Social Media Column

AI can produce flawless images and scripts in minutes. This is particularly appealing to pet brands, as cat and dog content is highly visual. However, when everything is technically perfect, content becomes interchangeable. Welcome to the era of 'AI slop' – mass-produced content lacking in soul. The crucial question is no longer 'How can I produce faster?' But rather: How can I build trust when anyone can generate content at the touch of a button?
The answer is trust-marketing, and influencers can play a central role in this. After all, the true value of collaboration lies in years of community building and proven expertise, not individual creative content pieces. AI cannot establish this basis of trust.

What can influencer marketing achieve?

Before considering creators, formats or budgets, ask yourself what you want to achieve. The three classic target areas are:

• awareness (building visibility);
• engagement and leads (activating the community and generating contacts);
• sales (sales via recommendations, codes or affiliate models). 
   

It is important not to try to achieve all three goals with a single collaboration. If your goal is to raise awareness, you need to consider different creators and formats to those you would use if your goal was to generate conversions. A clear, well-defined strategy is key.

Influencers as content partners, not silos.

A common mistake is to think of influencer campaigns separately from your own social media planning. However, influencers are not just there to increase your own reach; they are also excellent content producers. Many creators deliver authentic content that often performs better on their own channels, in paid ads or on websites than polished productions.

Plan collaborations so that the content can also be used for your own channels, for example as user-generated content (UGC) for adverts, testimonials on the product page, or storylines in the social media calendar. Make a conscious decision about which collaborations will be integrated into your content strategy, and which will run in parallel.

Five types of creators for the pet industry — the TONY model

At our agency, TONY, we have identified a clear pattern based on over 1,000 influencer collaborations. We categorise creators into five types and match them with our clients' strategies.

1. Petfluencers

The account is usually named after the animal, with 80 to 90 per cent of the content featuring dogs or cats. The big advantage? They have the highest target group affinity of all types. Anyone who follows a dog profile is highly likely to be a pet owner themselves, so there will be no "wastage". Tip: Make sure the creators are visible too, especially in stories. Cute animal pictures alone rarely build a strong community and make it difficult to convey brand messages effectively.

2. Pet Fans

The human-animal duo is the focus here. You can see the owner's active life – with their dog hiking, everyday life and travelling. Pet fans often belong to a close-knit community, which makes them ideal for campaigns that combine lifestyle and pet ownership.

3. Pet experts

This category includes all people who work with pets professionally, such as vets ('vetfluencers'), breeders, groomers, dog trainers and cat experts. These creators have the highest level of trust. They convey competence and have strong opinions of their own, making collaborations particularly credible. However, collaboration with them is often more demanding. Tip: Involve experts early on in product development and campaign planning. Those who take their expertise seriously will gain genuine advocates.

4. Web Stars

Influencers from the worlds of beauty, fashion, sport or food who have a pet. Their followers usually don't follow them because of the animal, which means lower affinity with the target group. However, web stars with strong community ties can still be effective, particularly in reaching audiences beyond the pet community.

5. Celebrities

These are people who would be famous even without social media, such as actresses, TV presenters and singers. This is particularly interesting when you think beyond social media. Celebrities are ideal brand ambassadors for other advertising media or PR purposes, such as making an appearance at Interzoo.

What does this mean for you as a decision maker?

Start with the goal, not the creator. Consider which type fits your strategy. When it comes to influencers, it's crucial to view them as an integral part of your content strategy, rather than as a standalone entity. In a flood of polished AI-generated content, authenticity is the most valuable asset your brand can have.

In Part 2, you will learn how to implement collaboration in practice: from establishing contact and fair pricing models to measuring success.

About the author:

André Karkalis, founder of the TONY agency, has realised over 100 social projects for industry and trade in the pet sector with his team.

TONY has been organising the GERMAN PETFLUENCER AWARDS since 2019 and hosts Europe's largest creator event on the topic of pets, PETFLUENCER NIGHT.

Do you have any questions? Write to: a.karkalis@tony.pet