I've been encouraged to continue posting about marketing applied to
breastfeeding promotion.

On pr4bf, we've been discussing the new National Breastfeeding Media
Strategy, and how they have decided not to use the term "benefits".  Someone
noted that selling "benefits" was a marketing term, anyhow.

So I'll explain how some more marketing terms.

Actually, according to marketing language, the way we have been promoting
bfing has not been selling "benefits", we have been selling "features",
which is not what we should be doing.  (people don't buy features, they buy
benefits)

When I was selling, we always tried to create "FAB - Feature, Advantage,
Benefit" statements.  You can't just list a feature of a product and expect
the person to figure out why it is great.  You have to spell it all out for
them - then you get to the emotion.  (Remember, I said people buy on
emotion, and justify their decision with fact?)  People don't buy features,
they buy benefits.  So for photocopiers:

copier can make 2-sided copies automatically= a feature
faster, simpler than running paper through twice = advantage
office more efficient, you look professional = benefit

So for breastfeeding:

provides antibodies = a feature
less likely to get sick = is the advantage
happier, healthier family = the benefit

So you can see, by sales terminology and practice, we have been selling
features, not benefits.  That's why we DO need to be talking about creating
healthy and happy families, which are the real "benefits" of breastfeeding.

Janice Reynolds

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