Introduction In 2015 Fox & Kenagy reported that 68% of all homes in the US have at least one pet, which means the pet food industry is a huge and lucrative market (pg. 18). In the US alone this equates to a multi-billion-dollar industry. The Purina brand is the world’s largest pet food company, dedicated to providing nutritious food for dogs, cats, and farm animals (Land O Lakes, 2016). They also have a long standing commitment to the welfare of animals which enabled them to tie their brand (products) to their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects (Nestle Purina, 2016). Background According to Purina’s website; “January 8, 1894: William H. Danforth, partnering with George Robinson and William Andrews, enters the business of feeding …show more content…
Purina’s CSR program has many sections such as; “sustainability, safety, supporting communities, innovations and creating shared values” (Nestle Purina, 2016). The sustainability segment focuses on decreasing the impact the company, factories, products and byproducts have on the community and planet. Safety factors include how to safely manufacture the brand products, and equally as important how the use of and/or consumption are not harmful to their patrons’ pets. Purina’s innovations are also multi-faceted; in that they address the need to create manufactured goods that allow the company to stay ahead of the competition. Purina delivers merchandise that allows for different nutritional, mental, and physical needs of their customer’s pets (Nestle Purina, 2016). Purina’s support of communities and creating shared values are also intertwined by being role models for others. They practice what they preach regarding short-term and long-term goals of health, wellness, safety, and education for all living …show more content…
Companies have to be careful what they include in their CSR programs because they could actually bite off more than they can chew as noted back in 1988 by Varadarajan & Menon (p 58). Purina is smart about their main CSR project “Nestle Purina PetCare”, it allows the public to know they care about animal welfare. They have the ability to make an impact on a community via donations, education, and other support, while allowing for passive advertising. When the Purina brand support an event or shelter the advertising is not so deliberate, it is more like a subliminal message. The general public starts to associate health and wellbeing of animals with the brand, in turn the brand gets more respect and more trust which leads to a bigger customer base. "Large multinational companies like Purina…can leverage their brands, market share and employees to transform the social sector and create huge impact, while at the same time further enhance their own brand," says Davis (as cited in Madden 2007). This tactic is not a bad thing; it is actually a brilliant business concept to closely tie the business to a large customer demographic’s driving passion, where all parties benefit. The project helps bring awareness to animal welfare issues while allowing the