Contact between marketing personnel and mothers

Companies are breaking the rules by ...

visiting mothers in hospital or at home to give information, gifts or product samples.

Sales representatives from the following companies have been reported to have had contact, in their business capacity, with mothers or pregnant women: Abbott Ross (Nicaragua, Philippines, Thailand); Coberco Omefa (Bangladesh); Danone/Diepal (Mauritius); Dumex (Thailand); Gerber (Guatemala, Mexico); Heinz (Venezuela); Helios (Indonesia); Humana (Germany); Indofoods (Indonesia); Milupa (Argentina, Germany, Mauritius); Maeil (Korea); Mead Johnson (Indonesia, Nicaragua); Meiji (Thailand); Mirota (Indonesia); Morinaga (Indonesia); Nam Yang (Korea); Nestlé (Bolivia, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Philippines, Thailand); Nutricia/Cow & Gate (Indonesia); Wander (Zambia); Wyeth (Argentina, Indonesia, Mauritius, Nicaragua, Philippines, Thailand).

In Mauritius, sales representatives from Milupa, Danone/Diepal and Wyeth regularly visit health centres. The sales representatives are usually posted in the vicinity of centres on the day mothers bring their babies for vaccination. They give out free samples of infant formula and product information to the mothers. A monitor reports "The Nursie representative (Danone/Diepal) regularly stands near a fruit seller on the pavement in front of the hospital where mothers pass to catch the bus."

In Indonesia, Morinaga promotes Chil Mil via direct contact with mothers. The sales representatives give out samples and product information. Nutricia/Cow & Gate sales representatives in Indonesia also pay visits to mothers to give samples and literature about Nutrilon, Nutrima and Creme Nutricia.

Dumex sales representatives visit mothers in Thailand twice a year and recruit members to the Dumex Mother’s Club. Members are entitled to a 50 percent discount on Dumex milks.

In the Philippines, Nestlé employs health educators who visit pregnant women and mothers of young children in their homes. The health educators are accompanied by volunteer health workers or traditional midwives in the community, through whom they can have easier access to the mother’s homes. Although labelled health educators, the Nestlé employees can be considered to be marketing personnel. They use attractive materials to tell mothers about Nestogen 1 and Nestogen 2. Health educators give Nestlé products as gifts to mothers such as Cerelac, Neslac, Nescafe and Maggi noodles. Mothers are asked to sign a book leaving their name, address, baby’s age, mode of feeding and brand recommendation. A survey conducted by a Nestlé health educator showed that three of five mothers in the community use Nestogen.

Mead Johnson representatives have direct contact with mothers in Thailand via special seminars. This card invites mothers and their families to attend a seminar on taking care of the baby. The seminar covered both breastfeeding and bottle feeding and various Mead Johnson formulas were shown and compared.

Promotion to the public
Advertisements in the mass media | Point-of-sale promotion | Samples and gifts to mothers