Did you see CNN last week? My good friend, Jim Rudolph, made me aware of their latest finding! Grand-puppies! The latest demographic to emerge in this crazy pet world,Ö there are now officially “grandpuppy-parents!” And, let me tell you – they are a proud group!
The beginning of the article shows a pet mommy Skyping her fur-kid, Gracie’s, grandpuppy-parents. And, they all look like they are having a ball! Including Gracie, who appears to be incredibly intent on talking to her grandpuppy-parents.
From the article,Ö “When we look at the evolution of the dog from protector, hunter, to companion, it may not be so unlikely for the dog to appear in the ‘family tree,’ ” said Dr. Rebecca Johnson, director of the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction at University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine.
So, there you have it. As a professional in death care services, don’t forget about this group. In fact, let’s think about this group in a bit more detail. They are generally of the age group where they are waiting on human grandkids but there’s been a delay in this, for some reason. They have discretionary income to spend on these special creatures. All in all, seems like they would be a great group to market ANY death care service!
There are numerous things that you can do to market to this very important demographic. Consider these:
o Ask if they have “grandpuppies/kitties” during the pre-planning process.
o In your pet death care operation, don’t forget to make mention of grandpuppy-parents/grandkitty-parents when educating a family on memorialization items.
o Remind pet parents with point-of-purchase signs to remember the grandparents with memorialization pieces.
o Include the grandparent’s name in the actual pre-planning process of the pet.
o Include the grandparent’s names in the on-line memorial posting of the deceased pet.
And, many more!
Bottom line, this demographic is proud of their title! So, be there, guide them, and help them in honoring the love they shared with their precious grand-puppy or grand-kitty.
