In our society, most people tend to shy away from words about death, dying, and even grief. Sometimes it can feel insensitive to broach these topics, but they are important to mention. When a pet owner faces an end-of-life scenario with their animal, they should be able to find the resources they need as they need them. Our CEO and Founder Kelly Baltzell shares her expertise on how to reach grieving pet owners as they struggle with end-of-life care and the loss of a pet.

Facing Grief

Marketing images we see cascade through our consciousness are all focused on the young, the healthy, and the vibrancy of life. When death happens, typically, it is surrounded by clumsy words like “I am so sorry” that attempt to blanket the intense pain of the grieving human. Why? Because we have no idea what else to say or do since the end of life is not something we are socialized on when we are young. So, we muddle through it the best we can, wishing we could make it better for our friends and family who are suffering. 

The Healthy Side of Grieving

For over 26 years, I have been watching grieving people on my very first website Grieving.com. Up to 25,000 people a month from over a 100 countries engage on this website—some for as long as it has been online. I learned early to divide conversations out by type of loss. One of those loss types is the loss of a pet family member. Grieving people have taught me so much. Typically, they are the ones who have to do the “heavy lifting” of teaching non-grievers how to navigate the death process. Grieving pet owners have shown the world, through their conversations at Grieving.com, the depth of love between human and animal. Many times, they have shown through their grief that their pet was the only source of unconditional love that they had in their lives. The only one. 

Marketing to Grievers

In marketing,  knowing your demographic is a fundamental guiding stone. This year, especially, we are seeing how major companies are trying new ideas that are failing miserably with their core consumer base. The failures are so spectacular that they will be used as examples in marketing classes world-wide for years to come. Your demographic with grieving people is a person who may be losing the one and only being that has ever loved them unconditionally. Do not try to insert another concept here. It will fail. The more awareness of what the animal meant to the human, the more success will be had in helping the pet owner through this gut-wrenching time. 

Being Genuine

Besides knowing your demographic, approaching hard topics correctly, such as death and dying, can bond the consumer to your brand for years to come. If you fumble the ball in this highly emotional moment, the chances of people returning to your business after a new animal family member comes into the home decreases. Why? There are too many difficult memories tying your business to the previous pet. 

So, how can you as a business, a health provider, and a person who cares, bring light to the end of life process and bring it out of the shadows? Here are a few things to try/consider. 

• Go inward. First and foremost, how do you personally feel about the end of life journey? Have you experienced it? What was helpful to you and what magnified your pain or frustration? If you are not okay with death, it will show. Grieving people can easily spot those who are uncomfortable with end-of-life matters. Pet owners are looking for your shoulder to lean on at this time. Their trust in you as their beloved veterinarian carries over to this aspect of the life cycle. Don’t blow it because you haven’t done your inner work on this issue. 

• Learn and know your demographic. There is no easier place than grieving.com to learn about how pet owners feel than to read story after story of people who have lost their beloved pets. Visit our forum. It is free. Just create a username and grab some tissues and your favorite beverage. People here will teach you more than you ever will learn in a classroom. 

• Review your marketing. Once you have gone inward and reviewed your own beliefs, coupled with learning how others feel/process their loss, then review your end-of-life marketing. Consider asking your clients what they think your narrative (your story) is around how your business approaches the end of life. Is it the story you want to be remembered for after the pet owners leave your door or you get in your car and drive away? 

• After the transition. I started marketing in the animal space because my members on Grieving.com came to me and said things like, “My veterinarian is AMAZING, but they absolutely failed at end-of-life-care and aftercare. Can you please go help?” I’ll bet, after reviewing your marketing narrative, that you are adrift at sea for any follow-through after the rainbow bridge has been crossed. Do you give people resources to aid them on their grief journey—be it local, in person, or the internet? Do you send out cards in memory at the pet owner’s holiday of choice? Do you have a memory wall for the pets located somewhere in your community? 

I am in the unique position of owning a worldwide grief peer-to-peer support forum at grieving.com and also owning a marketing company. My goal is to help everyone involved with the grief journey to understand how to empower and support each other during this complicated and emotional time. If you ever want help with your own marketing around this subject matter, please let me or my team know. 

I look forward to hearing from you all as we make the needs of grieving people known-Kelly