Petco Seems to be Eating their CRM Homework. For Breakfast

As we keep going through different retail brands, putting their basic CRM principles to the test in a world-with-corona, we’re now getting to Petco Animal Supplies, Inc., or simply Petco.

As always, for that analysis, we used our seven commandments for CRM in a post-corona world.

1. Be transparent 10/10

This brand’s values are starring. Petco is the first and only national retailer to have removed all products containing artificial ingredients from their dog and cat food and treats.

Their tagline is super clear:

“We obsess over pets.

We’re setting a new standard by not selling food or treats with artificial ingredients.”

Pet owners can go to this page to get all the details on health ingredients and nutrients that are found in the foods they buy. So surely, they’ve got nothing to hide!

On their homepage, we appreciate the red COVID-19 company updates banner. When clicking on the link, we were very surprised to see a heartful note and numerous videos from Petco’s CEO, Ron Coughlin.

When scrolling down on this page, we were even more surprised to see that the company has dedicated an entire FAQ section to general questions on coronavirus and the company. Some FAQs include whether pets can contract the virus or if the disease spreads through products.

2. Give discounts 9/10

Generally speaking, yes – Petco is giving discounts and is also making them very visible on the homepage. And in times when the average American consumer lost almost $9,000 of income in the past three months, it’s ever so important for a brand to go that extra mile.

Once classic way to help your customers while also increasing the chances they will shop with you again, they present this repeat delivery offer:

3. Be relevant 10/10

While discounts are great, tying your communications to your costumers’ real-life issues is even better. And Petco is checking this box, too.

Their 10% off curbside pickups offer – which is the fastest growing shopping method these days – is precisely spot-on.

Additionally, these days it’s clear that relevancy also means supporting the fight for social equality in the wake of the #BLM movement. We love how Petco is standing up for racial justice, showing their support for George Floyd protesters:

Also recognizing Juneteenth:

It continues on Facebook:

And, Unleash Your Pride #PetcoPride was exceptionally creative for LGBT+ Month:

4. Be helpful 10/10

You can’t give discounts AND be relevant – and leaving the “helpful” part aside. Right?

And so, Petco is also announcg that “to provide ongoing support to our Petco partners as they face the effects of COVID-19 – and in future times of need – we’ve launched the Petco Partner Assistance Fund, with $2 million from Petco & more from our sponsors at CVC Capital Partners, our board of directors, our Petco Pet Wellness Council, and our leadership team, including our CEO, Ron Coughlin. All donations will directly support Petco partners in need.”

Oh, and that’s not all. The company is being helpful on Instagram, with this campaign:

“Don’t forget to nominate your Community Champion! We’ve teamed up with @Nextdoor to give frontline workers the chance to win a year’s supply of pet food. To enter, upload a photo or video telling us about the community champion you would like to nominate using the hashtag #FurTheHeroes. For full contest details, check the link in our bio.”

Their Petco Foundation allows you to donate to save animals: “6 million adopted pets and counting. But together, we can do more. Donate to help make an immediate, lifesaving impact for animals in need. With every gift, you change a life of a pet in need.”

5. Personalize 7/10

After adding True Chews dog food to our cart, we received the following recommendations for other products we may be interested in. You might think product recommendations are a basic CRM technique. And you’ll be right. You might also be surprised that not everyone is doing it, even though it’s already 2020.

However, we weren’t retargeted with similar products when going back to the homepage, nor did we see ads from the brand on other social media accounts. At least not in real-time.

6. Master UX 7/10

With so many products on offer, going through them can be overwhelming.

Viewing our cart and the checkout process was simple and easy, though. We also quickly found the company’s customer support contact details. And the phone number to contact directly at the bottom of their homepage is good, too! Still, some customers might prefer sending an email or leaving a message, and these options, we couldn’t find!

7. Leverage Social Media 10/10

The brand posts a “tip of the week” and this is a great way to engage with the community, especially when people are still going out less. They post these weekly tips on all three social channels that we checked: Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Another great way to speak with customers during the pandemic: “Stay-at-home orders have altered routines for every member of the family, including pets. Here are some tricks to keep your pup entertained!”

With over 3.2 million likes on Facebook, and super-cute content, this animal-loving community is perfect!

To end things off, we’ll leave you with this:

Additionally, we detailed their smart social media activity in the segments above.

**

Overall, Petco is getting a 63/70 here (90%). Jumping straight to the top of our 7 Commandments of CRM ranking so far:

1. Petco 90%
2. Uniqlo 86%
3. Best Buy 78%
4. Etsy 76%
5. Tommy Hilfiger 70%
6. Fiverr 67%
7. Patagonia 61%

Watch this space for more brand analysis coming your way.

Meanwhile, check out previous ones:

• Tommy Hilfiger’s communications right now
• Patagonia: paving their own path
• How Etsy is crafting their CRM practices
• Basic CRM analysis of Best Buy
• Is Fiverr following best practices for CRM?
• What we can learn from Uniqlo’s communication efforts