Quick ? for my fellow Lactivists re: formula TV advertising --

[TattoMomK]

Why is it that Nestle Good Start is all over the "airwaves" yet Similac and Enfamil is not? I have noticed so many Good Start commercials the last few weeks I am actually shocked.

Why is that??

Obviously TV advertising is "OK" but why do the main two leading formula companies not push as hard as Nestle?

Here I thought that they (the formula co's) could no longer "TV" advertise but I was wrong. I don't quite know why I didn't realize it until recently (like-- since having a baby nearly six weeks ago).

I just didn't realize how often they advertise before -- in odd areas too, like crime shows etc. Now I am onto it though, as in I pay attention to the bottom of the screen saying "Breastmilk is best. ASK YOUR DOCTOR." before the ad even gets going. Even the aforementioned statement is DANGeROUS by evidence from the post by the Doc in this very message board...ask your doctor-- and let them advise FF if anything "MIGHT" be off....

GRRRRRR

So my question is sorta two-fold: have you noticed how hard Nestle is "pushing" formula on TV, and two: does anyone out there get TV Adverts from Similac and Enfamil? We apparently don't in SoCal, but am curious to know if others do. What are they like?

What do you think?

[G8P4]

In the country I live in (not the USA), the companies seem to divide and conquer the marketplace. One company targets the mothers directly, and another targets health professionals. One seems to advertise extensively to the general public, the other spends more of their advertising dollars on doctors. So, maybe this is true in the USA too.

[miche28]

Well, I do think that the pharmaceutical companies tend to focus less on comsumer direct marketing and do more doctor's office stuff. But, they certainly do it here: Enfamil 'sponsors' two television shows (Enfamil's the Baby Years and the Toddler Years :Puke) and they do plenty of advertising in mags and so forth. But I guess the Nestle marketing machine is pretty good at getting their message in all the right places...

[nausicaamom]

I do think it has to do a lot with Similac and Enfamil being owned by pharmaceutical companies - they have ins with hospitals and doctor's offices so there isn't the extra need to do TV advertising when they reap the benefits of "good by association" since you see the stuff all over your doctor's office. In the US they also have the direct marketing arrangements with so many maternity companies so any unsuspecting mom who buys some clothes from Motherhood can expect a care package from them at some point in her pregnancy.

I thought Canada participated in the WHO ban on direct marketing or did they find ways to get around that?

[Janice in Canada]

There are ads in Canada. While we "ratified" the WHO code (which the US didn't) it is still not law, but voluntary. So we still have ads, Baby clubs, etc. Perhaps less that the US, but there is really no legal difference between the 2 countries.

So I think the differences you are noticing are simply the difference marketing strategy of the companies. Nestle is a "food company" while the others are pharmaceutical cos. So the others would already have an existing network of reps that are calling on doctors, hospitals etc so it is reasonable that they are most comfortable with this type of marketing.

Nestle would not be calling on doctors or hospitals, other than with its formula, so this would be a more challenging strategy for them to implement, since they have no experience in this area. So I think they concentrate on marketing to the consumer, just like they would with food products.

Just my thoughts as a sales & marketing professionals in my previous career.

Janice

[TattoMomK]

Sorry I meant California...

My friend in Seattle says they advertise all three on tv up there.