Abstract
Breast-feeding rates have declined and remained low, especially in populations from low socioeconomic areas of the United Kingdom. The objective was to improve breast-feeding rates in a low socioeconomic area by using social marketing. Front-line clinical staff re-engineered the service they provided to potential breast-feeding women in their care using insights gained and skills developed with social marketing. In just three months, breast-feeding rates improved in the test community by 5% compared to controls. Using social marketing to develop a better breast-feeding product/service works effectively and quickly. Social marketing is often conflated with social advertising. This study shows that product/service development works well and that face-to-face promotion can achieve quick improvements in both outcomes and customer/staff satisfaction.
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