Call it a diaper change gone awry. My story today explores how the debut of the new "Dry Max" Pampers has triggered a small but spirited uprising among parents who think the diapers are hurting their kids. Rosana Shah's Facebook page is the center of the movement.
The rise of social media changes everything in a conflict like this one, even for newsgathering. Even before I finished reporting the story, my interviewees were already posting snippets of our conversations on the site, including the fact that the Consumer Product Safety Commission had launched an investigation of "more than a dozen" complaints. Pampers also had its counter-attack ready, providing me with supportive blog posts from Dry Max fans and prepared statements from two dermatologists about the diapers' safety. The executive responsible for Pampers in North America has also gone on Shah's web site to defend the diapers and simultaneously welcome criticism.
In the pre-Facebook era, it's doubtful that a regular consumer could air his or her concerns with a high-level executive at a company like Procter & Gamble. Time will tell whether the diaper damage control actually improves the way mega-corporations deal with their customers.
