Mad About Pets — Why We’re Backing the Pet Industry
With over a decade of experience working with pet brands, businesses and retailers, we’re incredibly excited to have reinforced our commitment to the pet industry.
According to the latest data from UK Pet Food, the UK pet sector is valued at over £4.1bn and supports a community of over 36 million pets. In the last year alone, it’s estimated that the sector has seen 7% growth — a trajectory of growth that shows no sign of slowing down.
Through our work with a range of pet brands, including the likes of Earth Animal, Autarky and Pointer, we’ve developed expertise across various areas of pet marketing, including PR and influencers, social media, digital marketing and more.
As communications consultants, a key part of our role is to embed ourselves in the industries we work in to ensure we deliver the best possible service for our clients. As part of our commitment to this sector, we’ve recently undertaken a range of activities to replenish our knowledge, connections and love of this industry.
Seeing what’s new at PATS 2024
The Pet and Aquatics Trade Show (PATS) is the UK’s largest trade pet event, and this year was the biggest one yet. The team headed down to Telford International Centre across the three-day event to immerse themselves in the industry, seeing what’s new and upcoming for 2025.
A key takeaway from PATS was the increased interest in health-focused pet food and luxury pet products, with consumer interests evolving – and many choosing to spend more of their disposable income on their pets and having more consideration for what they’re spending that money on.
A bonus of attending was getting to say hello to our clients who were exhibiting too!
Celebrating Excellence at the PetQuip Awards
This year’s PetQuip Awards, held at PATS, was attended by over 300 pet industry businesses and was hosted by the pet equipment trade association, PetQuip.
As a proud supporter of the pet industry, this year Leopard Co was the headline sponsor of the PetQuip Awards, helping to recognise excellence in pet trade business in the UK and internationally.
Whilst attending the event, Rachel Roberts, Co-CEO of Leopard Co, had the pleasure of presenting the final award of the evening — the Lifetime Achievement Award. This was presented to Celia Hammond for her dedication to animal conservation spanning many decades, which included the establishment of the Celia Hammond Animal Trust.
Providing Strategic Consultancy to UK Pet Food
Earlier this month, UK Pet Food, the pet food manufacturers trade association, held a strategic planning day for its senior committee members.
Our PR Director, Laura Rudolph, and our Co-CEO, Rachel Roberts, were invited to deliver a session on communicating in the age of misinformation and contribute their strategic expertise throughout the day.
Welcoming New Pet Clients
Thanks to our long-standing presence in the pet sector, we’re delighted to have welcomed some new pet industry clients to the pack, including Fold Hill Foods and Boost Pet.
For Lincolnshire-based Fold Hill Foods, we will be launching its brand new premium Ruffingtons luxury dog treats utilising digital, PR, social media, events, and advertising activity.
For Boost Pet, we will deliver a PR sprint campaign to help drive sales in-store and online of their innovative fresh pet food which is rolling out in stores across the UK this autumn.
Need help elevating your pet brand or bringing a new pet product to market? Get in touch with our pet marketing experts today!