Abstract

The pet food industry is a booming industry that has experienced huge changes in its production, including the market and social media trends that are significant. The largest pet food recall to date was in 2007 and this recall affects how consumers view pet food. This paper reflects on the content of the recall and how this recall changed the pet food industry as we know it. This paper will argue that the pet food industry is changing rapidly in its ability to react not only to the changing market that it is dealing with, but also to scientific and nutritional advancements in the field. This will be done via research on the market, including the trends from social media as well as the differences between previous generations and millennials. Ultimately this paper finds that the market reacts strongly not only to social media trends, but the will of the consumers. It emphasizes how important social media is in spreading trends and contrasts these trends with the scientific advances in the field. The paper also finds that the reaction of corporations to any recall it may encounter influences the opinion of the brand and their ability to react and change with scientific advances. Finally, further research on today’s political and social climate would be invaluable in determining the ability of the pet food market to continue to adapt for its target audience.

Semester/Year of Award

Spring 5-1-2020

Mentor

Stephanie McSpirit

Mentor Department Affiliation

Language and Cultural Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology

Mentor Professional Affiliation

Languages, Cultures, and Humanities

Access Options

Restricted Access Thesis

Document Type

Bachelor Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Scholars

Degree Level

Bachelor's

Department

Language and Cultural Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology

Department Name when Degree Awarded

Anthropology, Sociology, and Social Work

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