Business Commons^™

Exploratory Content Analysis Of Direct-To-Consumer Pet Genomics: What Is Being Marketed And What Are Consumers Saying?, Nikki E. Bennett, Silvio Ernesto Mirabal Torres, Peter B. Gray

Anthropology Faculty Research

Mars Petcare introduced the first direct-to-consumer domestic dog genetic test in 2009 and Basepaws introduced the first direct-to-consumer cat genetic test in 2016. Social science research has evaluated numerous aspects of the human direct-to-consumer market, yet no such exploration has evaluated the occurrence of pet owners pursuing pet genetic tests. Using a mixed methods approach, we conducted an exploratory content analysis of direct-to-consumer pet genetic company webpages and consumer reviews shared on Amazon. Initial data reviews indicated some companies may be key industry players, relative to others. Our results present content frequency for each group (key industry players, all other …