NUA – RE-DEFINING WOMEN WELLNESS AND PERIOD CARE

Authored by Harshita Kallem | Club Executive Member

“Shh, why are you talking about it so loudly”, “The pain is common, bear with it”, “Don’t sleep on the bed, use the floor”, These are the kind of statements a woman gets to hear when she is on her period. The taboo surrounding menstruation has long made it difficult for women to freely seek questions or discuss matters relating to periods and a woman's private organs. Women have always been shunned and silenced when asked for guidance or help on experiencing too much pain or when they questioned as to why they had to live in a secluded way for those 5-7 days. This has led to women not being able to understand or be comfortable with their bodies. The importance of being self-aware and of being educated about one’s own bodily changes has always been seen as insignificant, despite the several health issues that have been arising due to improper self-care.

Nua is one such brand that has come forward to throw light on this issue and give the comfort and warmth a woman needs. “All about comfort, care, and convenience”, This is the first thing one gets to see if they open the company’s website. Founders Ravi Ramachandran and Swathi Kulkarni had come with this idea in the year 2017. Their main idea was to provide women with a platform where they could openly talk about periods, interact with each other, and realize that menstruation is not something to be talked about in the shadows.

The brand’s approach towards the customers is very holistic and personalized. Through their website and the products, we see that their main goal is to not just be able to provide sanitary pads to the customers but to continuously interact and encourage them to understand and learn more about themselves. They offer sanitary pads, period care, personal hygiene as well as self-care kits on their website through which one can directly order them online and get them delivered to home.

Target Market: Their target market is not limited only to women of a certain age group but focuses slightly more on beginners who have just started their menstrual cycle and will undergo several bodily changes and need time to adjust and understand their bodily functions.

MARKETING STRATEGY:

Internet Marketing/ E-commerce Websites:

One of Nua's key success factors was that the service they were delivering was viewed as a social duty rather than a financial endeavour. One of the most important success reasons for the brand was the option to order online and have sanitary pads and self-care kits delivered directly to the home via the company's website and through E-commerce sites like Amazon. In an age where technology has taken a turn and entered into all kinds of industries, the need for a brand dedicated solely to women's wellness remained unknown and unrealized for a long time. Swathi, the co-founder says that the brand was working not just to be able to provide sanitary pads but to be a part of a woman’s journey of self-care and self-awareness.

Blogging:

Another method in which the business seeks to spread the message that it's alright to openly discuss period concerns and gives a platform for women to share their period stories is through blogging. They also have a dedicated page on their website called 'Nua Flow', where they discuss menstrual hygiene, female anatomy, and period stories. Women are encouraged to read each other's experiences and learn from them. This helps them relate and connect with each other on an emotional level. They also discuss other issues such as mental health, vaginal health, physical health, and sexual health. One can directly contact them through their website for any guidance or help if needed.

To learn more and read their blog, check out their website, In Sync Blog by Nua - Thought around you (nuawoman.com)

Product Line:

Nua has a very wide and personalized product line. They offer 3 different kinds of pad sizes which one can use according to the flow (Light, Medium, Heavy) they are experiencing during the 5-7 days along with disposable covers. These sanitary napkins although not biodegradable do not contain any chemicals, bleach, or dioxins that might harm those using them. We also see that they offer products related to personal hygiene, heat patches to deal with cramps, creams, and face washes that help deal with acne-prone skin.

Social Media Marketing:

Nua depends more on customer reviews and satisfaction to promote themselves. They have collaborated with several social media influencers and celebrities to promote their brand and talk about women wellness.

All these customer-centric strategies and responsibilities towards society have brought huge success to the company. Lightbox partner, Prashanth Mehta was the first to invest in this brand as Nua’s determination to provide comfort and satisfy the needs of the customers by understanding them in such a deep manner led them to believe that the brand will rise to success and also create a positive impact in the society. Until today Nua has raised about 12.5M in 4 funding rounds and has about 6 investors in total.