Brand messages
In 1974, Nestle company was accused of causing illnesses and death of infants in the third world countries. During this time, Nestle had launched a new product, which was an infant formula which they claimed would be used in the place of breast milk. The company aggressively marketed this formula, insisting that it made children happier, healthier and stronger, which is exactly what breastmilk does. Nestle even collaborated with healthcare facilities to give samples for women to take home after giving birth. While they intended to grow their sales, they were misleading the consumers. Further, this formula was underprivileged families who became over-reliant to it. it was also more expensive than other formulas, hence women added water to make them last longer. This was not only a health issue but it also made the children malnourished. Nestle was therefore sued for misleading the consumers and causing health problems to the infants. Although it won the case, it lost most of its customers as boycotts of nestle products were conducted globally. Nestle responded to this by donating more than $1 million to then child fund. It stopped providing health facilities with free samples for mothers and they redid their campaigns. In my opinion, Nestle would have recalled all the products they had sold and removed the product from the market. they would also make a public apology and compensate all those affected.
Responses
Student 1
I like your choice of the company and the impacts that the message had on the brand. From your discussion, it is clear that the organization can suffer a lot in terms of reputation and financial returns. I like how relevant your case is to this discussion.
Student 2
The Dannon Case was serious because despite advertising their products that hard, they were misleading the consumers. I like your explanation of the discussion and your choice of solution.