OMAHA, Neb. -- Top cat litter brands were the largest percentage gainers in ad counts as supermarkets stepped up print advertising across the entire pet care category during the third quarter of 1993.
Of the 15 most heavily advertised brands, four kitty litter brands enjoyed especially strong increases. Tidy Cat, the fifth most advertised brand, was up 119%. Scoop Away, No. 6 on the list, jumped 55%, while Jonny Cat and Tidy Scoop, ranked 13 and 14, respectively, posted 175% and 171% jumps.
Nearly all brands enjoyed double-digit increases in co-op advertising. Of the top 15, only two pet foods -- Friskies and Whiskas -- showed ad declines, of 22% and 14%, respectively.
Hartz Mountain, the maker of pet products ranging from bird seed to flea collars, led the pack in total ads on the strength of a 93% increase vs. the year-ago period. Next in line was Pedigree, the dog food line from M&M/Mars, with a 61% increase. Private label, a strong contender in many other supermarket categories, did not make the top 15 list in pet care.
As a group, top pet care brands enjoyed a boost of 35% in retailer advertising during the period from July to September 1993 vs. the same period a year earlier, according to data obtained exclusively by Brand Marketing from Ad Activity Marketing Services here.
The Ad Activity report follows 37 major product categories and the 50 largest supermarket chains in 24 major markets. The data, compiled by monitoring supermarkets' newspaper run-of-press, circular and direct-mail advertising, show that pet care was among the five product categories with the most ad growth in the third quarter last year.
Among tracked supermarket chains, the ten most active advertisers of pet care products all posted double-digit increases for the third quarter. Notably, five of those were New York-area chains -- A&P, Grand Union, Waldbaum's, ShopRite and Pathmark.
The heaviest advertiser was Arcadia, Calif.-based Vons Cos., which tripled its pet care advertising in the period.
Ad Activity data on the Los Angeles market area showed a split in retailer priorities. While Vons, Hughes Family Markets and Albertson's all at least doubled their advertising levels, Ralphs, Alpha Beta and Lucky posted double-digit declines in their pet care advertising.
Leaders of the Pack
Ad counts for the six most frequently advertised pet care brands were up strongly at the top 50 food chains for the period July-September 1993.
