Why NorthShore embraced the term ‘adult diaper’

On his website, Caregiverology, Derek Tanner, a registered nurse, offers a guide on how to properly change adult patients’ diapers. His first tip: Do not call them “diapers.”

“If they hear it being called an adult diaper, they’ll resent wearing one even more,” wrote Tanner, who recommended calling them “briefs” instead. “It makes them feel comparable to a baby or a child who can’t care for themselves.”

“Use neutral terms like ‘briefs’ or ‘pads,’—never ‘diapers,’” echoes Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama in a caregiver guide.

Many incontinence brands also shy away from the term, with Depend describing one of its more absorbent products with a tab-fastened diaper design as a “brief.”

NorthShore Care Supply, which makes incontinence products, used to avoid the D-word, too. But around 2018, the brand started using the term sparingly, and grew so committed to it that by the time it moved into new headquarters outside of Chicago in 2020, it emblazoned “Northshore Adult Diapers” on its building.

Adam Greenberg, the founder and CEO of NorthShore (and self-described “diaper king of Chicago”), said customers were already searching for “adult diapers,” and that even when his brand avoided the phrase on its website, NorthShore bought Google Ads based on those keywords.

“This is what they are,” Greenberg told Retail Brew. “Everybody knows these are adult diapers.”

While the stated rationale for not calling the products diapers typically is that it would make users feel stigmatized, Greenberg said a euphemism can, too.

“It reinforces the shame, the stigma, and the isolation,” he said.

Plus, he said, the euphemisms can confuse consumers.

“The No. 1 complaint we’ve had from Day One is people getting confused by the euphemisms of ‘briefs’ or ‘undergarments’ or ‘underwear’ and getting the wrong product,” he said.

The thick of it: In a TV commercial that aired nationally on cable news shows this summer, NorthShore used the word “diaper,” but that wasn’t the only convention it was countering.

“We live in the golden age of thin, where slimmer is celebrated as a sign of progress,” began the spot’s voiceover, which goes on to show how once-boxy products like televisions and computers got sleeker. But when the voiceover mentions “overnight adult underwear,” and a splitscreen shows a product labeled as “Big and Fluffy Diapers” on one side and “Thin and Discreet Briefs” on the other, the soundtrack scratches to a halt.

Rather than progress, that’s “an accident waiting to happen,” the spot continues. Its conclusion: “NorthShore adult diapers, because thinner is not always better.”

In consumer research conducted for NorthShore by PDG Insights, 91% of purchasers of incontinence products said they were very or somewhat open to new products that performed better even if they were bulkier. Asked what most influenced their purchase decision, the products’ “discretion under clothing” ranked fifth on their list of concerns, which was topped by level of absorbency and protection, and followed by leak prevention, price, and comfort.

NorthShore’s niche is high-absorbency adult diapers for those with moderate to severe incontinence, so Greenberg said it made sense to distance itself from the thinness attribute touted by other brands.

“Retail brands are mostly selling discretion around thinness,” Greenberg said. “And our customers say, ‘Well, thin would be great, of course, but No. 1 for discretion is not having leaks onto my clothing.’”

The brand’s research also found that more than half of consumers who use the products reported doubling up at least occasionally, such as putting a protective pad inside a protective brief-style product.

“They’re creating their own bulk because they don’t trust the products,” Greenberg said.

Greenberg said embracing the term “diapers” has helped grow the business. Revenue grew an average of 30% year over year for the last three calendar years, he said.

The pitch: Along with TV spots, the company also has used the term “adult diapers,” prominently in billboards recently. The brand also sponsors Major League Baseball broadcasts, which, depending on the team, mention the brand when a pitcher for the opposing team walks a player or a relief pitcher is called in.

“We’ve got a pitching change by Chicago,” a radio announcer said during a Milwaukee Brewers radio broadcast. “Those are brought to you by NorthShore Adult Diapers. Sometimes you need a change for even the heaviest control problems, and the White Sox have had some control problems today.”

Greenberg said that the MLB radio broadcasts help the brand reach men, and that for those with incontinence, the pitchers’ plights are relatable.

“You’re in essence highlighting million-dollar athletes having control problem events in the middle of their game, and then tying that into a diaper brand,” he said.