The Great Big Baby Milk Debate

I thought that this would kick off ... the SMA product placement / celebrity endorsement has set tongues wagging everywhere. I thought I would make clear what the debate is about as the message is being distorted as some great big bottle bashing campaign - which it most definitely isn't.

Mothers should be free to make whatever decision they like about feeding their baby.

No woman should be made to feel guilty about how she decides to feed her baby.

The problem lies with on what information that decision is made. The feeding your baby issue is a really big one. The nourishment that a baby receives in the first six months (or weeks or days) can affect that babies health - as a baby, as a child, and as an adult.

If women are feeding their babies on something that is proven to be sub-standard and detrimental to a baby's health because of glossy adverts, unsubstantiated claims, and a lack of factually based information - then "Houston, we have a problem". The milk company reps are visiting health professionals - in their own settings, bringing freebies and free sandwiches (in areas where the UNICEF standard is adopted, this practice is banned), the health professionals then use obstetric calendars (for which they are always most grateful), pens during their check-ups with Mums ... yep you guessed it with the logo's ... leading mothers to think that the health professionals are endorsing that particular product.

I could go on and explain the many other ways in which the formula milk companies have got it sewn up - even though there is a law to prevent the marketing of breastmilk substitutes! Unfortunately there is no counter balance for breastfeeding - nobody "selling" breastfeeding to the same extent.

The law in the UK needs to be tightened up. Women are feeding their babies on formula milk because they believe it is "closer to breastmilk" or "as nature intended". The line I use during my presentations for Real Baby Milk is that because two milks may look similar they are in fact worlds apart.

I started Real Baby Milk to address the imbalance in market forces. To my marketing mind, I could see that being as the breastmilk product is so infinitely superior - if it could be marketed in the same way as the other milks then actually it would win hands down. Nobody has ever "marketed" breastfeeding before. Information about breastfeeding has always come under a fairly dull health information banner ... and of course the glossy adverts are more appealing ... that's the sort of world we work in now.

I am watching this debate with great interest ... especially as my project is at the Big Lottery decision making stage right now and I could not have bought this sort of publicity for the issue ... the problem is SMA probably did and up to 450,000 readers (parents or future parents) have been exposed to it!

If OK! and SMA are found guilty of breaching the code they will probably face a fine. In reality the most effective thing they could do is to be charged for an advertising campaign for breastfeeding far more effective than a piecemeal apology and token fine. The ultimate outcome from this would actually be a total ban on the advertising of formula milks altogether. After all, cigarette advertising has stopped ... and that was for adults who are old enough to make their own minds up ...