Hello Everybody!
My apologies for not following up before now.  I was discussing how
messages are more effective when geared to the specific phase the audience
is in, regarding a given health decision.  I must correct myself, the model
I was discussing was done by Prochaska AND DiClemente.  They include
Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, and Confirmation (or
Maintenance).

For an audience in the Precontemplation Stage--"I have never thought about
breastfeeding and formula feeding being different."-- it is important to 1.
create an awareness and interest and 2. change the values.  This is a
unique experience and in order to be effective must meet a person's
specific needs.  The social marketer listens to make sure knowledge,
values, and attitudes, are all looked at.  The person cannot really move on
to the next phase without getting through this one effectively.  **This is
one of the toughest hurdles for us as breastfeeding educators.  Yes, we
understand that breastmilk is superior, but we need to be careful when
addressing the attitudes, values and beliefs of our audience.
By "careful," I mean we cannot devalue the notion that "I was bottlefed and
turned out fine"  "Breastfeeding will tie me down" "breastfeeding
hurts" "Formula is fine because they give it away at hospitals" etc.  It is
our job to explain the facts in a way that allows the person to listen
without us dishonoring where they are coming from.

For an audience in the Contemplation Stage--"I heard that formula is not
the same as breastmilk.  I'm thinking about breastfeeding."--it is
important to 1. Persuade and 2.  Motivate.  In order to do that, we want to
look at the competition and determine the audience's needs and wants. This
is done by looking at the costs and benefits.  The goal is to show that the
benefits outweigh the costs.  Keep in mind, costs and benefits are not of
equal weight; one cost can outweigh several benefits. Some key factors in
this stage are social pressures and social information.  (And these, as we
know, can be huge barriers!)

For an audience in the Preparation Stage--"I am going to breastfeed."--and
the Action Stage--"I am breastfeeding"--it is important to give them the
tools to help make it work.  This includes things such as teaching the
mechanics of breastfeeding, the ability to know if it is "working" well,
who to call with questions, how to handle family/work/social pressures,
etc.  A mom who feels strong in her ability to breastfeed and/or find help,
is going to fare better than a mom who lacks confidence and support.  This
is the stage when a woman blames herself "I can't make enough milk" or she
attributes blame to another "My doctor says I need to supplement". **This
is a turning point, and moms may quit or go on, depending on how their
needs are being met and the knowledge they or their caregivers have.  Many
times, women's needs have not been met effectively in previous stages, so
they are more likely to fail at adopting the healthy behavior for very long.

In the final phase "Confirmation" or "Maintenance"--"I have been
breastfeeding for 8 months now"--it is important to provide positive
feedback.  This is where we as breastfeeding professionals can lavish these
mommies with praise and connect the already visible health benefits to
their work in breastfeeding (for example, the lack of illnesses, closeness
to mom, etc).  This is also the phase when we may be the lone voice that
encourages them to keep going (i.e., return to work, teething, nursing
strike, pregnancy, etc)

For the Model information, I referred to the text, "Marketing Social
Change" by Alan R. Andreasen, copyrighted in 1995.

Buffy Constant, BA, Doula, CBE, and (most importantly) Mom.
Northeast Iowa

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