Instagram/@elizabethlynvargas
The ex-reality star Elizabeth Vargas of ‘Real Housewives of Orange County’ has given a very clear opinion about baby wipes which she has made a big impact on consumer branding with. In her latest social media post, she asked the question why parents are ready to pay a lot of money for branded wipes featuring children’s characters like Mickey Mouse when the unbranded ones are just as good. Vargas’s funny but down-to-earth perspective was well received by the followers who, to a large degree, identified with her and eventually participated in the discussion about the more simplistic naming of everyday items according to their specific uses.
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The TV actress did not mince her words and even became a bit vulgar in her criticism of the wipe business. In her video, she said, “They don’t hug your butt cheeks. They don’t hug your butt hole, they literally wipe your ass.” She mentioned the ‘Kirkland Signature’ brand of Costco as a valid choice, she even pointed out that the ingredients are the same as those of premium brands but at a much lower price. Her position was based on what she called ‘logical, practical living’ – where consumers are expected to ditch the unnecessary brand premiums and focus on function over good-looking-but-non-functional packaging.
Vargas continued to enumerate the deficiencies of wipes and also directed her audience to think of other household items that could be more simply named. She said to the public, “Stop paying for branding. Don’t call them Huggies – call them Butt Wipes.” The tagline she proposed – ‘Stay skid-free – buy your Butt Wipes TODAY!’ – especially created a stir among the participants.
Vargas’s audience was not slow to react and their reaction was a lively one. One commenter very aptly captured the overall atmosphere by writing: ‘Lmao your tagline EPIC,’ while another one was thrilled with the marketing ‘stay skid-free’ and found it especially funny and thus, effective.
A lot of followers appointed their own practical experience as the ground for their support of Vargas’s view. ‘We use the Kirkland for a zillion things,’ one commentator confessed. ‘Love those wipes. Never used the Mickey or similar ones, they were all expensive and tore quickly and stank.’ This user’s viewpoint not only backed up Vargas but also emphasized one of the major points she had been making – that generics are tested to be better than their branded counterparts most of the time and still, cost a lot less.
The discussion about environmental issues was brought up as a third angle to the conversation. ‘Make them eco-friendly and you’re gold,’ one follower suggested and reminding that no brand of wipes is biodegradable, asked why this is so. This was the comment that led to the discussion of further wipes market, safe for the environment, not standing behind due to lack of technology when it comes to production.
The direction of some comments was really unexpected. ‘Used wipes for like a year but saw how much damage they do to plumbing so I got a bidet and switched to eating better and now I don’t need to use wipes problem solved,’ posted one person with a practical mind and a concern for the environment. The comment highlighted the alternative solutions that handle both the practical and the environmental issues related to wipe usage.
Vargas was not the only one considering simple product naming. ‘There’s one dude wipes seen on shark tank,’ another commentator remarked while referring to the very few existing products that have already taken the direct road to hygiene products.
Vargas, coming from a reality television background, is so vocal and relatable that she can even talk about the most mundane consumer issues in a light-hearted manner. The gasbagging ability of mixing a wife’s charm with practical wisdom has made it the most suitable for the viewer who can find both entertainment and life lessons in her content. The butt wipe discussion is a testament to her skill of taking an ordinary thing and making it both funny and thought-provoking at the same time.
However, the response to Vargas’s post was so overwhelming that, on the contrary, it indicated that many consumers are expecting more honesty from the product marketing. Her suggestion to ‘just call them butt wipes’ mirrors a greater public demand for the goods to be completely so—the zone where nice packaging and character licensing are very often the reasons for charging prices that do not match the quality, yet, the ordinary buyers are not benefiting from the low price.
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Elizabeth Vargas was unable to keep consumer habits, branding psychology, and practical living from being all engaged in the discussion that was meant to be just a mundane topic. Her humor and reasoning take the form of a sharp critique that amuses while also directing people to the non-committal way of thinking about their buying decisions. The conversation continues as more people think about what other items in their households could benefit from more honest naming and easier packaging solutions appear to be fewer.
You can view the original article HERE.
