More insights on marketing, and some questions.

Sales promotion can focus on two things: 
1. primary demand, which is increasing total demand for formula of any kind (increase numbers of users or increase amount used).
2. selective demand, which is increasing demand for a specific brand or supplier of formula.

(Tobacco companies defend their advertising by saying that they are not trying to increase primary demand, only selective demand.  They say they only want to increase sales of their brand, and any increase in their sales would cause a loss in sales in another brand).

I would suspect that the only ethical thing that formula companies would SAY that they are doing in promoting their product, is trying to promote their brand over others, not trying to promote primary demand.  That's why they're asking to present their product to you, right?

But, I suspect that what they are really trying to do is increase primary demand for formula.  After all, these companies need to be CONSTANTLY recruiting new customers, who will only use thier product for a short time, and most people would percieve the brands to be very similar.  They really can't judge the brands themselves (kinda like cat food) so they are totally reliant on what they are told by others (health professionals, sales promotional materials) to asses the product.

That's why the formula rep would like to present to, and have contact with, as many people, as frequently and for as long a time that you will allow him.  He has no other contact with customers.  He can't reach mothers, but the more people he has positive interactions with, the more his brand is promoted, and also the more he can build primary demand for formula.  (Such a nice guy wouldn't be selling anything harmful, would he?)
 
Are ALL brands of formula stocked and distributed in hospitals?  If so, then who decides what brand to use with which baby?  Doctor's orders? Parents request? Nurses preference or recommendation?  If all brands are stocked, and doctors or nurses decide which is used, I can certainly understand why formula reps want to be in the hospitals as often as possible to promote their brands to these decision makers.

I would have thought that hospitals would select and stock only a few formula products.  To stock them all would require so much space, ordering and materials management.  If the hospital is only going to stock one brand, then the formula reps should only meet with a few people who are skilled in evaluating the product (ie purchasing agent, head of pediatrics???) who will select the brands. Hopefully these few people would be sophisticated, objective and saavy enough about sales and formula, to make a decision without being overly influenced by sales techniques.

If reps MUST be allowed to make presentations, minimize the number of people they present to.  As a taxpayer that pays for our health system in Canada, it would anger me very much to think that more than the absolute minimum number of staff was spending PAID time to listen to formula presentations.

I hope someone will enlighten me more on what these reps are doing in the hospitals, and how formula brands are decided on.

Janice Reynolds
(trying to put myself in the shoes of formula reps - actually I interviewed to be one, once!  Thankfully, for my children's sake, I never got a second interview) 

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