Pampers is a brand close to Stengel's heart. He joined the P&G unit in 1997 when he says it was the company's poorest performer in profitability and market share growth. The product's focus at the time was on dryness. Stengel made a major push to focus on the bigger picture -- helping moms -- rather than wicking away moisture. A cultural overhaul ensued, including new management, extensive customer interviews, more women in the workforce, and even new décor. "Culture had the most important role," says Stengel, "as it almost always does, in bringing the brand ideal to life."
The overhaul paid off. Pampers is now a $9 billion business, up from $3.4 billion when Stengel first signed on. At the moment, however, the brand is recovering from claims that its new Dry Max diapers have caused less-than-ideal rashes.
How its products went from nowhere to everywhere in the blink of an eye.
