“Reality and perception are two different things and if people think the new diaper has a problem, well, then, that becomes a big issue,” said Calkins. ![]() Parenting magazine, among others, gave the new diapers a ringing endorsement.īut dozens of parents on Pampers websites, forums such as Facebook and online retailers including Inc AMZN.O and, say that even though the diapers are supposed to be more absorbent, they leak more and feel stiff.Īnd while P&G says it is not receiving an unusual amount of complaints given the introduction of a new product, the negative discussion can take on a life of its own. P&G has seen “great” consumer demand for the new diapers and feels they are “off to a blockbuster start,” he added. He added that if a complaint was serious, it would be reviewed by the company’s health and safety group. “There’s absolutely nothing in our testing that would say that there should be any difference between previous Pampers products and this Pampers product,” he said in response to questions posed by Reuters. Pampers tested the products on more than 20,000 babies before they were launched, with “more than 300,000 diaper changes as part of these studies that really confirmed that it’s safe,” said Bryan McCleary, a spokesman for P&G’s baby care division. Chairman and Chief Executive Bob McDonald has called the new diapers Pampers “biggest breakthrough” in at least 25 years. The diapers have been heavily promoted by P&G, including giveaways tied to the Winter Olympics. ![]() As of last month, only the new version is available to shoppers. ![]() P&G began introducing the new diapers with “Dry Max” during the first half of 2009, gradually replacing older versions of Pampers Swaddlers and Cruisers. “If a product like this develops a negative reputation it can really become a big issue.” PAMPERS SAYS TESTS PROVED SAFETY “P&G’s really got their hands full on this one,” said Tim Calkins, clinical professor of marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Ill. Nearly 225,469 people are part of a Pampers’ Facebook “fan” group, but even there, some parents voice opposition to the new products. The world’s largest marketer has tried to tap into positive viral buzz online, including rave reviews from bloggers provided with free samples of the new diapers. ![]() Valentine’s story of rashes and burns after using the new Pampers is one of several quickly making the rounds on social networking sites such as Facebook, where a group calling on the company to reinstate the old diapers had grown to 1,053 members as of Monday. A pediatrician diagnosed it as a chemical burn and one week later the area was still bleeding when touched, she said. Nothing in baby Alexis’s routine had changed except that the family started using the new Pampers Swaddlers, Valentine said. Soon, her daughter’s skin in the diaper area turned pink. Earlier this month the Michigan mom started to use a box of the newest P&G diapers with “Dry Max” technology that is touted as thinner and more absorbent. Her four-month old daughter had been in Pampers Swaddlers diapers since the day she was born. CHICAGO (Reuters) - Procter & Gamble's PG.N biggest bet on a new diaper in 25 years has run afoul of some parents who say their babies suffered rashes and burns after using them.Īnd while the company insists its new product launch is off to a blockbuster start, it is also the target of hundreds of public complaints that pose a threat to an $8 billion brand built on trust.Ĭathy Valentine, for one, says she may never buy a P&G product ever again.
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