Procter & Gamble is about to launch a new version of it’s highest turnover product, the disposable diaper, in Germany. They already introduced it to the US market in March, and what happened was that parents started complaining their toddlers were getting a rash, assuming it came from the new product. In no time, a total of 14,000 people started to ask P&G to return to the old version of the diaper.
What did P&G do? VP Jodi Allen said:
“For a number of weeks, Pampers has been a subject of growing but completely false rumors fueled by social media that its new Dry Max diaper causes rashes and other skin irritations. These rumors are being perpetuated by a small number of parents, some of whom are unhappy that we replaced our older Cruisers and Swaddlers products while others support competitive products and the use of cloth diapers. [..]” (find the full statement here)
Which means: You, the concerned parents, our customers, the people we wouldn’t be here without, are wrong. Go away.
And guess what? That’s what people do when you tell them. And they tell other parents too.
The smart thing to do is to embrace the customers and their concerns. If P&G had said: “We are very sorry. Your baby’s health and well-being is most important to us. Though we have done extensive testing, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission has confirmed that our product does not harm, it is possible that babies’ skin is irritated from time to time. The doctors we work with have said that this is not necessarily caused by the diaper. They advise to monitor the skin condition for 10 days, and if it’s not getting better, to have your doctor examine this. However, we do understand that you’re not fully satisfied with our product, that’s why we will do 2 things to improve the situation: First, we will give you a full refund for the new diapers. Just send an e-mail. Second, we kindly ask of you to stay in touch and tell us how your baby is getting better. All of your information will be kept confidential and only be used to help us improve our product. Thank you.”
Different message. Different result.