The online fur farm list Final Nail has obtained an internal fur industry document titled “A Communications Plan for the North American Fur Industry.” The document is based on a focus group that was aimed to determine public opinions about fur.
We will offer Final Nail’s synopsis of the document (its a big one, at 101 pages), as it summarizes the takeaways well:
The results are encouraging and a reminder of the power of the animal rights movement to shape public opinion:
– Only one-in-five Americans (and 14% of women) think that trapping is conducted humanely.
– Only one-quarter of Americans (19% of women) believe that mink and other animals on fur farms are raised humanely.
– One-third of women (33%) cite “concerns about animals” as their reason for not wearing fur.
The opinion poll was followed with a focus group conducted in New York City in March 2012. The group discussion revealed, “discomfort about wearing fur related to industry practices.” When presented with images of fur garments, focus group members reacted with feelings of warmth and luxury, but the images also suggested “animal death and cruelty.” It was clear that animal rights messages about fur, “have become part of society’s collective consciousness.”