Blue Bell Famine: A Case Study

Here’s to the Next 108 Years The nationwide “Blue Bell famine” of 2015 was seen as an epic let down from a trustworthy company. Not only were consumers completely outraged when they heard news of a Listeria outbreak, but their mental image of this company seemed to become tarnished from the nature of the matter. For Southerners that may have grown up with this brand, they were devastated. Likewise, consumers from the North where Blue Bell is not typically sold had no attachment to the brand and viewed the scandal as a lack of quality standards.

Blue Bell is sold in 19 different states across the nation, predominantly in the South. Blue Bell currently has three manufacturing facilities in Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama. (BlueBell) The original Listeria outbreak started at the manufacturing plant in Kansas, which led to the nationwide shut down of Blue Bell production. This was the first time in the company’s 108 years of production that they had to recall their products. (BlueBell) This recall cost Blue Bell $200 million dollars in damage and more than 8 million gallons of ice

After conducting a Google survey with over 55 responses, the majority of consumers said that they were disappointed that the outbreak happened to Blue Bell, and that they can’t wait for the products to return to the shelves. However, many of the consumers that took the survey were from states that did not sell Blue Bell, therefore the consumer had never tried the product. These consumers were skeptical of the brand and the product and were not sure that they would ever buy the product if given a chance. The reason behind this outcome would be because the consumers from the South have a connection to this Texas-bred brand. The Southern consumers are sympathetic to this scandal because they have grown up with Blue Bell and have a nostalgic reaction to purchasing