Pet owners are notorious for spoiling their four-legged children. I am no exception to that rule – my little kitties follow me everywhere and keep me company in the office all day. PetSmart understands the owner-pet bond, and capitalizes on this relationship with seasonal events such as Halloween costume contests and photos with the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.

The seasonal timeliness even extends to birthdays….yes, pets have birthdays, too! Imagine my excitement when I opened an email today with the following:

Now, little Elena has no clue it’s her birthday and she surely wouldn’t be upset if she didn’t get a gift this year. However, PetSmart knows I am a responsible pet owner, and surely I need more cat food, litter, litter deodorizer or hairball paste. Ellie’s birthday is simply one more opportunity for PetSmart to reach out to me and to get me in the store.

PetSmart understands the power of communication and the power of customer databases. They regularly distribute promotional coupons and incentives to encourage repeat customer purchases. It’s these databases that allow them to target customers based on historical purchase patterns.

How are you talking to your customers? How could you be using your database more effectively? Are you capturing data via your website, or only relying on traditional forms of communication? It might be a good opportunity to re-evaluate your current communication strategy in favor of a more efficient means of reaching out to your consumers.