Services Marketing Quarterly

ISSN: 1533-2969 (Print) 1533-2977 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wsmq20

Understanding the Mind of the Pet Owner for

Veterinary Services
Gillie Gabay , Howard R. Moskowitz , Kenneth J. Rotondo & Douglas G.
Aspros
To cite this article: Gillie Gabay , Howard R. Moskowitz , Kenneth J. Rotondo & Douglas G.
Aspros (2014) Understanding the Mind of the Pet Owner for Veterinary Services, Services
Marketing Quarterly, 35:1, 1-18, DOI: 10.1080/15332969.2014.856729
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15332969.2014.856729

Published online: 20 Dec 2013.

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Date: 16 March 2016, At: 09:42

Services Marketing Quarterly, 35:118, 2014

Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 1533-2969 print/1533-2977 online
DOI: 10.1080/15332969.2014.856729

Understanding the Mind of the Pet Owner

for Veterinary Services
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GILLIE GABAY
College of Management Academic Studies, Rishon LeZion, Israel

HOWARD R. MOSKOWITZ
Moskowitz Jacobs, Inc., White Plains, New York

KENNETH J. ROTONDO
iNovum, LLC, Saratoga Springs, New York

DOUGLAS G. ASPROS
Bond Animal Hospital, White Plains, New York

To improve efficiency and effectiveness, veterinary practitioners

must match their marketing/advertising mix to the needs of their
clients. We present an empirical approach to understanding
what a client wants and the nature of mind-set segments, using
different messages to convey the nature of a vet practice. Data
suggest that pet owners divide into three distinct mindset segments:
(a) responds strongly to elements that convey warmth and reassurance, (b) responds strongly to technology, and (c) responds to
treatment that is similar in nature to that given to people. Each
segment, both new and old clients, will respond when veterinarians
use different ad messaging.
KEYWORDS animals, sensory, consumer behavior, experimental
design, conjoint analysis

Address correspondence to Gillie Gabay, PhD, College of Management Academic Studies,

7 Rabin Boulevard, Rishon LeZion 75190, Israel. E-mail: gillie.gabay@gmail.com. Please send
copies of correspondence to Linda Ettinger Lieberman, Editorial Assistant to Dr. Moskowitz.
E-mail: llieberman@mji-designlab.com
1

G. Gabay etal.

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INTRODUCTION
Pets are becoming increasingly valued members of the American household. A survey conducted by the American Animal Hospital Association
revealed that 80% of respondents give their pets a holiday or birthday
gifts; 77% regard themselves as parents or guardians of their pets; 54%
would prefer their pets company to that of a human if trapped on a desert
island; 48% prepare special meals for their pets; and 33% call home to talk
to their pets through telephone answering machines (Cotlier & Miller,
2002; Potts, 1999). As a result, the ascribed human nature of pets open
up new opportunities for veterinarians to offer their services and market
to clients, based on satisfying the client needs, and the perceived needs of
the pets.
Prior research on veterinarian marketing indicates that veterinarians
generate a wide range of responses to the idea of advertising their services
(Stevens, McConkey, & Loudon, 1994). Furthermore, most veterinarians who
advertise do so to promote their services. Veterinarians feel that advertising
would increase the demand for their services, and would help customers
both to understand the use of veterinarian services as well as to select a
competent veterinarian. Consumers welcome such advertising as well. A
study by Stevens, Loudon, and Williamson (1995) on consumer attitudes
toward veterinarian advertising concluded that consumers would appreciate
advertising by veterinarians. Their research indicated that veterinarian advertising helps provide useful information to the public. Even though respondents knew that advertising costs increases the veterinary fees, their view
of veterinarians remained positive (Hite, 1982; Miller & Waller, 1979).
Furthermore, respondents were more concerned with quality of service, personal recommendations, and the location of the veterinary services than they
were with price. Because pet owners, especially those who do not have
children, are increasingly devoted to their pets, they want more information
about service quality and type and view advertising of veterinary services
favorably. Although consumers like to compare pricing, quality seemed to be
more important to them than price (Stevens etal., 1994; Stevens etal., 1995).
Thus, although the market tends to expand, it remains price insensitive (Lee,
2006).
Communicating veterinary quality to consumers may increase the demand
for high-priced services such as treatment for illness or accident. Advertising
can also increase high-volume services, such as immunization (Stevens etal.,
1995). Additionally, marketing can also benefit nontraditional pet services as
veterinarians continue to branch into other products and services. For
instance, many veterinarians also sell pet food, pet insurance, and online pet
products, taking business away from other branches (Garcia, 1999; Liesse,
1993).

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The World of Veterinary Service: Homogeneous Versus

Heterogeneous Market?
The world of the veterinarian may comprise a combination of professional
and small business. Its not clear whether this world is homogeneous or heterogeneous in terms of client needs. Some initial work reported in a KPMG
study (Lee, 2006) suggested that the market for veterinary services is homogeneous. This conclusion implies that an ideal marketing mix would meet the
needs of all clients. Although the consumers of companion animal veterinary
medical services tend to be pet owners, the market can still be segmented
into many different subgroups, each preferring its own ideal marketing mix
and representing a potential niche market for veterinary services (Lee, 2006).
Professionals need to communicate their mix of services to customers and
match these services with customers needs. Yet many professionals find
themselves ill equipped to handle the dynamics of a changing environment,
especially without some form of marketing plan (Tran & Moser, 2009).
In the world of the experience economy (Gabay & Moskowitz, 2009)
professionals are becoming increasingly interested in the segmented response
of different clients to features and benefits of the services they provide.
Whereas in previous years sufficed to offer new and powerful treatments and
promises, todays client consumer has become far more discriminating. Part of
this discriminating ability comes from the advertising and customization. The
plethora of advertising directed at the consumer has educated the customer.
The trend of customization increased customers awareness to the possibilities
of responding to specific needs of each customer (Gabay & Moskowitz, 2009).
To improve the efficiency and the effectiveness of advertising, veterinarians must match the features of their service with the targeted clients.
Tran and Moser (2009) reported that the lack of information about veterinarian service and their quality could inhibit consumers from choosing certain
veterinarians. Advertising would, therefore, also serve this need for more
information (Tran & Moser, 2009).

The Contribution of Mind-Set Segmentation to

Understanding and to Marketing Veterinary Services
Since the 1970s, marketers have realized that one size does not fit all and that
customers differ from each other. One might differentiate customers on the
basis of who they are (e.g., geo-demographics such as age, income, market),
on the basis of their relevant behavior (e.g., how often they visit veterinarians,
what types of pets they have, how much they spend, what special medications they buy, etc.). Marketers have adopted psychological segmentation,
wherein they give the consumer a battery of lifestyle-based questions, and
divide the consumer into different mind-set segments based upon the pattern
of the responses (Wells, 1975). Then, with the general segmentation in hand,

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G. Gabay etal.

the marketer attempts to drill down to the specific topic area. That is, the segmentation is general, covering many aspects of ones life, but the application
attempts to be specific, to a particular area of life that may or may not be
directly related to the segmentation (Mitchell, 1983).
Recently, a different approach to segmentation has been suggested,
which deals with the local, more granular aspect of products and services
(Gofman & Moskowitz, 2007). This segmentation uses responses to specific
concepts, and more particularly, responses to the elements of the concepts.
Individuals to be segmented are exposed to test concepts that have been
systematically varied to comprise different elements, or messages. Each
message generates its own impact value. The pattern of these impact values
for a given customer defines the mental profile of that customer for a
particular service (e.g., veterinary services). When a reasonable number of
individual respondents have gone through the test (n > 100), rating concepts,
and having the impact of each element deduced, then one can cluster
these different respondents into groups based upon the pattern of impacts.
This response-based segmentation can thus deal with specific, momentary
issues in the world of products and services. When it comes to veterinary
services, the segmentation can be focused on only those elements dealing
with specific veterinary issues, such as responses to a first visit to the vet.
We present this article as the combination of psychology and marketing,
directed towards the professional service of the veterinary hospital. Veterinary
medicine, like other medical professions, is challenged increasingly by technology on the one hand, and by relentless competition on the other. In addition to technological advances, however, there is the ever-present influence
of emotions. In this study, we assessed the appeal of advertising messages
such as descriptions of the doctors practice, the physical technology available, and hours available, which reflect service quality and might be used to
convey the nature of the veterinary practice.
Through experimental design of ideas, so-called conjoint analysis (Cattin &
Wittink, 1982; Green & Srinivasan, 1980) we illustrate the response-based segmentation and three emergent clusters, or mind-sets. Our ingoing data will comprise different messages about aspects of the first visit, including descriptions of
the doctors practice, the physical technology available, and hours available.
These are typical messages that might be used to convey the nature of the practice. Through the response to these messages, we will illustrate how to uncover
the mind-sets of current customers, how to deeply understand the concrete and
emotional factors that drive customer interest, and how to type new customers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Test Stimuli
The stimuli comprise simple, stand-alone phrases that can be combined in
different ways through experimental design. The stimuli are classified into

The Mind of the Pet Owner and Veterinary Services

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silos, with a silo comprising related elements or phrases. Each of six silos
comprises six elements each. The notion of silos and elements is a useful
way to ensure that potentially incompatible messages never appear with
each other.
The elements are single-minded, stand-alone ideas which can be later
combined into test vignettes or concepts by experimental design (Box,
Hunter, & Hunter, 1978). Table 1 presents these six silos of six elements. The
elements are developed by assessing current veterinary practice, both ones
own and that of colleagues and competitors, and in some cases looking at

TABLE 1 The Six Silos and Six Elements Within Each Silo
Silos
Silo 1: Services

Elements

We offer boarding facilities with veterinary supervision

Nutritional counseling and prescription diets available
Emergency services available 24//7
Preventive health care, safeguards your pets health
Comprehensive medical, dental, and surgical care
Board certified specialists available for best quality care
Silo 2: Environment
Always a clean and fresh-smelling environment
Examination areas are sanitized after each patient, for you and
your pets health
Separate waiting areas for dogs and cats
New and contemporary facility
Specially constructed exam rooms; quiet, private environment
Spacious waiting and exam areas for you and your pets comfort
Silo 3: Communications Phone calls answered efficiently and productively
Website available and offers a wealth of reliable information
After your pets treatment you can expect a follow-up phone call
You get a postcard reminder for routine wellness care
You get an e-mail reminder for routine wellness care
Easy to understand and follow take-home information
Silo 4: Technology
Digital x-rays, high-quality images are available immediately for
remote consultation
Ultrasonography and echocardiography, advanced diagnostic
capabilities
On-site laboratory, immediate results aid in timely treatment
Surgical laser is used to enhance comfort and healing
Computerized medical records allow for security and immediate
retrieval
State-of-the-art dental care is available
Silo 5: Convenience
Convenient parking
Convenient location
You can expect to be seen at your scheduled time
Make your appointment online
Refill prescriptions on our website
Evening and weekend hours for your convenience
Silo 6: Humanistics
Client- and pet-friendly, warm, and supportive practice
You see the same veterinarian every time, who knows your pet
We treat your pet like a family member
Tours of facility always available
Doctors and staff dressed neatly in clean medical uniforms
You receive a personal holiday card from our staff

G. Gabay etal.

other, related areas, such as regular medical hospitals that provide analogous
services. Since the objective of the study is to understand what works rapidly, but also iteratively, one need not be 100% certain of being correct each
time. One can test the elements in a study, and then return relatively soon
for a second and third iteration.

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RESPONDENTS
The respondents were current clients at the senior authors veterinary practice. All respondents in the study provided their e-mail addresses. The
respondents tended, as a consequence, to be more web-savvy, and somewhat younger, a slight bias that revealed itself in the larger number of younger
respondents than the older respondents.
As is the typical practice in these types of projects, respondents were
invited by an e-mail to participate (see Figure 1 for the invitation). Respondents
who agree to participate merely clicked on the link and were led to the
study, which was scheduled to last no more than 20 minutes in order to
reduce the number respondents who would drop out in the middle of the
interview because of length (Mac Elroy, 2000). Note also in Figure 1 that the
invitation was personalized with both the respondents first and last names.
This format allows the interview to be more friendly, yet at the same time

FIGURE 1 The e-mail invitation to participate.

The Mind of the Pet Owner and Veterinary Services

maintains a distance between the interviewee and the interview. It provides

both intimacy and distance.

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Respondent Instructions (Orientation Page)

At the start of the actual interview, the respondent read a screen informing
what would happen, the purpose behind the study, and the questions to be
asked. Orientation pages, such as that shown in Figure 2, are important for the
interview. They make the respondent feel comfortable, tell the respondent
how important the study is (to maintain motivation), and tell the respondent
what is expected. Although one might think that todays consumers are
savvy because of the prevalence of surveys, the reality is much different.
Respondents appreciate knowing why the survey is being done, and that
their opinions are important.

Test Stimuli
The six silos and six elements comprised a total of 36 elements. An experimental design specified 48 combinations of these elements for each respondent. Within the set of 48 combinations each element appeared three times
and was absent the remaining 45 times. The experimental design ensured
that each concept would comprise no fewer than two elements, no more
than four elements, and no more than one element from any silo. The set of
48 combinations differed across respondents, ensuring that no particular
combination of elements would appear unduly often to bias the results
(Moskowitz & Gofman, 2004). Finally, the experimental design was created

FIGURE 2 Introduction to the survey.

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G. Gabay etal.

FIGURE 3 Example of a test screen showing a four-element concept (top), and the two
rating questions (bottom).

to allow an analysis of the ratings from each individual respondent. This is

the so-called within-subjects design, allowing for powerful analyses since
each respondent serves as their own control.
The respondent rated each concept on two attributes. The first attribute
was likelihood of going to the veterinarian, rated on an anchored 9-point
scale. The second attribute was expected dollars one would pay for a first
visit to the veterinarian, on a 5-point scale.

RESULTS
The ending sample comprised 109 respondents from one practice. Information
about the individual respondents was collected after the evaluation of the 48
concepts by means of a classification questionnaire (see Table 2). The questionnaire obtained information about the respondents geo-demographic
qualifications (age, community of residence, income, children at home) and
different aspects of attitudes and behaviors towards pets (number and type
of pets owned, attitude towards the pet, last visit to the vet, food fed to the
pet, where the pet sleeps, activities with the pet). The mind-set segments to
which the respondents belong are discussed next. Information of the type
presented in Table 2 is important, both to understand who is responding
and to create summary models for each group showing what messaging is
important for getting a pet owner to visit the veterinarian.

Creating the Models for Interest in Visiting and Expected

Dollars for the First Visit
The focus of this article is on the relation between the 36 elements and the
two attribute ratings; likelihood to visit the veterinarian and the expected

The Mind of the Pet Owner and Veterinary Services

TABLE 2 Composition of the Respondent Sample (N = 109)

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Respondent information
Age
2130
3140
4150
5160
6170
Over 70
Area where owner resides
Urban
Suburban
Rural
Annual income
Under 35K
35K50K
50K75K
75K100K
100K150K
150K200K
Over 200K
No answer
Number of children
Have children at home
1 child at home
2 children at home
3 children at home
More than 5 children
at home
Number of pets owned
1
2
3
45
More than 6
Dog
Cat
Bird
Fish
Amphibian

Respondent information

74
17
12
5
1

Other
Attitude towards the pet
Pet is family
Pet is a service animal
Pet is just a pet
I love the pet
Other
Last visit to the vet
Past month
Past 3 months
Past 6 months
Past year
Longer than a year
Food fed to pet
Table food
Commercial diet
Specialty diet
Organic
Raw diet
Other
Where the pet sleeps
On bed
In bedroom
Elsewhere in the house
In a crate
Other

56
23
9
11
8
60
41
15
11
2

Activities with pet

Travel with pet
Do not travel with pet
Shop with pet
Do not shop with pet
Mind-set segment
Segment 1 of 2
Segment 2 of 2
Segment 1 of 3
Segment 2 of 3
Segment 3 of 3

18
30
25
28
6
2
30
74
5
5
9
17
17
13
10
14
24

n
23
83
0
1
17
8
42
32
18
11
5
25
64
35
16
8
20
45
18
29
5
11
58
50
35
73
36
73
36
36
37

price of the first visit. It is important to keep in mind that the respondents
evaluated combinations of elements, and from those combinations assigned
those ratings. Thus, the elements compete with each other to drive the rating.
Elements that are frequently associated with high ratings will show high
impact values, and elements that are frequently associated with low ratings
will show low impact values.
Each individual evaluated 48 different test stimuli with every element
appearing statistically independently of every other element. This experiment design allows the ratings for each individual to be used in an individual
model, or an actuality three models, as follows. The independent variables

10

G. Gabay etal.

for the models are the 36 elements, which are either present or absent. There
are three separate dependent variables, generating three models.

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MODEL 1: PERSUASION MODEL

Dependent variable is the rating of the likelihood on a 9-point scale. The
persuasion model will be used for one purposeto segment the respondents on the basis of the pattern of their 36 utility values. Individuals with
similar patterns of their 36 utilities will be put into the same cluster or segment.
The persuasion model is written as:
Rating (9-point scale) = k0 + k1(Element 1) + k2(Element 2) .. k36(Element 36)

MODEL 2: INTEREST MODEL

Dependent variable is the rating of the likelihood to visit, after the 9-point
rating is converted to a binary scale. Consumer researchers trace their heritage to sociologists who investigate the proportion of individuals exhibiting
a specified behavior. For our current study, where interest focuses on visiting
the veterinarian, the consumer researcher would look at the proportion of
consumer respondents who say that they will visit the veterinarian, rather
than the intensity of feeling, or the likelihood of visiting. That is, the focus is
an all-or-none action, not a continuous, graded feeling. To convert the
9-point rating of interest in visiting to this all-or-none, we arbitrarily divide
the nine points into a lower tier of 16, which we recode as 0 to indicate not
visit, and an upper tier of 79, which we recode as 100 to indicate visit.
These two regions, separated but a cut-point between ratings of 6 and 7 have
been used in numerous other studies with good success, and have generated
extensive amounts of normative data (Moskowitz, Poretta, & Silcher, 2005).
The interest model is written the same as the persuasion model. The only
different is that the dependent variable is either 0 or 100, rather than 19.
The additive constant can be interpreted as the conditional probability
that the respondent would visit the veterinarian if no elements are present.
This additive constant is a baseline value, and is an estimated value since all
concepts comprised 24 elements. The coefficient for an element can be
interpreted as the additive (or subtractive) conditional probability that the
customer will visit the veterinarian if the element is present.
MODEL 3: DOLLAR MODEL
Dependent variable is the expected number of dollars that the respondent
would pay for the first visit. The second question required respondents to
select the number of dollars that he would pay for the first visit. Prior to the
regression, the scale value was replaced with the number of dollars that
would be paid. Each of the five points had associated with it a dollar value,

The Mind of the Pet Owner and Veterinary Services

11

so the transformation was straightforward. The regression model was then

run on the data.
The additive constant can be interpreted as the expected price that the
customer would pay for the first visit. The coefficient for an element can be
interpreted as the additive (or subtractive) dollars that the customer would
pay if the element were present in the concept.

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RESULTS
Results From the Total Panel: What Is Important and How
Much Will People Pay
The first analysis looks at the results from the 109 respondents. Each respondent generated an individual model comprising an additive constant and 36
coefficients for interest, and a separate individual model for price would
pay. The average coefficients appear in Table 3. The elements are sorted in
descending order based upon the coefficient of the interest model for use.
Looking first at the use model, the additive constant is 66, meaning that
two thirds of the respondents would consider visiting the veterinarian without any additional information being provided. This high additive constant is
to be expected because the respondents were already part of the veterinary
practice of the sponsoring group.
What becomes important is the ranking for the different elements.
Norms for these types of studies suggest that:

15+ corresponds to a very powerful element, strongly significant

1015 corresponds to a powerful element, strongly significant
510 corresponds to a strong element, significant
05 corresponds to a positive element, but not significant
< 0 corresponds to an element that reduces interest in the practice

Based on these norms we see three strong performing elements, with impacts
of 911: Emergency services available 24/7; You see the same veterinarian
every time who knows your pet; Board certified specialists available for best quality care.
We also see a number of negative elements, which are frills: Separate
waiting areas for dogs and cats and You receive a personal holiday card
from our staff.
In terms of expected fee to be paid on the initial visit, the additive
constant suggests $51. There is relatively little in the way of additional
money that one could charge, however, for other services, at least on the
initial visit. The element emergency services available 24/7 might allow
the fee to be increased $3$4, increasing the price of the initial visit from
$51 to $55.

12

G. Gabay etal.

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TABLE 3 Coefficients From the Interest Model for Interest in Visiting the Veterinarian (Use)
and Expected Fee That Would Be Paid for the Initial Visit (Fee; N = 109)

Additive constant
Emergency services available 24/7
You see the same veterinarian every time, who knows your pet
Board-certified specialists available for best quality care
We treat your pet like a family member
Evening and weekend hours for your convenience
Client- and pet-friendly, warm, and supportive practice
Website available that offers a wealth of reliable information
On-site laboratory, immediate results aid in timely treatment
Digital x-rays, high-quality images are available immediately for remote
consultation
Comprehensive medical, dental, and surgical care
We offer boarding facilities with veterinary supervision
Ultrasonography and echocardiography, advanced diagnostic capabilities
Examination areas are sanitized after each patient, for you and your pets
health
Nutritional counseling and prescription diets available
State-of-the-art dental care is available
You can expect to be seen at your scheduled time
After your pets treatment you can expect a follow-up phone call
Computerized medical records allow for security and immediate retrieval
Easy to understand and follow take-home information
Convenient parking
Preventive health care, safeguards your pets health
Always a clean and fresh-smelling environment
Surgical laser is used to enhance comfort and healing
Refill prescriptions on our website
You get an e-mail reminder for routine wellness care
Phone calls answered efficiently and productively
You get a postcard reminder for routine wellness care
New and contemporary facility
Specially constructed exam rooms; quiet, private environment
Convenient location
Tours of facility always available
Doctors and staff dressed neatly in clean medical uniforms
Make your appointment online
Spacious waiting and exam areas, for you and your pets comfort
Separate waiting areas for dogs and cats
You receive a personal holiday card from our staff

Use

Fee

66
11
10
9
7
6
6
6
6
6

51
3
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

5
5
5
5

2
2
1
2

4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
2
2
3
4

1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0

Mind-Set Segments for Using the Veterinary Service

Individuals differ in what elements drive them to say that they will visit the
veterinary practice. Although the classification data suggests different groups
of people based upon their needs, a potentially more productive way to look
at these groups divides them by the pattern of their responses to the 36
elements. Statistical procedures known collectively as clustering methods,
divide the respondents by one or another criterion into two or more groups,
such that the people in a group look similar in terms of their responses to

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The Mind of the Pet Owner and Veterinary Services

13

the concept elements, whereas the clusters themselves are as different as

possible.
For these data the clustering used standard k-means procedures
(SYSTAT, 2007). Each respondent generated an individual persuasion model
showing the relation between the 9-point rating scale and the presence/
absence of each element. The model comprised one coefficient for each element, showing the number of rating points added (or subtracted) by each
element. The additive constant was not taken into account.
A k-means clustering performed on the 109 respondents divided them
into two segments (clusters), and then three segments, based upon a measure of dissimilarity between pairs of respondents. The measure was defined
as 1-R, where R = Pearson correlation coefficient computed on the pair of 36
elements. This dissimilarity measure, 1-R, ranges from a low of 0 when two
patterns are perfectly correlated and thus identical, to a high of 2 with two
patterns perfectly correlated, but inversely, so that increases in one pattern
are reflected as precisely the same decrease in the other pattern.
Selecting which cluster solution is the best is not a statistical task but
a judgment task. The clustering algorithm optimizes the assignment of individuals to segments, using statistical criterion. It is left to the researcher to
find that clustering solution with a minimal number of segments, such that
the segments tell a story and are coherent in terms of what the winning
elements convey to the reader. Following this rule that the story must be
coherent and the solution must be parsimonious, it appeared to the authors
that the three-segment solution generated segments that were sufficiently
different from each other, and were homogenous within themselves. The
two-segment solution showed strong performing elements in each segment
that told quite different stories, even within the same segment, and thus suggested that the segment was more heterogeneous than the statistics might
indicate.
The five best-performing elements for the total panel and for the three
segments appear in Table 4. With five elements and the additive constant
one can get a sense of basic interest in the veterinary practice (additive constant), and the nature of the theme that characterizes the segment.
It is clear from Table 4 that elements which interest the total panel may
interest some segments but disinterest others, meaning that the total panel
comprises a set of countervailing groups. One good example of the countervailing nature of segments is the best performing element, Emergency services available 24/7. This element scores a +11 for the total panel, making it
important. However, Segments 2 and 3 respondent exceptionally strongly to
this element, whereas Segment 1 is turned off by the element.
Looking at the best performing elements we see that Segment 1 responds
strongly to elements that convey warmth and reassurance, Segment 2
responds to technology, and Segment 3 responds to treatment that is similar
in general nature to that give to people. These segments look similar in

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G. Gabay etal.

TABLE 4 The Five Best-Performing Elements for the Total Panel and for the Three Mind-Set
Segments; Segmentation Is Based on Responses to Question 1, About Likelihood of Going to
the Veterinarian
Total Segment 1 Segment 2 Segment 3

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A3
F2
A6
F3
D1
E6

C2
C1
F2
F1
B5

D1
F2
D3
D2
A3
A3
E6
A6
A5
E3

Base size
Additive constant
Total panel
Emergency services available 24/7
You see the same veterinarian every
time who knows your pet
Board certified specialists available for best quality care
We treat your pet like a family member
Digital x-rays high quality images are
available immediately for remote
consultation
Evening and weekend hours for your
convenience
Segment 1: Warm and reassuring
professionals
Web site available and offers a wealth of
reliable information
Phone calls answered efficiently and
productively
You see the same veterinarian every
time who knows your pet
Client and pet friendly warm and
supportive practice
Specially constructed exam
rooms quiet, private environment
Segment 2: Competence through
technology
Digital x-rays high quality images are
available immediately for remote
consultation
You see the same veterinarian every
time who knows your pet
On site laboratory, immediate results aid
in timely treatment
Ultrasonography and echocardiography advanced diagnostic
capabilities
Emergency services available 24/7
Segment 3: My pet is treated just like a
person
Emergency services available 24/7
Evening and weekend hours for your
convenience
Board certified specialists
available for best quality care
Comprehensive medical, dental and
surgical care
You can expect to be seen at your
scheduled time

109
66

36
85

36
49

37
65

11
10

4
6

17
19

20
6

17

14

7
6

2
4

11
25

8
1

15

10

10

19

10

25

10

19

19

19

11

17

20

11
6

4
4

17
0

20
15

17

14

13

12

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terms of geo-demographics. Furthermore, the segments also look reasonable

similar in terms of attitudes towards their pets. They look different only
when we work with responses to more granular, relevant phrases that characterize veterinary services. That is, unless we work with the respondent in
this type of study, or use the data from this study to type the respondent, we
will have a difficult time predicting the mind-set segment into which the
respondent falls.

DISCUSSION
Putting the Segmentation to Use Through Typing
Segmentation generates new insights about what to offer a pet owner in
terms of services, and how best to communicate the appropriate message. It
is clear from Table 3 that the three segments of pet owners want different
things, and that what appeals to one pet owner will not appeal necessarily
to another. Some respondents want emotional communications, others want
factual capabilities, a divergence of receptivities to messaging that is well
known and which occurs in many other situations as well (Golden & Johnson,
1982). Yet these owners appear similar on most measures. How, then, can
one use this information to tailor messages? One might have each pet owner
go through the same study, and then find out the segment that the pet owner
most resembles. This notion of typing by testing can be simplified by a scoring procedure, similar to the scoring procedure used for professional accreditation on the one hand, and mortgage scoring on the other.
In scoring one need not repeat the entire study. Rather, one answers a
few questions, which have been shown to predict membership in a segment.
Of course the prediction is not perfect, but can be made far better than
chance through the appropriate up-front tests (here the test of different concepts at a granular level), and through the appropriate back-end statistical
procedures (here discriminant function analysis; SYSTAT, 2007).
Our ingoing assumption was that the person to be typed or scored
would answer up to four questions, derived from the 36 elements. The
person would use a 19 scale, score the four single elements, and then from
discriminant function analysis the classification equations would be used to
estimate the membership in one of the three segments.
In order to create this scoring function we followed these five steps:
1. For each respondent we used the persuasion model to estimate the
rating on the 9-point scale that a respondent would assign to each of
the 36 elements. The persuasion model allows us to create these oneelement concepts, and estimate the rating.
2. We now have 109 respondents, each of whom belongs to one of three
segments, as well as the estimated rating of each respondent for each

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G. Gabay etal.

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one-element concept, if the concept were to be rated on the 9-point

scale.
3. We use discriminant function analysis to identify the four elements
that maximize our ability to score each of the 109 respondents properly. We also use procedures such as jackknifing to test our scoring
with the data we have.
4. Finally, after having identified the four statements and created the
scoring rule (classification function), we estimate the proportion of
respondents that we correctly assign, the nature of the errors, and then
work with the classification function to score new people.

Table 5 shows the percent correct that emerge when we select the most discriminating four elements, the nature of the assignment errors. Table 6 shows
the classification functions, and a worked example based on the individual
who provides the ratings of the four one-element concepts.

Conclusions
Our findings show what messages were most appealing to pet owners. In
accordance to previous studies, appealing messages for the total panel concentrated on the broadness of services (emergency services), quality of care
(board-certified specialists, a vet that knows my pet from previous visits) and
personalization (a vet that treats my pet as family). When examining appealing messages as driven by the response of the pet owners however, three
mindset segments were exposed.
Looking at the best performing messages for each segment we see that
Segment 1 responds strongly to elements that convey warmth and reassurance (i.e., supportive staff, same vet every time we visit, web site offering
information, answering the phone efficiently and productively and a private
spacious waiting area). Segment 2 responded strongly to technology (i.e., on
site laboratory for immediate results, most advanced diagnostic capabilities,
emergency services, remote consulting and higher quality imaging). Segment
3 responded strongly to treatment that is similar in general nature to that

TABLE 5 Performance of Classification, Showing Proportion of Respondents Correctly and

Incorrectly Assigned to Segments by the Three Classification Functions, Each Based on Four
Elements
Assigned to this segment

Actually belongs to Segment 1

Actually belongs to Segment 2
Actually belongs to Segment 3
Total

% correct

30
12
12
54

3
20
3
26

3
4
22
29

83
56
59
66

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TABLE 6 The Three Classification Functions, and a Worked Example of a Respondent Based
on a Profile of Ratings. The Highest Value of the Classification Function Occurs With Segment
2, so the Respondent Is Assigned to Segment 2

Additive constant for classification

function
Emergency services available 24/7
Phone calls answered efficiently
and productively
State-of-the-art dental care is
available
Make your appointment online
Expected value of classification
function

New persons
rating

Segment 1

Segment 2

Segment 3

4.14

3.58

4.67

0.38
0.53

0.61
0.14

1.42
0.29

6
4

0.11

0.79

0.96

0.02
0.55

0.57
1.5

0.08
2.91

given to people (i.e., convenient evening and weekend hours, comprehensive care, to be seen on the scheduled time). These segments appear similar
in terms of geo-demographics and attitudes towards their pets; but when we
analyzed their responses to more granular, relevant phrases that characterize
veterinary services, we found differences among pet owners.
Based on messaging for the total panel veterinarian services may
stress elements of basic interest to attract customers. Basic messaging
would be to offer emergency services, to see the same vet, to treat the pet
as a family member, and a board certification for the specialists. Using four
elements from the mindset segmentation, we identified four most discriminating questions that powerfully classify customers (66% correct classification) and potential customers into segments in the population. Veterinarians
may use data from this study to type customers in the population otherwise
it is difficult to predict the mind-set segment into which the respondent falls.
Mindset segmentation allows veterinarians to benchmark their services,
create added value per customers in each segment and build customer
loyalty.

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