How Consistent Are The Dog Food Product Details Found Online?

THEFINEPRINT

DOG FOODs

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How consistent is the online shopping experience when it comes to items with tedious

product detail?

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Tuesday, July 23, 13

No one likes a sad puppy.

So before we buy them something new, like DOG FOOD,

we like to do our research.Tuesday, July 23, 13

OUR QUESTIONS:

Is the information consistent across online sources, and against readily available consumer purchasing guides?

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How much product detail about

dog food can be found online?

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WHAT WE FOUND:

We found that companies are even incorrectly listing

regulated ingredients on their sites!

sFrom discrepancies in specific

numbers to the omission of

important info, there was not

a single website without fault.

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SETTING UP THE STUDY


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There are many guides online to help you pick

the right dog food.

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sThis is the query we used.

(This means consumers are being told to look for specific info, and suppliers should know what they are.)s


We decided to compare guides from three trusted companies...

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...and compiled a list of product details that consumers are commonly advised to look for.

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•Ingredients/preservatives• Serving sizes• Guaranteed analysis percentages• Nutritional adequacy statement

s* These details are explained further

later in the piece.

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We then picked four industry leaders to study...

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...and chose a common brand of dog food sold

amongst them.

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(It was a harder task

than we thought.)

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With our companies, products, and guides selected, it was time to start answering our two questions:

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Are these product

details consistent

across online

sources?

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Are the product details mentioned in consumer

purchasing guides available online?

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IDENTIFYINGINGREDIENTS


Whether you’re worried about ALLERGIES,

specific PRESERVATIVES, or the way the

food is FLAVORED...

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...THE INGREDIENTS HOLD THE ANSWERS.

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Ingredients are supposed to be listed by weight so consumers know what proportion

of each is contained in the food.

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We compared the ingredients portion of each product page to

the ingredients on the Blue Buffalo page to see how they

measured up.

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sIngredients out of order and paraphrased, i.e...

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s#3 #5


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Ingredients out of order and paraphrased, i.e...

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#9

#7


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Ingredients MATCHs

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Ingredients both out of order and

paraphrased, i.e...

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#6

#7


INTERESTING FINDSs

Only 1 out of 4 companies took the ingredients list straight from the

Blue Buffalo product page.

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INTERESTING FINDSs

The rest of the companies reordered and paraphrased some ingredients.

None of the versions were consistent with each other.

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Are these product

details consistent

across online sources?

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NO

Are the product details mentioned in consumer purchasing guides

available online?

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YESs

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DETERMININGSERVING

SIZES


While pet owners should consult

their veterinarians about portion

sizes, the guidelines on a dog food

bag provide a good estimate.

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Owners can also get an idea about calories per serving, etc.

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Wording almost directly from Blue Buffalo site; no meal frequency, calorie count, prep options, fresh water

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Wording almost directly from Blue Buffalo site; no transition info, prep options, fresh water, vet disclaimer, calorie count

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sNO SERVING SIZE INFORMATION ONLINE

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Wording almost directly from Blue Buffalo site; only no fresh water reminder

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INTERESTING FINDSs

Companies tend to take the most wording directly from the source when talking about serving size.

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That being said, companies take the most liberty here when it comes to picking and

choosing details to display.

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INTERESTING FINDSs

An average consumer might not find the information he/she is looking for.

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Are these product

details consistent


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NO


available online?

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NOT

CONSISTENTLY

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THEGUARANTEED ANALYSIS


Many states require dog food companies to list the

minimum %’s of crude protein and fat, and maximum

%’s of crude fiber and moisture in the food.

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Dedicated pet owners can compare nutrient percentages

between food.

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Organization of nutrients and

crude percentages aren’t the same

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Numbers consistent but order of nutrients jumbles at the bottoms

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Guaranteed Analyses MATCHs

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Organization of nutrients and crude percentages aren’t the same

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Both the organization and crude percentages of nutrients fluctuate

across most of the sites.

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INTERESTING FINDSs


Only 1 out of 4 companies took the guaranteed analysis information directly

from the Blue Buffalo product page

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INTERESTING FINDSs


Are these product

details consistent


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NO


available online?

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YESs


THENUTRITIONALADEQUACYSTATEMENT


To be sure a particular dog food meets basic nutritional

standards, the label must state compliance with AAFCO

(Association of American Feed Control Officials).

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It may seem like a minor detail, but it’s one of the most

important.

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NO NUTRITIONAL ADEQUACY STATEMENT

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sWHAT DID WE FIND?s

Only 1 out of 4 companies included the one-sentence adequacy statement in the

product details

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Are these product

details consistent


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NO


available online?

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NOT

CONSISTENTLY

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CONCLUSIONTuesday, July 23, 13


available online?

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NOT

CONSISTENTLY

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Are these product

details consistent


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NOs

IN SUM


RAMIFICATIONS FORONLINE RETAILERS

Without a consistent online message, consumers are shown a different

picture of the same product depending on which site they visit.

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RAMIFICATIONS FORONLINE RETAILERS

Since pet owners want accurate, complete information about the food they buy for

their pets, a distrust of online might lead them to move their business elsewhere.

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How Consistent Are The Dog Food Product Details Found Online?

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