Before building your brand Augustfounded by Nadia Okamoto period, a non-profit organization that works to eliminate stigma around menstruation and menstrual care. Through her work at Period, she has met with thousands of people to understand what their vision for menstrual equity, care, and transparency looks like. These conversations inspired her to start August, a company that makes sustainable sanitary products from 100% cotton wool.
Nadia’s goal with August is to reimagine menstruation as a powerful thing. Launched in 2020, the brand is committed to a transparent supply chain and inclusive storytelling that embraces all menstruating people, regardless of gender identity. Her brand stands out in the personal care market and has become a popular D2C company thanks to strategic partnerships with organizations such as DoorDash and the US Track and Field team. You can now find August at your local Target or WeWork.
Transparency is part of August’s DNA, so in addition to using social channels to promote the business, Nadia also promotes August on her personal TikTok account, which has over 4 million followers . On TikTok, she chronicles the challenges of entrepreneurship, her work as a poverty activist, and even her personal mental health struggles as a “menstrual influencer.”
Building August has always been focused on continuing the conversation about the role of menstruation in society. Therefore, Nadya uses certain tactics to research and collect customer feedback to understand their pain points. After four years of building her brand, Nadia has established a strategy she uses to engage with her customers and create lifelong bonds with her community.
Best Strategies for Market Research and Gathering Community Feedback
ask tough questions
As August began, Nadia joined Zoom calls and asked friends, family, and volunteers about menstrual products via iMessage. “What don’t you have right now? What do you need? And how can you do it in a unique and different way?” she says.
From conversations with friends, family, and strangers, she got the idea to start her own brand. But the idea didn’t just come from that conversation, it also came from the questions she asked. She spoke personally and in detail, and did not scrupulously avoid her subject.
Choose a reliable communication platform
When startups conduct their own user research, it’s essential to have a way to communicate directly with your target audience. Some brands use social channels like Instagram, X, and Discord. Some people use toll-free numbers. August used Geneva, a group chat app that connects people online. Since August was a small business, Nadia wanted something convenient that wouldn’t take a big chunk of her budget.
“We were looking for a conversational platform, and Geneva was free and easy to use, so it was exactly what we were looking for,” says Nadya. She uses it to survey August customers, run concepts with key consumers, and create a space for others to interact with the August community, whether she was there or not. were able to secure it.
Nadia always felt that August’s customers were part of the brand, so she had no problem with them being able to talk directly to her and to each other.
Set an example first
In an age where transparency feels strategic, Nadia knows there is still a stigma surrounding menstruation. Her goal is to change August’s narrative, and she publishes online about her own menstrual journey. She will be seen in her TikTok videos where she is seen asking her boyfriend to buy napkins, or she will be seen standing outside her house. World Economic Forum in Davos Provide sanitary products to participants. She mostly shares her personal stories on her TikTok and when people confide in her about the time of the month, she responds with meaningful questions.
Nadia knows that if she wants to break down barriers and end the stigma around periods, she needs to do what her community is asking her to do. If you want real and valuable feedback, you first need to open up and make people feel comfortable and safe. Share your experiences, let the community know why you’re passionate about helping others, and be ready to answer tough questions from your customers.
Creating a meaningful brand requires an alchemy of user research, community building, and message refinement. And while you can find books and courses on how to do these things in silos, entrepreneurs like Nadya who understand their product and community can achieve these goals organically.
Your product may not have the same social stigma as menstrual products, but understanding its unique value proposition and your own personal value proposition can drive your brand’s success. .
Hear more of Nadya’s advice on community building, product development, and VC funding in the full article. Shopify Master episode.
