Breastfeeding is widely recognized as the best source of nutrition for infants, providing significant benefits to both the infant and mother. However, the use of infant formula has become increasingly common on a global scale, largely due to powerful marketing strategies employed by the formula industry.
The aim of this report is to explain the newest marketing strategies used by the breastmilk substitute (BMS) industry on social media platforms. The report is based on a scoping
review of 12 peer-reviewed scientific research articles published between 2020 and 2023 that documented various types of social media and influencer marketing.
The studies reviewed reported 5183 instances of digital marketing that violated the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (the Code). Violations were then categorized by the type of marketing strategy used and linked to the corresponding Code articles that prohibit such marketing.
The results of the scoping review illustrate how social media and influencer marketing of BMS influences parents’ informed choice. The review found that the BMS industry uses social media marketing strategies prohibited by the Code, such as initiating direct contact with mothers, providing educational materials through sponsored healthcare professionals, and making unsubstantiated health and nutrition claims.
This report makes several recommendations on how to strengthen the protection of breastfeeding and parents’ informed choice from social media marketing. The Code must be strengthened through the adoption of a new resolution on digital marketing.
Governments should also update their national legislation to include regulations on social media marketing and invest resources in developing technology for monitoring Code violations.
Read the full report here: Digital Marketing Of Breastmilk Substitutes.
