From the WHO website.
The second report in a series detailing exploitative marketing practices employed by US$ 55 billion baby formula industry, shows parents, particularly mothers, are being insidiously and persistently targeted online
28 April 2022 News release Geneva
https://www.who.int/news/item/28-04-2022-who-reveals-shocking-extent-of-...
Formula milk companies are paying social media platforms and influencers to gain direct access to pregnant women and mothers at some of the most vulnerable moments in their lives. The global formula milk industry, valued at some US$ 55 billion, is targeting new mothers with personalized social media content that is often not recognizable as advertising.
A new World Health Organization (WHO) report titled Scope and impact of digital marketing strategies for promoting breast-milk substitutes has outlined the digital marketing techniques designed to influence the decisions new families make on how to feed their babies.
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240046085
Through tools like apps, virtual support groups or ‘baby-clubs’, paid social media influencers, promotions and competitions and advice forums or services, formula milk companies can buy or collect personal information and send personalized promotions to new pregnant women and mothers...
Studies show how misleading marketing reinforces myths about breastfeeding and breast milk and undermines women’s confidence in their ability to breastfeed successfully...
The fact that these forms of digital marketing can evade scrutiny from national monitoring and health authorities means new approaches to Code-implementing regulation and enforcement are required. Currently, national legislation may be evaded by marketing that originates beyond borders.
WHO has called on the baby food industry to end exploitative formula milk marketing, and on governments to protect new children and families by enacting, monitoring and enforcing laws to end all advertising or other promotion of formula milk products.
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Neil Pakenham-Walsh, Global Coordinator HIFA, www.hifa.org neil@hifa.org
Working in official relations with WHO
