What you’ll read:
- What started as a local store focusing on healthy pet food, evolved into a national powerhouse that focuses on community needs.
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What makes a brand relevant? On the surface, it’s staying up-to-date on current trends, maintaining a social media presence, maybe producing TikTok videos. At its core, however, relevance is about relating to your customers. From a marketing perspective, that means making content that is topical, informative, engaging, and — most importantly — closely emphasizes brand values at every level.
Pets Corner is one business that makes relevance look easy. Despite operating on a smaller scale than competing pet brands, this family-owned operation is beloved for quality-first products and services that address needs consumers may not have considered. For this installment of Nailed or Failed, we’ll take a closer look at how Pets Corner successfully relates to followers in the UK and around the world.
Pets Corner, from 1968 to present day
Mark and Sandra Richmond founded Pets Corner in 1968 as a small family pet shop in Haywards Heath, Sussex. Its mission was to offer highly nutritious food and the “best pet care advice in the industry.” When high-quality food and products were difficult to find, Pets Corner developed them directly through creative partnerships or first-hand expertise.
The brand grew slowly at first, reaching seven locations in its first three decades, but always placed a strong focus on building connections with local communities and offering informed pet advice. Pet Corner’s growth escalated in the 1990s when Mark and Sandra sold the business to their son, Dean Richmond. Today, the brand manages over 900 employees in 150 stores across the United Kingdom.
One surprising fact about Pets Corner is that e-commerce is a relatively low priority for the company — one report found that 98% of its sales come from local businesses instead of online storefronts. When we’re talking about brand relevance, that focus may seem counterproductive. In practice, community engagement spurs the brand to address pressing consumer needs in meaningful ways.
For example, Pets Corner often finds itself at the cutting edge of pet care trends — issues like pet nutrition, ethical breeding practices, and expert training were all brand priorities well before most competitors. Listening to customers helped Pets Corner know exactly what positions it needed to take long before market research helped other brands catch up.
Staying topical by being informative
Pets Corner has an impressive audience reach despite focusing entirely on UK markets, and that success is largely due to an effective content strategy. Its website and social media channels feature a steady output of topical content carefully tailored to engage pet lovers everywhere. For example, its Facebook and Instagram pages share daily content that is animal-focused first, product-focused second. When highlighting its puppy socialization sessions, posts emphasize the benefits to all dogs. Instead of discussing grooming services, followers can see before and after photos of gorgeous dogs. Pets Corner’s social media pages are relaxing to scroll through, building goodwill alongside brand awareness.
Meanwhile, Pets Corners’ blog goes more in-depth with informative content that doesn’t shy away from having strong opinions. One great example is this article that explores consumer demand for vegan dog food while explaining that the brand doesn’t recommend such products — instead, it highlights meals with low environmental impacts, such as insect-based kibbles. Other topical posts discuss how fireworks are disruptive to animals during holiday seasons and how owners can protect their pets. This approach positions Pets Corner as an industry leader who takes part in essential conversations for pet owners, sharing expert perspectives in respectful and thoughtful ways.
Finding ways to highlight your values
Pet Corners’ core mission is to offer the best possible care for their customer’s pets, but there are many other ways it can express its values. Take an issue like climate change and environmental protection, which impacts pet health just as it does with humans. A quick glance at Pet Corners’ home page shows various ways the brand tackles this challenge, from eco-friendly toys to its status as a carbon-neutral brand. A closer look at its website and company profile reveals the brand’s dedication to ethically sourced food and products, many of which aren’t available from pet store competitors.
These are small touches of brand copy that speak volumes to customers. Most owners view their pets as family members, not animals, and expect the best for their health and well-being. When Pets Corner showcases its dedication to these values at every level — not just to close a sale — it supercharges customer loyalty among a large audience that shares these values.
What’s more, Pets Corner doesn’t just focus on animal issues — it acts as a rallying point for any number of public causes. The most recent example is the war in Ukraine, which prompted the company to turn its warehouses into donation centers for tents, clothes, sleeping bags, and even medicine. These actions are consistent with Pets Corner’s status as a community center and a family-owned brand that wants to make a difference for pets and people alike.
When businesses try to be relevant, it often looks like updating themselves for modern times. The truth is that relevance is often about staying true to your mission and brand values, all while promoting consumer engagement at every turn.