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Pet Brand Design: What Users Buy Is Not a Product — It’s “Family Treatment”

用户给宠物花钱，买的不是功能，是“它值得被这样对待”。

一、宠物经济的本质不是“用品”，是“家人”

你有没有发现一个现象？

宠物用品行业，正在经历一场静默的升级。

过去的宠物产品：塑料袋包装、简陋的标签、功能性的文字——“狗粮”“猫砂”“牵引绳”。

现在的宠物产品：牛皮纸袋、手写体Logo、“鲜肉无谷”“深海鱼油”“开袋即食”的精致包装。

变的不是产品，是用户看待宠物的方式。

宠物不再是“看门的”“抓老鼠的”，是“家人”“主子”“毛孩子”。用户给宠物花钱，买的不是功能，是“它值得被这样对待”的情感满足。

宠物经济的本质，不是“宠物用品”，是“家人经济”。

二、用户心理：给宠物花钱，满足的是人的情感

用户心理	表现	设计启示
补偿心理	“我上班没时间陪它，要给它最好的”	包装要传递“宠爱”“补偿”的感觉
身份投射	“我的猫吃有机粮，说明我是个好主人”	包装要让用户“有面子”，值得晒
安全感需求	“这个成分安全吗？会不会吃坏？”	包装要传递“专业”“可信”“安全”
仪式感需求	“开饭要有仪式感，它值得”	开袋体验、包装结构要讲究

用户给宠物花钱，本质上是在花钱“证明自己是个好主人”。包装要做的，就是帮助用户完成这个“证明”。

三、包装设计要点：温暖、可信、有“仪式感”

设计维度	要点	为什么有效
色彩	温暖、柔和、自然色系（米白、浅棕、淡绿）	传递“安全”“温柔”“不刺激”
材质	牛皮纸、棉麻、可降解材料	传递“天然”“环保”“对宠物友好”
图形	插画、手绘、真实的宠物照片	传递“有温度”“不冰冷”
信息	成分清晰、产地可查、安全认证	传递“专业”“可信”“对宠物负责”
开袋体验	易撕口、可重复密封、内袋设计	传递“方便”“用心”“考虑周全”

一个关键细节：不要“冷冰冰的宠物用品”，要“有温度的家”。

用户把宠物当家人，包装就要像“给家人准备的东西”。太工业化的设计，会让用户觉得“这个品牌不把宠物当回事”。

四、视觉调性：不同定位，不同表达

品牌定位	关键词	包装策略	代表品牌
高端天然粮	自然、纯粹、可信	低饱和度、环保材质、成分可视化	Open Farm, Orijen
功能性产品	科学、专业、有效	简洁、白色、药瓶感、数据支撑	宠物药品、营养品
平价日常	亲民、好用、不贵	透明、色彩明快、量大实惠感	超市自有品牌
新锐网红	萌、可晒、有话题	插画、撞色、IP联名	社交媒体热门品牌
定制化/鲜食	专属、新鲜、服务感	订阅盒、独立包装、开箱仪式感	宠物鲜食订阅

不是“所有宠物品牌都要可爱”，是“所有宠物品牌都要让用户觉得‘它值得’”。

五、一个容易被忽视的细节：用户也在“晒”

宠物品牌有一个天然优势：用户爱晒。

晒猫、晒狗、晒新买的窝、晒开箱。每一次“晒”，都是品牌的一次免费传播。

包装设计要点	为什么重要
颜值要高	用户愿意拍照发朋友圈
Logo要清晰	照片里品牌能被认出来
开箱有惊喜	用户会录开箱视频
小赠品/贴纸	用户会贴在电脑、水杯上，成为移动广告

用户晒的不是产品，是“我对它的爱”。包装要帮用户更好地表达这份爱。

六、给品牌方的建议

建议	说明
别把宠物当“动物”	用户把它当家人，包装也要像对待家人
重视开箱体验	用户会录视频，那是免费传播
材质要“有温度”	塑料冷，纸、棉、麻暖
信息要透明	成分、产地、安全认证，用户在乎
别只做“功能”	用户买的不是“粮”，是“它被爱着的感觉”

七、结语

宠物品牌的竞争，不是“谁的粮更好”，是“谁更懂用户对宠物的爱”。

用户给宠物花钱，买的不是功能，是“它值得被这样对待”的情感满足。

包装的任务，不是“把产品装起来”，是“帮用户表达爱”。

17vis全球首发 17Brand OS V3.2.0 品牌资产智能交付系统 / 再提升品牌变量VIS效能

English Version

Pet Brand Design: What Users Buy Is Not a Product — It’s “Family Treatment”

When users spend money on their pets, they are not buying functionality. They are buying the feeling that their pet deserves to be treated this way.

Part One: The Pet Economy Is Not About Supplies — It Is About Family

Have you noticed something?

The pet product industry is undergoing a quiet upgrade.

Pet products in the past: plastic bag packaging, plain labels, functional text.

Pet products today: kraft paper bags, handwritten logos, refined packaging.

What has changed is not the product. It is how users view their pets.

Pets are no longer watchdogs or mousers. They are family. When users spend money on their pets, they are not buying functionality. They are buying the emotional satisfaction of “my pet deserves to be treated this way.”

The pet economy is not about pet supplies. It is about the family economy.

Part Two: User Psychology — Spending on Pets Satisfies Human Emotions

User Psychology	Behavior	Design Implication
Compensation	I am at work all day and cannot accompany my pet, so I need to give it the best	Packaging should convey pampering and compensation
Identity projection	My cat eats organic food, which proves I am a good owner	Packaging should make users look good and worth sharing
Safety need	Are these ingredients safe? Will they cause problems?	Packaging should convey professionalism, trustworthiness, and safety
Ritual need	Mealtime should have a sense of ritual. My pet deserves that.	Unboxing experience and packaging structure should be thoughtful

When users spend money on their pets, they are essentially spending money to prove they are good owners. Packaging needs to help users complete this proof.

Part Three: Packaging Design Focus — Warm, Trustworthy, with a Sense of Ritual

Design Dimension	Key Point	Why It Works
Color	Warm, soft, natural tones	Conveys safety, gentleness, and a lack of harshness
Material	Kraft paper, linen, biodegradable materials	Conveys natural, eco-friendly, and pet-friendly values
Graphics	Illustration, hand-drawn, real pet photos	Conveys warmth and avoids a cold feel
Information	Clear ingredients, traceable origin, safety certifications	Conveys professionalism, trustworthiness, and responsibility toward pets
Opening experience	Easy-tear opening, resealable, inner bag design	Conveys convenience, thoughtfulness, and consideration

A key detail: Do not produce cold pet supplies. Create a warm home.

Users treat pets as family. Packaging should feel like something prepared for family. Overly industrial design makes users feel that the brand does not take pets seriously.

Part Four: Visual Tone — Different Positioning, Different Expressions

Brand Positioning	Keywords	Packaging Strategy
Premium natural food	Natural, pure, trustworthy	Low saturation, eco-friendly materials, ingredient visualization
Functional products	Science, professional, effective	Clean, white, clinical feel, data support
Everyday value	Accessible, effective, affordable	Transparent, bright colors, value-for-money feel
Trendy / social first	Cute, shareable, conversation-starting	Illustration, color contrast, IP collaboration
Customized / fresh food	Exclusive, fresh, service-oriented	Subscription box, individual packaging, unboxing ritual

Not every pet brand needs to be cute. But every pet brand needs to make users feel that their pet deserves the best.

Part Five: An Often Overlooked Detail — Users Love to Share

Pet brands have a natural advantage: users love to share photos and videos of their pets.

Sharing cats, sharing dogs, sharing a new bed, sharing an unboxing. Every share is free brand exposure.

Packaging Design Focus	Why It Matters
High aesthetic appeal	Users will want to post photos on social media
Clear logo	The brand can be recognized in photos
Unboxing surprise	Users will record unboxing videos
Small giveaways or stickers	Users will stick them on laptops and water bottles, becoming mobile ads

Users are not sharing the product. They are sharing their love for their pet. Packaging should help users express that love better.

Part Six: Advice for Brand Owners

Advice	Explanation
Do not treat pets as animals	Users treat them as family. Packaging should also treat them as family.
Pay attention to the unboxing experience	Users will record videos. That is free marketing.
Materials should have warmth	Plastic feels cold. Paper, cotton, and linen feel warm.
Be transparent with information	Ingredients, origin, safety certifications — users care about these details.
Do not focus only on function	What users buy is not food. It is the feeling that their pet is loved.

Part Seven: Conclusion

Competition in the pet brand industry is not about whose food is better. It is about who better understands the user’s love for their pet.

When users spend money on their pets, they are not buying functionality. They are buying the emotional satisfaction that their pet deserves to be treated this way.

The job of packaging is not to contain the product. It is to help users express love.

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