I'm very realistic about the motives of any company that makes money out of
infant feeding including infant formula, bottle and teat and pump
manufacturers. I think that we need to understand that their primary motive
is to make money and none are really "our friends." It's the tendency of
lactation supports to categorise companies as "good" or "bad" that concerns
me. I think that we need to look at their actions. So I'm happy to praise
Evenflo for taking action to become Code compliant. That's good, but it does
not mean that the company is "good," it is all about maximising profit and
they have obviously determined that becoming code compliant makes sense. I'm
happy that that is the case. Likewise, when a company ceases to be code
compliant (note the bottle and teat advertisement on Medela's website) then
I will criticise their action. Obviously such companies think that they have
cosied up enough to lactation supporters, given enough conference
sponsorship, advertising $$$ and chocolates that they can breach the rules
and no one will mind, they are after all "our friends". Tell me why this is
the case??? "But we really support breastfeeding" they might say. Well words
are cheap but it seems that it does not take a lot to buy lactation
supporters, so it seems anyway.
Karleen Gribble
Australia

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rachel Myr" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 7:24 AM
Subject: Effectiveness of marketing


> Nan Jolly points out that the cynics amongst us, and I certainly include
> myself in that group, may see the move on the part of a major brand
feeding
> bottle and teat manufacturer to acquire a major breast pump company and
the
> accompanying PR gyrations as marketing strategy.  And look how effective
it
> is already - the bottle brand has been praised warmly right here on
Lactnet,
> the forum on which subscribers frequently bemoan the lack of awareness on
> the part of our less enlightened colleagues about how formula reps
> ingratiate themselves with maternity care staff and thus turn them into
> unpaid ambassadors for the companies.

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