For my annotated bibliography, I have decided to research the business and marketing behind food. As a business student who is very interested in the food industry and product marketing, I was drawn to this topic and its diverse array of subtopics. My bibliography will be able to cover not just long-standing, international, global food companies, such as Pepsico, but also smaller-scale, recent developments, such as food trucks. Two opposite ends of the food business spectrum have completely different issues. For example, in a text that I have selected for my annotated bibliography, The Economist writes about major food companies’ responsibility to both shareholders to maximize earnings and also the public to make healthier products – especially for lower-income consumers; however, these two goals sometimes contradict each other so these major food companies must struggle to find a balance and expand their food empire. On the other hand, according to an article by CNBC, food trucks face issues on how to even start their empire. In recent years, a successful food truck can be the catalyst ofr a food empire; just ask Roy Choi, founder of Kogi Barbecue. Success to these food companies all depend on timing.

I am very excited to continue to explore the broad range of genres and purposes of food writing by researching food business and marketing. For example, I hope to find sample food product marketing plans or possibly relevant multimedia texts, such as the film Chef about a former professional chef who starts a food truck. My other future research plan is to contact my colleagues at food companies to conduct interviews to gather their firsthand experience and viewpoints in the American food industry. I also plan to expand my diverse authorial viewpoints beyond just global versus local food businesses. I also hope to explore multicultural food marketing, ethics behind targeting kids in food business, etc.

However, my research process has not gone without flaws. I have faced some minor complications in my research agenda when it comes to scope. I wonder if my topic could be too broad. Should I restrict my research agenda to only food marketing? Or should I focus on only one of the following: large food companies, restaurants, or local businesses? Or would limiting myself in such a manner take away the diverse authorial viewpoints within my topic? I would love to hear more from my peers on how I should narrow or maybe refine my topic, or perhaps if I should continue my research as is.