How This Brand's European-Style Infant Formula Earned Them A 7,000-Person Waitlist

If you've walked by the Apple Store during the week of a new iPhone release, you've surely witnessed the line that wraps around the block with eager shoppers waiting to snag their upgrade. This is the kind of product hype we're used to. But what no one could have expected was the mega-waitlist that accumulated for an infant formula brand that launched in the U.S. earlier this year. 

Parents choose to feed their babies formula for a variety of reasons: work demands, low breast milk production, breast cancer surgeries, maternal mental health issues1, and situations where the birth mother isn't involved (same-sex couples, adoption, surrogacy, etc.). In fact, a survey conducted by Wakefield Research in 2019 found that 83% of parents in the U.S. will turn to formula in their child's first year of life. And yet, the stigma associated with formula feeding is still there, taking a toll on the mental health of mothers2 who choose to wean. 

Some parents believe that the European Commission, or E.C. (European equivalent of the U.S. FDA) is more up-to-date with nutrition science and has more stringent requirements than the U.S. FDA. Parents also believe that infant formula made in Europe has more desirable ingredients than the U.S. offerings and are known to be well tolerated by infants. For example, all infant formula in Europe is required to be organic. But the problem is, European formulas are not FDA regulated and are only available in the U.S. through third-party distributors—aka the black market. Acquiring formulas through these means is unsafe and illegal.

Bobbie is filling a gap in the infant formula market and at the same time creating a culture that resonates with parents—millennial parents, in particular. Millennials look to support companies that sell quality products and make a meaningful impact on the world. Bobbie's campaign surrounding insurance gaps for mastectomy survivors, as well as the launch of Milk Drunk—their inclusive, feeding support site for new parents—is what makes them stand out among other formula companies, turning thousands of "fans" into excited customers.