Puppies 62 Percent More Popular Than Kittens in Marketing

Thinking of incorporating a cute four-legged creature into your company’s next marketing campaign?

If you’re doing this on the web, you may naturally think that cats would be the way to go. After all, there are some pretty famous online cats and cat memes.  Grumpy Cat, LolCats,  Lil BUB to name a few.

But if you’re thinking kitten images, you may be scratching the wrong post.

Instead, you might want to be thinking of puppies in marketing.

Recent data from Adobe Stock reveals that puppies are more popular than kittens, by far — at least when it comes to stock images for marketing.  Stock photos of puppies are downloaded 62 percent more than photos of kittens by Adobe Stock users.

That figure is based on paid downloads of stock images at Adobe Stock in 2015, according to the company.  Many of these downloads are used for marketing materials, the company added.

The Power of Puppies in Marketing

Cats essentially have a “forever home” on the Internet with the popularity of cat memes. So, it’s a little surprising to see that puppies trump kittens in the paid downloads category at Adobe Stock.

Maybe it’s the puppy dog eyes. Whatever it is, puppies in marketing have powerful appeal.

Adult dogs are more popular than adult cats, too, although the difference is not nearly as stark as with their younger counterparts. Dogs are 21 percent more popular than adult cats at Adobe Stock.

Digging a little deeper into the data shows that the top downloaded breed — Best in Show, as it were — is the Golden Retriever. Labradors are second, followed by bulldogs, beagles, and German shepherds.

“Animal photos of all types are in high demand across stock photography services,” says Zeke Koch, senior director of product management for Adobe Stock. “But dogs and specifically puppies really lead the way.”

Before you download that photo of an adorable kitten chasing a piece of yarn to use in your next social media post or as part of your company’s new marketing campaign, you may get a better response if you pick a slobbering fluffy puppy instead.

It works at the Santa Cruz SPCA. Puppies draw more love than any other furry creature.

“Social posts involving puppy photos generate some of the quickest responses and higher volumes of ‘Likes’, ‘Loves,’ and comments than most posts,” says Mandi Hart, Shelter Manager of Santa Cruz SPCA and Humane Society.

Chart: Small Business Trends, Puppy and Kitten Images from Shutterstock.

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