Several years ago, M***-J****** distributed here good breastfeeding leaflets. No formula names, no bottles... Information was far better that in government's or hospitals' leaflets; at that moment, they were the best breastfeeding leaflets ever published in Spain!
A few months later, promotional posters, leaflets for doctors and 3 new leaflets for mothers (weaning, colic, how to prepare a bottle) appeared, with bottles, formula names and everything. The cover design was similar, and the four leaflets for mothers were exposed and distributed through public health system, in a beautiful box provided by the manufactured.
A few years later, M-J invented a new formula brand. I need to explain that, in Spanish, a supplementary bottle is called "una ayuda" (a help). Some excerpts from the leaflet for doctors on this new formula:
"The feeling of having not enough milk is the most frequent reason for a mother to stop breastfeeding. "I have not enough milk" (...) are the usual calls for HELP. Pediatrician can advise to continue breastfeeding, adding helping formulas, as a SMOOTH, QUICKLY AND EASILY DIGESTED MILK that do not interfere with breastfeeding: THE HELPING MILK. (...) breast milk production will be not affected. (...) The best idea for prolonging breastfeeding as much as possible, when breast milk is deemed to be insufficient."
Do you see what I mean? Some formula companies make bad leaflets about BF, that's easy to understand. But there are also some possible advantages in making good ones:
- A good corporate image
- A good relationship with health professionals
- Opening channels for the introduction of other materials...
- Creating confussion among BF promoters, separating the phanatic ones from the good fellows...
- To be in a winning horse. If global formula sales will decrease, at least our brand will increase, because we are an ethical company...
But marketing people are not God, and they can even make mistakes. Some 20 years ago, the Spanish National Tobacco Company produced ads with the slogan "Smoke less, it tastes better". Their idea: people will smoke just the same, and we will appear as good fellows. But tobacco sales fell dramatically... and we have never seen those ads again!
Best wishes                     Carlos Gonzalez, Barcelona