Tony, 

In terms of marketing, Breast is Best sounds good - but in terms of the
work I do with low-income women, it's just another "best" they can't give
their babies - they can't afford the best car seats or the best steak or
the best house (or any house, for that matter).

I guess the reason we're working on using different terminology has to do
with the people we're aiming our "marketing" to (and yes, despite my many
years as a La Leche League Leader - where I was taught to only provide help
to those who asked for it...I am now in the "marketing of breastfeeding"). 


Just as we are trying to market the use of car seats - and the use of
immunizations (today I'm wearing an immunization t-shirt as I'm going to a
church picnic and want to market the free vaccinations we offer), we are
now marketing breastfeeding.

We have learned from focus groups (and of course these were done in the US
- so the UK may be different) that being "different" is one of the problems
with marketing breastfeeding.  Thus our attempt is to make breastfeeding
"normal" rather than "special".  In fact, many years ago there was an
attempt to promote breastfeeding by saying that "Princess Grace of Monaco"
breastfed - and we had lovely posters of women in negligees breastfeeding
in rose gardens (I still have one to use as a teaching tool of what NOT to
do!).  What we learned is that although this may inform the public that
breastfeeding is great - we are neither princesses nor living in rose
gardens ... so of course we can't breastfeed!

When talks are directed to HCPs, we provide data, studies, information. 
When we're marketing to the public (men, women, grandparents, etc.) it's a
whole different ballgame.  This is something I learned in Puerto Rico from
a marketing expert who had breastfed her child and was willing to join our
breastfeeding coalition.  She kept telling us: "You are experts in
breastfeeding - but you know NOTHING about marketing.  You do your
expertise... and let me do mine!"  She was SO RIGHT!  We were all
nutritionists, nurses, doctors, etc.  I learned a lot from her - so much
that I think EVERY group that is trying to promote a health-related outcome
should have a marketer in their coalition - and I don't mean a SOCIAL
marketer, but a Marketer!).

Now, you say...why should be have to "sell" breastfeeding?  Well for the
same reason we have to sell car seats, immunizations, 5-a-day (fruits and
vegetables in case that program has not reached the UK) or no smoking. 
Breastfeeding may be good..but unless you sell it - those who have much
more to gain by selling their products (formula companies) will win the
battle without us even trying (think Chamberlain).

Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, PHN, IBCLC
Vacaville, CA

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