Janice wrote:

"In my experience - in advertising & sales, perception is more important than
reality.

.  It doesn't matter what the ad exactly said, what is important is what
people THINK the ad said (ie, what they came away with, after seeing the
ad).

The fact that many people think the ad said that breastfeeding makes the
breasts flat, is what is important, not the actual words that are said." 

This was exactly my point about the Ameda ad. An advertiser cares how the target audience reads an ad and in 
general will make every effort to avoid controversy, b/c one cannot control the direction of controversy. It is one of the 
most difficult things about working in the creative end of advertising (designer, writer, art director, creative director)
--most creative ideas never make it off the drawing pad and are watered down long before the public sees them 
(look at the Breastfeeding Campaign). Well-known companies often rely on simply offering a variation on a theme 
(different size, flavor, etc) to increase market share, rather than taking any risks with their advertising. PR is a very
important tool for these companies, b/c everyone already knows what their product is and what is does. PR can maintain
brand loyalty. We all know that samples and freebies do that as well--it brings "added value" to the product.

If I want to put a new toilet paper brand on the market, I do not need to convince people that toilet paper is a good idea
--I need to create a point of difference between my brand end everyone else's--a brand identity. If I am launching a product 
that has never been on the market before, then I need to both get my brand noticed and get people interested in the new
product. Creating a market share where there was none is very difficult and this is where companies will often take
creative risks in getting noticed. 

Janice wrote:
"This outcome may the result of the ad's visuals, and the text, combined with
our current culture.  A person's cultural experience will alter the way they
understand the ad.  The fact is, right now, probably the majority of people
are aware of the belief that breastfeeding ruins your breasts, so many
people may "read" the ad in that way.

I have no idea whether Suave intended this effect or not, and I also have no
idea whether this is good for breastfeeding advocacy or not.  Yes, the
visual images of breastfeeding seem to be good.

The fact that this commercial may have gotten people talking about
breastfeeding - is in itself, good for breastfeeding advocacy.  Because, in
the end, we have truth on our side, and in the end the world WILL return to
a breastfeeding society, because it is "RIGHT".

Suave has been around for a long time and likely needs to maintain brand loyalty while expanding to a younger audience.
This ad would be geared to the younger audience, I would think. Its intention is not to convicne people to buy shampoo, but
rather to create a point of difference--our brand does something the others don't do. Even if all the brands make your hair 
full, the perception would be otherwise. What does surprise me is that a company this large would have probably done some 
kind of testing for its ad and would have gotten mixed responses about the breastfeeding. Hard to know if they might have 
decided that was okay--not a risk--maybe moms whose breasts are flat would at least like full hair!! 

Janice:
"(Smart companies will always test their ads to see the ACTUAL effect the ad
had on the consumer, they don't just rely on what they wrote in the ad.
They don't assume that the consumer will take that information in, just the
way it was written)"

Back to the Ameda ad--Ameda has a lot of competition, so it has to convince people its product is better than 
the others. That is what is so odd to me about this ad--it doesn't create a point of difference. As I see it, it simply 
promotes the use of a breast pump. One could argue it promotes it for the sake of mothers who need one or one
could see it as an attempt to grow the market for pumps. At some point, any company is going to look at who
might "need" their product who doesn't already perceive a need. This is part of the basics of advertising--create
a need for the product. No one needs soda, but people think they do, b/c that is how advertising works.

That's why it would not occur to me the offer a better copy suggestion--I have no desire to assist in the promotion of 
breast pumps. I know that women need them and I want them to have the best pumps possible, but I think marketing 
pumps should be just as utilitarian as the marketing of any product that might interfere with breastfeeding. I do not think
it should be glamorized in any way. So, what I want to see form all pump companies are ads that convey the quality of 
that particular brand over another, not ads that imply that pumping is a normal part of breastfeeding a baby..

Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA
Intuitive Parenting Network LLC


________________________________________________________________________
More new features than ever.  Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome