Point-of-sale promotion

Companies are breaking the rules when ...

they use points-of-sale to promote products within the scope of the Code. Infant formula, follow-up formula and complementary foods for infants under 6 months are promoted at the retail level in many countries.

Chart 8 shows where companies are breaking the rules through promotion in shops and pharmacies, using posters, leaflets, samples, special displays, discounts and other inducements.

Other companies which use points-of sale to promote infant formulas, follow-up formulas and complementary foods include Aponti (Germany), Citra Suarda (Indonesia), Granjas Castello(Spain), Helios (Indonesia), Hero(Spain), Holle(Germany), Indofood (Indonesia), Kasdorf (Argentina), Kolln (Germany), Nutrexpa (Côte d’Ivoire), Podravka (Croatia) and Somalon (Germany).

Advertising at the retail level

Snow Brand and Dutch Baby (Friesland) use their company names as brand names. In this way, any advertising of the company name (like the Dutch Baby delivery vans in Malaysia) naturally advertises the brands of products within the scope of the Code as well.

Posters and pamphlets for Colman Foods( Gerber’s Purity products) and Cowbell are found in many retail outlets in Zambia.

Hipp posters advertising complementary foods and juices for infants in shops in Macedonia and Croatia.

In Côte d’Ivoire, a large Nursie poster by Danone/Diepal was seen at the entrance of a pharmacy. Other Diepal posters advertise both Nursie and Gallia products. Bledina (Danone/Diepal) posters advertise the range of complementary foods for infants from 4 months. A Nestlé Cerelac poster with the picture of a mother and baby advertises the product for use from 4 months. Nutrexpa’s Blevit poster is that of a beautiful baby.

In Mauritius and Bolivia, shelf-talkers like these, announcing Wyeth’s "new look" S-26 are prominently displayed in retail outlets. Under the guise of introducing a new design on its infant formula label, the company takes full advantage of the opportunity to draw attention to the product.

Many companies advertise in shops and pharmacies through the distribution of promotional leaflets. The Code requires any informational and educational material to state that breastfeeding is best and give warnings about artificial feeding as per Article 4.2, but company produced leaflets given out to mothers at the retail outlets seldom comply with these requirements. Most are purely promotional.

Poster for Frisocrem, in a pharmacy in Niger

Wyeth leaflets promoting S-26 in pharmacies in Bolivia claim the product to be the "alternative closest to breastmilk". S-26 information folders were also found in pharmacies in Mexico with the slogan "complete nutrition and economical" and " it supports the adequate development of the baby from birth up to 6 months of age". Neither of these materials comply with Article 4.2 of the International Code.

A large Abbott Ross poster advertising Similac and Isomil infant formulas, in a pharmacy in Macedonia. Similar brochures are also available for mothers to take home.

A Bledina (Danone/Diepal) leaflet in pharmacies in Gabon shows pack shots of infant foods. One package recommends the product for infants as young as one month. The inside of the leaflet advertises other Bledina foods and fruit juices for infants.

A Nestlé Cerelac leaflet in Gabon advertises the whole range of Cerelac instant milk cereals, more than half of which are for infants just four months old.

In Côte d’Ivoire, Nestlé, Danone/Diepal and Nutrexpa produce information leaflets for pharmacies to distribute to mothers. Danone/Diepal’s Phosphatine brochures advertise the range of instant baby cereals for three months, and from the first age.

Cerelac leaflets in Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire.

In Mauritius, Danone/Diepal leaflets promoting the use of Gallia 1 for infants up to 5 months and Gallia 2 for infants over 5 months are found in pharmacies for mothers or anyone else to pick up. The company’s Nursie leaflets are also available to mothers. Neither of these leaflets comply with Article 4.2.

Bledina and Phosphatine brochures in pharmacies in Côte d’Ivoire
, advertising a whole variety of complementary foods for infants from 3 months of age.

Special displays

In Niger, Danone/Diepal’s special Gallia displays and Nestlé’s Cerelac displays are common in many pharmacies. Nestlé’s Cerelac and Danone/Diepal’s Bledina special displays are also found in shops in Côte d’Ivoire, while supermarkets in Senegal have special Gallia displays.

Special displays in Niger and Côte d’Ivoire.

Discounts

Many retailers in Bangladesh offer discounts on Coberco Omefa and Fasska formulas. In Germany, Milupa, Nestlé and Hipp promote products within the scope of the Code by offering discounted prices, sales inducements, gifts and samples. Karicare’s (Nutricia) infant, first and follow-up formulas are sold at a discounted price in supermarkets in New Zealand.

Mead Johnson formulas Enfalac, Enfamil AR,
Prosobee, and others are offered at a 25% discount in Mexico

Other sales inducements

In Mauritius, a Danone/Diepal shelf-talker in a supermarket offers a free bath towel for the purchase of 2 products from its complementary food range. Special displays of infant formula, especially Pre-Gallia (Danone/Diepal), Nan (Nestlé) and Aptamil (Milupa) are also found in many retail outlets.

In Gabon, Nestlé plastic carrier bags, advertising the range of Cerelac foods for infants from the age of four months, are available at pharmacies with the purchase of Cerelac or any other product. A public demonstration on how to prepare Cerelac was also held at a retail outlet. After the demonstration, mothers were given a baby bowl, spoon and disposable bib as gifts.

The Nestlé carrier bag.

HOW TO INCREASE SALES... In Bolivia, Wyeth provides store owners with brochures on how to increase sales of S-26, Promil and Nursoy. The brochure suggest grouping all Wyeth products in the same place, placing the products at eye level, intensive promotion to health workers to get them to recommend these products, and the use of attractive colour schemes

In Western Samoa, the Sunday Samoan advertised a Watties Baby Food promotion. Purchase of four jars of Watties Baby Food entitled the customer to a ticket for a weekly draw which offered a prize of a Watties teddy bear, Watties baby feeder and six jars of Watties Baby Food.

The Schlecker chainstore in Spain had a sale on two infant formulas, Nado 1 (Granja Castillo) and Hero Baby 1. Further rebates offered on the same products entitled customers to more money back.

In Indonesia, a Morinaga flyer advertises free Chil-Mil cups when Chil-mil follow-up formula is purchased.

A pharmacy in Uruguay offers Wyeth's S-26 at "cost price".

Promotion to the public
Advertisements in the mass media | Samples and gifts to mothers | Contact between marketing personnel and mothers