Sanitary napkins, also commonly known as menstrual pads, are an essential personal hygiene product used by women and girls. But when it comes to marketing these products, identifying the target customer base can be tricky. After all, don’t all menstruating women need them?
In this post, as a professional sanitary napkins manufacturer, I’ll break down the specifics of who exactly is buying sanitary napkins, and how companies market to those diverse groups.
Understanding Menstrual Hygiene Needs
Before defining the target market, it’s important to understand that menstrual hygiene needs can vary significantly depending on a woman’s age, access to products, cultural norms, and individual preference.
For example, a teenager just beginning to menstruate has different requirements than a woman in her 30s or 40s who has decades of experience managing her period. Access also plays a huge role – a low-income woman in a developing country faces very different challenges in maintaining menstrual hygiene compared to a woman living in an industrialized nation.
With those caveats in mind, let’s analyze some of the key demographics in the sanitary napkin market.
Young Women and Teenagers
For many girls, first access to menstrual products happens in early adolescence, so teenagers are a very strategic market segment for sanitary napkin brands. In fact, studies show that over 30% of sanitary napkin usage happens among girls under the age of 19.
Brands often target teen markets by:
- Offering discreet and compact pad sizes
- Using youthful and relatable marketing messaging
- Partnering with schools or non-profits to provide access
Procter & Gamble’s brand Always is one company finding success marketing to younger audiences with its #LikeAGirl campaign aimed at building confidence around periods.
Women in Rural and Low-Income Areas
Lack of access to safe menstrual hygiene products is a major issue, especially for women in rural locations or living below the poverty line. It’s estimated that about 500 million women lack adequate menstrual hygiene globally, negatively impacting health, education, and incomes.
Some ways that brands are reaching underserved markets include:
- Creating very low-cost pad options
- Running education programs on menstrual health
- Partnering with governments or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to improve access through subsidies or free distribution
An excellent example is Aakar Innovations, an Indian startup creating high-quality, ultra-affordable sanitary pads priced at less than a third of standard branded products. Their innovative model allows them to empower women in lower-income segments.
Women Choosing Reusable Options
While the vast majority of women still rely on disposable pads and tampons, a small but growing segment is shifting to reusable menstrual cups or cloth pads for environmental, cost, or health reasons. Brands marketing to this niche include:
- DivaCup
- Lunette
- GladRags
These companies promote the safety, comfort, and sustainability benefits of reusable options compared to single-use disposable pads. However, reusable products still only make up around 5-10% of the overall menstrual hygiene pie.
The Role of Influencers and Health Professionals
In a market dealing with sensitive topics that have long been taboo to discuss openly, influencers and health professionals play an outsized role in shaping consumer choice.
Gynecologists frequently recommend brands and product styles they consider safe and reliable. Bloggers and social media figures also sway buying decisions, especially among younger audiences.
To leverage this, sanitary napkin brands pursue partnerships and sponsorships with:
- Women’s health experts
- Macro and micro-influencers
- Cause-based activists and NGOs
The credibility lent by these partnerships helps educate audiences and build brand familiarity and trust.
Кто является целевым рынком для гигиенических салфеток?
When all is said and done, the core target market for sanitary napkin brands remains women between the ages of 13-49 who menstruate regularly. Especially those in the early stages of adolescence or adulthood discovering their needs and preferences.
However, companies must also customize branding, pricing models, education efforts and accessibility for diverse groups based on age,economic status, cultural norms, access to products and individual concerns. Only by meeting the needs of myriad groups can brands establish themselves in this expansive but sometimes overlooked market.
At the end of the day, a “one size fits all” approach rarely succeeds in the sanitary napkin space. But brands invested in listening to women’s voices and understanding barriers they face are poised for sustainable growth as trusted partners in feminine health and hygiene.
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