21 Ways Veterinarians Can Appeal to Gen Y Pet Owners
Last week, The Los Angeles Times ran the story, "Department Stores Reach Out to Young Shoppers... " about how department stores have lost out terribly on their share of Gen Y, the 90 million offspring of Baby Boomers who at this writing are between seven and 28 years old.
This article reminded me of my own, "Pleasing Gen Y: Veterinarians Must Prepare for Their Next Enormous Market." It's really long, particularly the introduction, so I've teased out the specific
suggestions here (and I promise to never be so overbearing again!):
21 Ways Veterinarians Can Appeal to Gen Y Pet Owners
1. Include photos of all races in your promotional materials.
2. Use gender neutral language in your promotional materials.
3. Have handouts about specific breeds and even particular characteristics of shelter dogs.
4. Advise Gen Y pet owners to consult with their parents before making any big decisions.
5. Offer special incentives to encourage Baby Boomer clients to get their pet-owning Gen Y children into your clinic.
6. Support one or more animal, environmental or child-related charities.
7. Make it known that your practice supports these charities.
8. Anthropomorphize! (Gen Yers see fewer inter-species boundaries.)
9. Have after-work clinic hours. Keep yourself and your staff on schedule. (Gen Yers are self-absorbed)
10. Spend money on a decorator and keeping the practice clean. Offer amenities in the waiting room.
11. Have literature on organic diets and alternative treatments.
12. Provide FUN, SOCIAL activities, e.g. a puppy socialization party, a day out at the races with equine vet, Dr. Knowles.
13. Hold contests. Publish and promote the results online, e.g. "Best Cat Story." "Guess which staff member owns which pet."
14. Suggest volunteer activities one of the vets leads, e.g. Dr. Joan's Animal Shelter Dog-Walking Day.
15. Get on Facebook, Twitter and start a hospital blog.
16. Explore mobile phone appointment reminders, e.g. http://www.bitbomb.com
17. Respond quickly to pet owners' inquiries and comments.
18. Do not be offended if pet owners bring their researched information to the table. Have better information and more reputable website alternatives always at the ready.
19. Share your favorite websites regularly with your Gen Y pet owners.
20. Create simple YouTube videos with a Flip Video Camera (www.theflip.com @$139) and post them on YouTube. Gen Yers are all on YouTube!
21. Stay on top-of-mind by utilizing a twice-weekly blog, a monthly newsletter and a Facebook page. Go where they are. Stay current.
To find all of the heavily-researched rationale behind these suggestions, click here. The white paper goes over Gen Y values and traits in depth, and I did spend about ten days researching and writing it.
Veterinarians and Department Stores Both Must Court Gen Y Consumers
While a veterinary practice differs dramatically from a department store, all business owners could benefit from lifting the hood on the Gen Y brain. Consumer research psychologist Kit Yarrow explains how these young shoppers relish their individuality and, more important, will pay a premium to service providers who understand this. Typically, department stores stock many of the same item, anathema to Gen Y.
Gen Y members build their own playlists on iPods; they create and control their social groups on Facebook, Tumblr and more. They define their own style. They're attuned to social justice issues and don't strive for the highest end goods as the baby boomers once did. Department stores, behind the curve, have lost much of the Gen Y clientele to specialty stores like H&M, Forever 21 and even second-hand stores where prices are low and fashions change rapidly.
Gen Y is optimistic about the future and many more of them can name charities to which they contribute than their parents could at their age. Does your practice support a local charity? By patronizing your practice, Gen Yers feel they're donating part of your fees to a good cause.
In the next two years, Gen Y will start putting bids on houses, and then filling those houses with goods and pets. Gen Y will bring on another economic boom of historic proportions. Ride along with them, but get ahead of the curve now so that you'll push their buttons lucratively later.
This article reminded me of my own, "Pleasing Gen Y: Veterinarians Must Prepare for Their Next Enormous Market." It's really long, particularly the introduction, so I've teased out the specific
suggestions here (and I promise to never be so overbearing again!):
21 Ways Veterinarians Can Appeal to Gen Y Pet Owners
1. Include photos of all races in your promotional materials.
2. Use gender neutral language in your promotional materials.
3. Have handouts about specific breeds and even particular characteristics of shelter dogs.
4. Advise Gen Y pet owners to consult with their parents before making any big decisions.
5. Offer special incentives to encourage Baby Boomer clients to get their pet-owning Gen Y children into your clinic.
6. Support one or more animal, environmental or child-related charities.
7. Make it known that your practice supports these charities.
8. Anthropomorphize! (Gen Yers see fewer inter-species boundaries.)
9. Have after-work clinic hours. Keep yourself and your staff on schedule. (Gen Yers are self-absorbed)
10. Spend money on a decorator and keeping the practice clean. Offer amenities in the waiting room.
11. Have literature on organic diets and alternative treatments.
12. Provide FUN, SOCIAL activities, e.g. a puppy socialization party, a day out at the races with equine vet, Dr. Knowles.
13. Hold contests. Publish and promote the results online, e.g. "Best Cat Story." "Guess which staff member owns which pet."
14. Suggest volunteer activities one of the vets leads, e.g. Dr. Joan's Animal Shelter Dog-Walking Day.
15. Get on Facebook, Twitter and start a hospital blog.
16. Explore mobile phone appointment reminders, e.g. http://www.bitbomb.com
17. Respond quickly to pet owners' inquiries and comments.
18. Do not be offended if pet owners bring their researched information to the table. Have better information and more reputable website alternatives always at the ready.
19. Share your favorite websites regularly with your Gen Y pet owners.
20. Create simple YouTube videos with a Flip Video Camera (www.theflip.com @$139) and post them on YouTube. Gen Yers are all on YouTube!
21. Stay on top-of-mind by utilizing a twice-weekly blog, a monthly newsletter and a Facebook page. Go where they are. Stay current.
To find all of the heavily-researched rationale behind these suggestions, click here. The white paper goes over Gen Y values and traits in depth, and I did spend about ten days researching and writing it.
Veterinarians and Department Stores Both Must Court Gen Y Consumers
While a veterinary practice differs dramatically from a department store, all business owners could benefit from lifting the hood on the Gen Y brain. Consumer research psychologist Kit Yarrow explains how these young shoppers relish their individuality and, more important, will pay a premium to service providers who understand this. Typically, department stores stock many of the same item, anathema to Gen Y.
Gen Y members build their own playlists on iPods; they create and control their social groups on Facebook, Tumblr and more. They define their own style. They're attuned to social justice issues and don't strive for the highest end goods as the baby boomers once did. Department stores, behind the curve, have lost much of the Gen Y clientele to specialty stores like H&M, Forever 21 and even second-hand stores where prices are low and fashions change rapidly.
Gen Y is optimistic about the future and many more of them can name charities to which they contribute than their parents could at their age. Does your practice support a local charity? By patronizing your practice, Gen Yers feel they're donating part of your fees to a good cause.
In the next two years, Gen Y will start putting bids on houses, and then filling those houses with goods and pets. Gen Y will bring on another economic boom of historic proportions. Ride along with them, but get ahead of the curve now so that you'll push their buttons lucratively later.
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