|
Wyeth
| John R Stafford CEO Wyeth (American Home Products) P.O. Box 8616, Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19101 USA Tel: +1 610 902 4100 Fax: +1 610 688 6228 Website: www.ahp.com
Products
include: Follow-up
Formula |
Wyeth started in the 1860s as a small drugstore in Philadelphia, USA. Known later as Wyeth Laboratories, it became the first to ‘advance manufacture’ frequently prescribed medicines in bulk. In 1931, American Home Products (AHP) bought the rights to Wyeth, which had been bequeathed to Harvard University. Among the many other acquisitions of AHP are Ayerst and SMA Corporation, a nutrition firm whose name became a famous Wyeth formula brand. Recently, Nestlé bought the Canadian Wyeth division. In the USA, Wyeth markets its formula under store brand names to undercut Ross and Mead Johnson, the two giants which hold 86% of the national market. Research shows mothers with more than one child, low-income mothers and African-American mothers place more emphasis on price than on physician recommendation when purchasing formula. Wyeth-produced store brands, for example Walmart’s Parents’ Choice and Babymilk and Babysoy in other supermarket chains can be sold at 40% less than similar products from the competition. Target’s Infant Formula, made by Wyeth, has a photograph of a baby on its labels. The Code applies to manufacturers and distributors. Wyeth promotion in East Asia uses illustrated carrots. The cartoon carrot wears white baby booties and gloves and crops up in advertisements, printed promotional materials, clocks and shop signboards. |
In Taiwan and Bolivia, company reps visit mothers at health facilities and homes to give information on infant feeding and recommend products.
In Taiwan, the company uses baby clubs to contact mothers, offering them free samples of S-26 infant formula, S-26 gift bags and gifts such as bottles, bibs, toys and towels.
Company reps contact mothers by telephone in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mexico.
In Bolivia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mexico, Taiwan and the UAE, the company distributes promotional materials such as booklets, magazines and posters in a variety of ways: by mail in the UAE; left on counters at health facilities and at a mothers’ club in Hong Kong; and at a baby expo called “Bebe y Yo” in Mexico.
- “Wyeth Gold Millennium Baby 26” in Hong Kong. The leaflet advertises a lucky draw for a gold carrot-shaped pendant for babies born on the 26th of each month.
- A leaflet titled “The Best start …starts from here” promoting S26 Gold in Hong Kong.
- “And the little Princess lived…” for the brand SMA Progress in the magazine Mother and Baby in the UAE.
- A leaflet called “A special closeness” promoting S-26 in the UAE.
|
|
|
Promotion in health care facilities
|
|
|
|
In Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mexico, the UAE and Uruguay, Wyeth distributes samples of infant formula and other products such as Promil. They are not for evaluation purposes and most are passed on to mothers.
Wyeth distributes samples of S-26 Gold in Hong Kong; Nursoy in Malaysia; SMA, SMA 2, Promil, and Progress in Mexico; S-26, S-26 Gold, S-26 AR, Promil, and Nursoy in the UAE; and S-26 LF and Promil in Uruguay; all of them for health workers to pass on to mothers.
Wyeth distributes unsolicited donations of SMA, S-26, S-26 Gold, Nursoy and SMA AR in Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mexico, Taiwan and the UAE. In some of these countries, they also distribute follow-on formulas such as SMA 2 and Promil.
In Malaysia, Wyeth gives one health care facility donations of Nursoy every eight weeks. Samples are also given and passed on to mothers.
A number of Mexican facilities receive unsolicited donations of SMA and Nursoy every 4-8 weeks.
Some health care facilities in Taiwan and the UAE receive donations of several brands every four weeks. One hospital in the UAE receives 24 tins of S-26 every week.
Some facilities in Uruguay purchase S-26 Bajo Peso (low birth weight formula) at special discount.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
“Feed your child well…” , “A word about unending love” are slogans from generic promotional ads by the Wyeth company. Beautiful photographs featuring babies takes a full-page in the Malaysian English daily The Star.
Company reps in Bolivia give discounts to shops on cash purchases.
In Taiwan, company reps donate other products to shops providing increased shelf space to Wyeth products. The company also gives shops discounts for sales volume and bonuses to staff for extra shelf space.
Company reps in Uruguay supply more products and give discounts to shops for sales volumes.
Wyeth provided fellowships and awards for attendance at a nurses’ congress in Mexico.
Wyeth funded a baby room with a cash grant in Taiwan. The company also funded the printing of information material promoting S-26 and provided lunch boxes for a meeting.
In the UAE, Wyeth sponsored a meeting for a perinatal society.
Ads in the Malaysian English daily, The Star, for the brand Progress read, “Don’t you wish you had Wyeth formula…” and “Wyeth Progress is so good for the heart…”.
Progress is marketed as a 1-2-3 milk and there is no specific prohibition against advertising under some local Codes (e.g. Malaysia). In many survey countries, however, Progress is heavily promoted to health workers and in some health care facilities. In UAE, for example, company reps give health workers posters and calendars featuring Progress, as well as samples of the product to pass on to mothers.
Moreover there are confusing links combining Progress with infant formulas as in S-26 Progress and SMA-Progress.
|
|
|
|
|
