Matt Hazell Blog

Not sure if you’ve heard of this stuff called plastic?  Its hard, comes in any colour and can be made into any shape.  You can even find it in a new pack of nappies/diapers! 

Over the past year or so, I’ve been thinking about packaging “allot” due to our “Easy Weaning” DVD that’s now hit the electronic shelves of Amazon and www.thebabychef.co.uk .  This self taught study of what packaging should look like is a crucial part of any marketing strategy and helps engage with the customer like no other piece of the puzzle.  That being the case (and I’m not an expert), why do so many big brands, with all the money they have to research get it soooooo wrong?

Example, and I need to be careful here, because the same company with the above budget, has an even bigger wallet to squash me like a ton of plastic J.  Nevertheless, maybe someone within the marketing departments will take notice and have a look at the current offers being promoted.

Rachel and I have recently had a little baby girl (Tyler), and when going to purchase some new nappies, the brand we’ve always used (for our first son Luca) did not sell what I needed in a simple package.  Instead, I needed to buy a multi-pack, full with stuff we don’t need. (Here comes the plastic)  Instead, (due to no other choice) I had to buy a big box, within the box I got 27 nappies wrapped in “thick” plastic, a large red plastic case to put wet-wipes in, and a small pouch of wet-wipes also wrapped in plastic to clean the above babies bottom (but we always use cotton wool and water!).  So, not only do I now have a big box in my house to protect the thick plastic wrapper that protects the nappies, but I’ve also inherited a useless plastic case that I’m guessing I should use to protect the wipes that already have a protective wrap on them??  Wow, what a waste of my money.  However, this particular manufacture won’t see it like that, they’ll say they’re doing me a favour by selling me a “Bonus Pack”, and that I need this stuff no I have a new baby??  

While I’m on the packaging thing, wet-wipes are fantastic for around the house mess and people’s dirty hands.  And if you close the little window on the packaging, they stay moist for what seems like generations.  So why do the manufactures keep providing us with this completely useless plastic case that when you put the wipes in either dry out, or don’t fit?  This same manufacture of the wet-wipes also owns the nappy company, and will have spent millions developing the package for the wipes, and so are cannibalising there own inventions and creativity by asking us to put them into a utterly useless plastic case!

So, marketing people of the world, please can you re-address your packaging?  We don’t need useless plastic, additional boxes and thick plastic wraps.  We just need something that’s functional, and works until we get them home.

So you know, I’ve sent the company who this is aimed at a letter, and will wait for a reply.  I’ll keep you posted....

Matt