Protecting a well-known consumer brand from regulatory overreach

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) initiated an investigation into a popular infant development product after several incidents of injuries and tragedies. A broad-based recall was explicitly threatened, calling our client’s very existence into question.

The products were clearly marketed as not for sleep, with many warnings on the product itself. Yet every reported incident was the result of product misuse.

ChangeMakers’ client owned a 80-90% market share in its category – meaning the burden of the entire industry fell to them. It was critical to help regulators and political constituencies understand that mothers, families and caregivers rely on the product every day for critical uses. We helped organize a new industry-leading association to:

• galvanize support from around the world
• organize the industry’s responses
• testify before regulatory bodies
• tell real-life stories of mothers and babies who have been helped by our client, and
• recruit experts who can speak to the scientific and medical benefits of the product.

Our client’s story – and that of the industry in general – has effectively been told through the media, political channels, and consumers – helping to protect the brand and prevent regulatory action.