that understand the new consumer value equation can create preference & steal share​.

• 79% of pet owners are willing to spend more for quality and better services.
• 38% are looking for ways to reduce their pet-care dollars.

Three Steps to Acquire New Pet Insurance Clients

Your Pipeline to New Customers

• 70% of consumers say direct mail is more personal than online interactions.
• Direct mail advertising is kept an average of 17 days in a household.
• Open rates can reach 90% for direct mail.
• 61% of people who want to get a new pet say ads in their mailbox led them to take action.

Consumers across generations value direct mail. The chart below compares consumers’ attitude toward marketing mail along with pet insurance purchasing behavior. When you partner with Mspark, we can target the consumers most likely to purchase pet insurance by age, proximity to your store, online search behavior, to name a few variables.

Coordinated Exposure Boosts Campaign Performance

Did you know? 60% of consumers are driven to online activity after receiving direct mail.

Our integrated strategy warms up the mailbox days before the printed piece arrives in the mailbox and continues for 30 days. Conversions are captured with performance reporting, including attribution and validation. Reach out today to connect with an expert to discuss your pet insurance marketing strategy.

Sources: https://www.marketwatch.com/guides/insurance-services/pet-insurance-survey/; Prosper Insights & Analytics 2022; Kantar Profiles-Mintel, June 2022; June 2023 Pet Insurance Survey by the MarketWatch Guides Team; SG360 The Future of Direct Mail, 2021; Fundera.com, direct-mail-statistics, 2020, AdMall 2022; SG360 The Future of Direct Mail, 2021