Multinational infant formula companies, such as Nestlé and Danone, are using social media to market consumers in Southeast Asia in a way that raises serious considerations that they would possibly violate World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Companies have replaced their advertising tactics with the coronavirus epidemic and are also employing mothers to create online market materials, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reveals.
Recent activities have included thematic webinars and Q&A sessions with experts. And in recent years, Nestlé and Danone have begun to harness the popularity of social media among Indonesian consumers to turn them into unpaid, unregulated advertisers.
WHO introduced a foreign code of ethics for the marketing of formulas in 1981, after Nestlé’s advertising practices in emerging countries attracted foreign attention and a boycott campaign. A 2016 solution specified that “growth milks” for young people under 36 months of age fall within reach.
While there is no evidence that any of the corporations have harmed the laws, public fitness experts have expressed fear that their movements are contrary to the spirit of the WHO code. Health experts say competitive advertising is hampering breastfeeding efforts and can lead moms to unnecessarily switch to the formula. WHO recommends that, whenever possible, young children be exclusively breastfed for the first six months and continue to breastfeed until age 2 and older.
“[Companies] are freely advertised,” said Nia Umar, director of the Indonesian Association of Breastfed Mothers. She believes it violates the code, “but does not oppose the law.” They know the hole. And because the hole is very giant and very wide, they use it to advertise unethically.
Nestlé said: “The WHO code and the forthcoming World Health Assembly (AMS) resolutions are recommendations that Member States will have to translate into a local law setting… That is why we are implementing WHO recommendations as implemented in the law through Member States.” (Emphasize theirs).
In 2014, Danone’s Indonesian formula logo, SGM, presented its “mombassador” program. Every year, women between the ages of 21 and 35 are encouraged to become logo ambassadors. Judging by their social media presence, successful applicants are invited for three days to make a stop at a Danone formula factory and attend a gala dinner.
Upon their return, mummiestors are encouraged to host parent events, some in government-run gyms, and to publish SGM articles online. The women who participated in the program told the Office that they had gained regular training, adding courses on nutrition and child development, shooting and editing photos, writing content on social media and recording vlogs.
Danone claims to have more than 400 mummies in Indonesia. The company does not cover the costs of sending participants’ courses and does not pay moms for their social media posts.
“I’m just a graduate of school,” said one mother. “The most vital thing is knowledge, isn’t it? For me, paying for transportation [to upgrade] is not a big deal. To get to school, you have to pay the tuition. The [mombassador] program is loose and useful. »
“It’s not that it’s bad women doing this,” said David Clark, a unicef nutrition specialist. “They’re being manipulated.” He believes the program has violated the WHO code. “I have no doubt that mother bloggers and logo ambassadors are concerned about some form of promotion banned through the code.”
The WHO code prohibits the marketing of arrangements to the public, but its rules are legally binding. While 70 per cent of WHO Member States have followed legal action opposed to the commercialization of agreements, only 25 countries have followed laws that substantially conform to the code. Indonesia’s legislation is “moderately aligned with the code,” according to WHO.
In its latest latest formula marketing report, published in May, WHO noted that social media advertising is a “growing concern.”
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has provided multinationals with new marketing opportunities. Indonesian formula logo Nestlé Dancow has aired ads with slogans like “Bunda, Lindungi Si Buah Hati” (“Mother, protect your darling!”) Along with photos of young people drinking formula. The corporation has also used its #DancowLindungi hashtag (#DancowProtects) in its publications since March 2020.
The code prevents corporations from seeking direct or indirect contact with pregnant women and moms, but with the pandemic, Dancow organized child nutrition webinars and broadcast live an occasion called “ParentFest” with pediatricians and social media influencers. The occasion, which took place in Indonesia’s national blockade, was heralded as an online festival designed to help moms “learn from home.” Dancow’s products were featured in the host’s video stream.
Danone’s SGM logo did something similar to the blockade, encouraging consumers to ask questions of child psychologists and nutrition specialists who lectured on the logo’s Instagram and WhatsApp platforms. Contrary to the code, Danone announced his visitor helpline on Facebook and suggested moms call if they had any questions about their children’s expansion and development.
WHO also states that corporations do not market any formula products for children under the age of three. But Nestlé’s recent classified ads on Facebook in Indonesia include products for children 1 year and older. Nestlé stated that all of its communications comply with Indonesian law, “where advertising of youth products is allowed for more than a year.”
Last year, Danone brought a formula of trouble for his mothers. Mothers receive corporate reports describing what will come with their content and are invited to post on social media 3 times a week. Each post has a value from a number of issues, women said, blog posts outweigh Facebook or Instagram content. Those with the maximum month of emissions get coupons worth up to IDR 600,000 (about $41). Those with the highest overall score at the end of the year get a holiday in Bali.
“Since the good fortune program began, I’ve noticed that many [mombassadors] have started to be active again,” said one mother. “After all, he’s helping us, too. Especially the pandemic. With 300,000 IDR, we can buy milk for children and other fundamental needs.”
However, obtaining emissions depends on strict stipulations. Posts, which will need to be approved through program officials, will have to come with hashtags and brand-related colors, and mark 3 non-mombassor friends. One mother told us how she lost 250 numbers by mis typing a link to the SGM website.
Danone stated that the initiative is merely informative and does not advertise any formulas. It also stated that the company “ensures that all participants in the mubassador programme comply with the principles set out in the WHO code, Danone’s [breast milk substitute] BMS policy and applicable local regulations.” The women involved in the programme interviewed through the Office indicated that they did not remember being informed of who’s marketing code.
Nestlé had a similar system. The Dancow Inspiring Mom campaign, last held in 2018, included a three-day visit to Jakata, a stopover at Nestlé’s factory and courses on parenting and nutrition. Additional courses on makeup and grooming, monetary control and social media were also taught. Women were then asked to “share information” and “inspire” their local network as they sold the brand.
“I think it’s fair to say that a company is violating the code by encouraging others to promote, even their own words,” said Laurence Grummer-Strawn, WHO’s child nutrition specialist. “We are very involved in this influencing other people’s decisions and being promotional in this regard.”
A 2016 study published in The Lancet said expanding breastfeeding to near-universal levels could prevent the deaths of more than 820,000 children under the age of five. An editorial of the same year called for a total ban on the advertising of breast milk substitutes on social media, stating: “From tobacco to sugar and milk powder, the most vulnerable suffer when advertising interests clash with public health.”
Both corporations told the Office that they take seriously any allegations of non-compliance with local law and that they have robust systems to inspire others to report any considerations about marketing practices.
Rapid urbanization and rising women in the office have attracted industry giants such as Nestlé and Danone in Southeast Asia, where sales have skyrocketed. Last year, the region’s formula industry was valued at $6.5 billion, according to Euromonitor International. Nestlé has invested $100 million in its Indonesian plants alone.
The efforts of the infant formula industry are part of the worrying trends in breastfeeding. In a national physical fitness survey published in 2012, the Indonesian government noted that “the advent of infant formula is present for many children well before six months.”
In 2017, Indonesia’s national knowledge showed that only 38% of mothers exclusively breastfed their young children from birth to 6 months. The percentage of children under 6 months who have never been breastfed has increased from 8% to 12% in the five years until 2017. A 2016 study in Java found that more than 70% of pregnant women and new moms had noticed breast promotion. Material. milk substitutes. Women who use this type of marketing are more likely to use infant formula than those who don’t.
In February, the Executive Board of the World Health Assembly discussed the growing risk of online formula advertising. He highlighted tactics such as industry-sponsored online social groups, blogs and classified Facebook ads, and asked WHO to work on the topic.
The application has still been formalized due to the coronavirus pandemic. But even without an official green light, experts recognize the need for a more powerful law by national governments.
“You don’t want to replace the code for countries to put laws in place,” Grummer-Strawn said. “Countries can interfere when they see these behaviors and say, well, we need to make sure our law covers it.”
Some experts hope that without law and law enforcement, the preparedness marks will continue to comply with WHO guidelines. “They paint in this sector to make money and sell products,” Clark said. “But we want to put in place a regulatory framework that prevents them from exploiting and manipulating the public.”
Additional reports and translation through Esti Wahyuni