Procter & Gamble’s Always has rolled out an application that not only provides branded content and tips, but also lets women discreetly buy feminine hygiene products directly on their mobile devices.

The Always Me application lets women track and manage their menstrual cycle and offers a unique Q&A feature that allows females to submit questions and receive timely feedback within 24 hours. The application also sends relevant health tips throughout the month directly to consumers’ phone.

“As the leader in the feminine care category, we know women want access to timely information about their periods and cycle and through this mobile application we’re able to provide them with that,” said Courtney Schuster, global brand manager for Always at P&G, Bethel, CT.

“We have a long history of listening to our consumers and making sure our product and initiatives answer their needs, and the creation of Always Me is one such example,” she said. “The goal of Always Me is to serve as a personalized, on-the-go mobile application tool that helps women to manage their cycles and offers timely support and advice.

“The application has been designed for a broad range of women from the college girl who might have a Spring Break trip planned, a bride planning around her wedding date, a couple trying to conceive or an on-the-go professional ensuring her period doesn’t surprise her.” 

Input from key influencers
The P&G application was designed with input from a select group of women-focused Web site editors, bloggers and female health experts to help satisfy a fundamental need for women. 

Not just a standard period and ovulation tracker, the Always Me application is a personalized, on-the-go application that helps women manage their cycles and offers timely support and advice.

Throughout life, a woman will inevitably have questions regarding her monthly cycle and want to have that information instantly at her fingertips, according to P&G.

One of the unique features of Always Me is a personalized question and answer function to address any personal or intimate questions that she may have. 

Consumers can submit a question related to their menstrual cycle, and a health professional will provide a timely answer within 24 hours. 

As part of the co-creation process, P&G provided a preview of the application to key influencers, including OB/GYNs, female cycle experts, women’s media and bloggers. 

Influencers reviewed the application to test functionality and provided comments on their user experience. 

What’s next?
Looking ahead, P&G has plans to expand the mobile application to include a wide range of useful information and tips for various aspects of a woman’s life, including skin, hair and beauty care – areas that can be affected during a women’s monthly cycle.

Always Me will continue to evolve as a resource for women, and consumer ratings and feedback will influence upgraded versions.

“This is the first time that we have launched a mobile application and we are very excited,” Ms. Schuster said. “We know that women are increasingly using their phones to access health information and adopting an on-the-go lifestyle.

“With this in mind, the Always Me application allows women to be in sync with their monthly cycles through something that already connects them with the world – their mobile devices,” she said.