Study Confirms Petfluencers Outperform Human Influencers in Trust and Engagement

New research highlights the growing appeal of pet-driven advertising as a credible and effective alternative to traditional human endorsements.

A study published in The Journal of Advertising Research shows petfluencers are perceived as more trustworthy and persuasive than human influencers.
Controlled experiments comparing fictional ads found petfluencer posts garnered higher consumer engagement and better return on ad placement costs.
Petfluencers are seen as genuine due to their lack of hidden agendas or scandals, addressing consumer fatigue with human influencers.
Top petfluencers, such as Nala the Cat with 4.5 million followers, have amassed significant fortunes through lucrative brand endorsements.
Researchers suggest further studies could expand on these findings, exploring the evolving role of pets in digital marketing strategies.