Underhand tactics - formula companies

[leelee]

But all I wanted was a free cuddly polar bear!!

I know what you mean and I think (0 - 6m) it should be promoted and made available but not by Aptamil.

Why not Aptamil?

I wondered that too?

I was thinking that as well but just assumed id missed somthing a few pages back

Because they are hardly impartial.

I still don't understand that statement??? Do you think it is okay to promote 0-6 month formula, but not by Aptamil? I don't get it. Maybe there is something I am missing

 

[Shiv]

But all I wanted was a free cuddly polar bear!!

I know what you mean and I think (0 - 6m) it should be promoted and made available but not by Aptamil.

Why not Aptamil?

I wondered that too?

I was thinking that as well but just assumed id missed somthing a few pages back

Because they are hardly impartial.

I still don't understand that statement??? Do you think it is okay to promote 0-6 month formula, but not by Aptamil? I don't get it. Maybe there is something I am missing

I "think" Rach27 means (and please do correct me if I am wrong Rach) that she thinks 0-6 month formula should be promoted and info given freely by health workers/ in ante-natal classes etc, but that it shouldn't be promoted by the brands themselves as they have something to gain from it. i don't think she has anything specific against Aptamil advertising (this was just the example she was using), just formula companies in general.

Did that make sense at all? Probably not

 

[leelee]

But all I wanted was a free cuddly polar bear!!

I know what you mean and I think (0 - 6m) it should be promoted and made available but not by Aptamil.

Why not Aptamil?

I wondered that too?

I was thinking that as well but just assumed id missed somthing a few pages back

Because they are hardly impartial.

I still don't understand that statement??? Do you think it is okay to promote 0-6 month formula, but not by Aptamil? I don't get it. Maybe there is something I am missing

I "think" Rach27 means (and please do correct me if I am wrong Rach) that she thinks 0-6 month formula should be promoted and info given freely by health workers/ in ante-natal classes etc, but that it shouldn't be promoted by the brands themselves as they have something to gain from it. i don't think she has anything specific against Aptamil advertising (this was just the example she was using), just formula companies in general.

Did that make sense at all? Probably not

Yeah, that makes perfect sense and I would agree that formula should be promoted in ante-natal classes. People can make their own decisions about what brand to use then, as they will have the knowledge about how to use formula safely.

 

[Rach27]

That is what I meant, yes

 

[Shiv]

That is what I meant, yes

phew!

 

[cherryglitter]

I agree, it should be talked about in ante-natal classes and then mummys can make up their own minds on what brand of formula to use!

 

[Dragonfly]

I think the whole point of it not being discussed is that its not an option like choosing between pepsi and coke which is why its usually breastfeeding thats talked about. However some sort of after care for formula should be given if a mum cant breastfeed. I think maybe thats why dont discuss? its not promoting breatsfeeding then.

 

[Tiff]

But all I wanted was a free cuddly polar bear!!

I know what you mean and I think (0 - 6m) it should be promoted and made available but not by Aptamil.

In all honesty, this really bothered me. If you are so against advertising, then why on earth order from them? You've just proved that their "sneaky" ways of advertising works! Everyone is going to know that the stuffed toy is from Aptamil, so if you are out and about with your daughter you are providing them with free advertising without even saying anything.

Why help support the company? Truly, if it bothers you as much as it appears to by your comments in this thread, then go out and spend a few bucks and buy your girl a cuddly polar bear that doesn't help spread the word of formula and help advertise for it.

I guess if you hadn't had such a strong viewpoint on it, it wouldn't have caught my attention... but you do. I can't believe the lure of a free stuffed animal was enough for you to a) contact the company, b) give them your address thus giving them the right to send you all sorts of coupons, flyers, etc and c) taking products from them.

I'm not trying to have a go at you, trust me I understand the lure of free stuff... I'm horribly guilty of it myself! I just don't understand, its all.

ETA: There are a lot of assumptions in my post. I'm assuming that the laws are the same over there as it is here... if you willingly give your name/address to a company then it gives them full right to send you stuff, and that you filled out some sort of application/online thing to get the polar bear.

 

[leelee]

But all I wanted was a free cuddly polar bear!!

I know what you mean and I think (0 - 6m) it should be promoted and made available but not by Aptamil.

In all honesty, this really bothered me. If you are so against advertising, then why on earth order from them? You've just proved that their "sneaky" ways of advertising works! Everyone is going to know that the stuffed toy is from Aptamil, so if you are out and about with your daughter you are providing them with free advertising without even saying anything.

Why help support the company? Truly, if it bothers you as much as it appears to by your comments in this thread, then go out and spend a few bucks and buy your girl a cuddly polar bear that doesn't help spread the word of formula and help advertise for it.

I guess if you hadn't had such a strong viewpoint on it, it wouldn't have caught my attention... but you do. I can't believe the lure of a free stuffed animal was enough for you to a) contact the company, b) give them your address thus giving them the right to send you all sorts of coupons, flyers, etc and c) taking products from them.

I'm not trying to have a go at you, trust me I understand the lure of free stuff... I'm horribly guilty of it myself! I just don't understand, its all.

ETA: There are a lot of assumptions in my post. I'm assuming that the laws are the same over there as it is here... if you willingly give your name/address to a company then it gives them full right to send you stuff, and that you filled out some sort of application/online thing to get the polar bear.

That's what I was trying to say in a previous post. I don't understand why Rach would order a free teddy from them if she doesn't agree with them advertising stuff? I just don't understand it??? I don't buy/eat Nestle goods, so there is no way I would send off to them for a free gift with their advertising on it.

 

[IvyBaby]

I also ordered it and then the cow from C&G, just because they are free.. and I just ignore the rest they send me, lol... Does not bother me at all. Maybe Rach's point is that free stuff they send can be too appealing to new or expectant mothers and part of company's underhand tactics. Just guessing here.

 

[Dragonfly]

I to had a cow and gate bear and apitimel teddy this was when I was pregnant with my son. I fully intended on using on of them after he was born. I got things after that from aptimel like advice on mile stones, never really looked at them but that was before my son decided he was having boob and that was it.

 

[leelee]

I just personally wouldn't order stuff, just because it was free, from a company whose products I didn't agree with.

 

[Tiff]

But really? Having something free is worth all the advertising that goes along with it? It seems so counterproductive for people who have very strong opinions about how sneaky the formula companies are with getting it.

You are advertising for them, plain and simple. Anytime someone sees your child with whatever it is you got free from them.

IMHO, its hypocritical. If you want free stuff from them that's totally fine. But don't take the free stuff from them then post messages about how underhanded the company is.

You do have a point, free is always a decent lure. But you both played right into them, and to me it kind of invalidates your argument. Again, only because of how strongly against their advertising people have been! Its like believing in someone's speech about how awful smoking is, then catch them out back having a cigarette.

Again, ETA:

Sorry, shouldn't have used the smoking thing. I'm not trying to compare formula to smoking!

Um... swap smoking for being vegetarian and catching the person eating a steak?

 

[Dragonfly]

dont know if that was also meant for me there but as i said I was intending to use formula as I knew no better at the time I was under educated on breastfeeding.

 

[Tiff]

dont know if that was also meant for me there but as i said I was intending to use formula as I knew no better at the time I was under educated on breastfeeding.

Totally awesome that you had no knowledge about it and (judging on your signature) you're at a 19 month BF milestone.

I totally missed that, sorry! Well done though!

 

[NIfirsttimer]

tiff, i couldnt agree more.. my mouth literally fell open in shock when i read that!
im all for freebies, but i would NEVER in a million years, even consider ordering ANYTHING, free, or otherwise, from a company / product that i was so strongly oppossed to, especially if a large part of my issue with that company / product, was how they advertise...
by having a product with their name on, you are actually advertising FOR them!
you have basically just undermined your entire argument in this thread! i cannot for the life of me, get my head around how you can feel so strongly about something, then go do the very thing you feel that way about!

 

[leelee]

tiff, i couldnt agree more.. my mouth literally fell open in shock when i read that!
im all for freebies, but i would NEVER in a million years, even consider ordering ANYTHING, free, or otherwise, from a company / product that i was so strongly oppossed to, especially if a large part of my issue with that company / product, was how they advertise...
by having a product with their name on, you are actually advertising FOR them!
you have basically just undermined your entire argument in this thread! i cannot for the life of me, get my head around how you can feel so strongly about something, then go do the very thing you feel that way about!

Agreed

 

[Dragonfly]

dont know if that was also meant for me there but as i said I was intending to use formula as I knew no better at the time I was under educated on breastfeeding.

Totally awesome that you had no knowledge about it and (judging on your signature) you're at a 19 month BF milestone.

I totally missed that, sorry! Well done though!

I wasnt even going to try breastfeeding and had no intentions of wanting to know anything about it as all my friends said how unnessary and horrible it was. My other half wanted me to I didnt want to. No one told me a thing about it. I think i even said in here I wasnt going to I remember that clearly when I was pregnant with son. But was different when I seen him when he was born he went for it then I went to find out what on earth I was doing. I signed up to all them things when I was pregnant.

 

[smokey]

I would accept free stuff from a product I dont use (unless it was a sample of the product itself) but never from a product or company that I was so against.

Its not so much the wanting the free toy that stumped me it was more the complaint of being sent info and a picture of a product that yourself had ordered that baffled me, I dont understand how you can order somthing and then go on to complain that you got it???

 

[Rach27]

But all I wanted was a free cuddly polar bear!!

I know what you mean and I think (0 - 6m) it should be promoted and made available but not by Aptamil.

In all honesty, this really bothered me. If you are so against advertising, then why on earth order from them? You've just proved that their "sneaky" ways of advertising works! Everyone is going to know that the stuffed toy is from Aptamil, so if you are out and about with your daughter you are providing them with free advertising without even saying anything.

Why help support the company? Truly, if it bothers you as much as it appears to by your comments in this thread, then go out and spend a few bucks and buy your girl a cuddly polar bear that doesn't help spread the word of formula and help advertise for it.

I guess if you hadn't had such a strong viewpoint on it, it wouldn't have caught my attention... but you do. I can't believe the lure of a free stuffed animal was enough for you to a) contact the company, b) give them your address thus giving them the right to send you all sorts of coupons, flyers, etc and c) taking products from them.

I'm not trying to have a go at you, trust me I understand the lure of free stuff... I'm horribly guilty of it myself! I just don't understand, its all.

ETA: There are a lot of assumptions in my post. I'm assuming that the laws are the same over there as it is here... if you willingly give your name/address to a company then it gives them full right to send you stuff, and that you filled out some sort of application/online thing to get the polar bear.

LOL! That comment was sarcastic (hence the wink smiley) - based on one made a lot earlier (in the same thread I believe). I actually joined the club to see if there was any benefit to a non-fomula feeder. So far, there isn't as their emails are not really relevant. The toy is crap so we gave it to the dogs, who I have to say enjoyed it very much.

As I have said a number of times before, I have no problem with formula just formula companies that they sneakily try to get around the law.

I did fill in the form online but only specified I wanted the welcome pack and then emails, which I have since unsubscribed to.