American media: "Promotion Girls" walk around the hospital, infant formula milk powder marketing is too radical

The US "Foreign Policy" two -monthly website on June 23rd, original topic: infant formula milk powder marketing practice is still too radical in February this year, just start a series of recalls in the American infant formula milk powder production giant Abbott, which trigger the emergence of the United States nationwide A few days after sexual shortage, WHO released an important but fresh report. Researchers listed another question related to formula milk powder: most parts of the world rely on formula milk powder, which is blamed for manufacturers' radical misleading marketing.

"Promotion Girl" in the hospital

The global health consensus is that as long as it is possible, breast milk is more beneficial to baby health than commercial products. The benefits of breastfeeding are well known: improving the immune system to better protect babies from infection and reduce the risk of women with diabetes and even cancer. In a wealthy country, the booming public health movement, coupled with stricter review of corporate advertisements, means that parents are more likely to make wise decisions in using formula milk powder.

WHO said that at the same time, formula milk powder companies are adopting the world's most radical marketing strategies in Vietnam. Local parents are "bombed" by TV advertising and social media posts. Related content often distorts science to legalize their claims and facilitate sales of products. The representatives of these companies are called "promotions girls". In order to talk to the parents who have no wise, they even wandered around the hospital hall. Such marketing is effective. About 76%of Vietnam's babies are fed with formulas with formula. The goal set by the United Nations is to reduce the global number to 50%by 2025, and this goal may not be achieved.

"They are invested a lot of energy in economies like Vietnam like Vietnam like a rapidly developing economy like Vietnam. They know that the market will increase, women's income is increasing, and women are increasingly increasing in economies like Vietnam. The more active, so I have done a lot of marketing work. "

Industry worth $ 55 billion

This problem is global. The WHO Research Group also found such radical marketing strategies in Bangladesh, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and other places. The WHO recorded an outrageous case: a health care worker in Mexico took away the baby from the breastfeeding mother, and unnecessary to feed the formula milk powder that was born only one day.

Although there are "International Breeding Products Sales Code", these marketing strategies are still popular. The non -binding nature of this codes means that enterprises can overlook their profits above people, especially in countries with relatively incomplete public health infrastructure and law enforcement mechanisms. Before the WHO adopted the Code in 1981, a non -profit organization headquartered in London released a report called "Baby Killer". The report surveyed the radical and inaccurate marketing strategies adopted by multinational formula milk powder companies at the time. Researchers have accused Nestlé and Abbott -the main participants in the market today -parents who can't afford formula milk powder sell formula milk powder. These parents can have better breastfeeding. From Jamaican to Jordan, researchers recorded how the early use of formulas to cause higher infection rates, and in the most extreme cases, they caused malnutrition, because low -income parents seeking to save expensive formulas through dilution. The report shocked the public and prompted the world to take action.

However, the WHO said that only 44%of the world's infants in the world are breastfeeding completely. At the same time, formula milk powder has quickly expanded into an industry worth $ 55 billion.

Internet push

The Internet also provides powerful and simple tools for these companies. Digital marketing costs are low, and with the help of social media Internet celebrities, Facebook parenting groups, and Google search for advertisements, breast milk replacement companies can sell products by means that they are not easy to be regarded as advertising, and spread the health statement.

Seven years ago, when 35 -year -old Vietnamese resident Su Xiang (sound) produced the first child through a caesarean section, he personally taught the marketing methods of formula milk powder companies. According to relatives and friends and the messy information she found on the Internet, she believes that those who have undergone cesarean section will not be able to secrete breast milk. "So I chose formula milk powder." She said that she didn't know at the time that with the help of professionals, she might use breastfeeding children.

Last year, a global maternal and child health organization and technology team jointly studied the Vietnamese market. They captured more than 16,000 web posts and found more than 4,000 violations of the "International Breast Supplys Sales Code". Some manufacturers even use their parents' concerns about new crown pneumonia to turn the selling point to its products that can improve their immunity. A Vietnamese brand used photos of the WHO Director Director of the WHO Tan Dezai on Facebook, suggesting that its products can fight the new crown virus.

A few years ago, Vietnam passed relevant laws, which means that the government can take action against those who violate advertising rules. However, the above -mentioned maternal and infant health organizations said that the number of inspectors was too small to cover all illegal acts on the digital platform. As a result, the responsibility of resisting pseudo -science and a lot of confusing advertisements often falls on parents who are determined to promote breastfeeding. (Author Mei Lisa Chen, translated by Ding Yan)

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