1. Refer to Appendix 2: Marketing by the Numbers and use the information available from the NPPMA survey (www.appma.org/pressindustrytrends.asp) to develop an estimate of the market potential for dog food in the United States.

2. Using other information from the NPPMA’s Web site, evaluate the usefulness of this market segment.

Americans love their pets. You may have one or more furry, feathery, or scaly friends yourself, so you know how much money you spend each year. Marketers need to know that information to estimate the size of a potential market segment. The National Pet Products Manufacturers Association (NPPMA) conducts a yearly survey of pet owners that provides useful information for estimating market size and potential.