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See how research-led content helps joni® turn consumer insights into strategic action.
In conversation with Wendi Seskus-James, Content Manager at joni®
Introduction to joni® and how research supports its content and menstrual equity work.
joni® was founded with a mission to make sustainable period care more accessible. Over the past six years, the Canadian social enterprise has grown from a direct-to-consumer startup into a multi-channel brand serving consumers, retailers, and organizations across Canada. As the business evolved, so did its need for deeper customer insight. We spoke with Wendi Seskus-James, Content Manager at joni®, about how research helps the team better understand customers, shape content, and advance menstrual equity in Canada.
Wendi on why period equity advocacy depends on evidence.
“We can’t advocate for period equity in Canada without data.”
Wendi Seskus-James
Content Manager
Wendi’s role and how research fits her day-to-day work.
Wendi: As Content Manager, I help shape the brand voice alongside our founders and bring joni’s values to life through content. Research is a core part of that work. We use tools like Google Analytics and email performance data to understand what resonates, but those tools only show what people do. They don’t always explain why.
What prompted joni® to invest in structured research.
Wendi: We were in the middle of a website refresh, but there was also a broader shift happening in the business. joni® started as a direct-to-consumer brand and expanded into retail and B2B. Along the way, insights were coming in from everywhere: trade shows, customer conversations, and partners. We had a lot of anecdotal input, but it wasn’t connected. We needed to move beyond assumptions and validate what we thought we knew.
Wendi on the gap between assumptions and evidence.
“We had ideas about who our customers were and what motivated them, but we didn’t have the data to back it up.”
Wendi
How original research became part of joni’s content.
Wendi: The industry has relied on the same statistic for years: one in three people under 25 struggle to afford period care. It’s important, but it had become the only number shaping the conversation. At the same time, we were hearing a wide range of lived experiences from customers about affordability, access, stigma, and menstruation in Canada. Those stories were powerful, but stories alone don’t drive systemic change. We needed evidence to match what we were hearing. That thinking led to our Cost of Silence research. The goal was to better understand the scale of the issue and validate those lived experiences. What we found reframed the conversation. Period poverty isn’t just an individual challenge. It’s an infrastructure issue that requires systemic solutions.
Wendi on reframing period poverty as infrastructure.
“The findings helped us see that period poverty isn’t simply a personal challenge. It’s an infrastructure issue.”
Wendi
The role proprietary data plays in content strategy.
Wendi: It’s becoming essential. With AI, anyone can generate content instantly. The challenge is that everything starts to sound the same. If everyone is using the same public data, there’s no differentiation. Proprietary research gives us something original to contribute. It allows us to speak from evidence that others can’t replicate. That creates stronger content, but it also builds credibility in a crowded space.
Wendi on differentiation in a sea of shared data.
“If everyone is using the same public data, there’s no differentiation.”
Wendi
How joni® puts research insights into action.
Wendi: The impact has been broader than expected. We originally thought the research would mainly support our direct-to-consumer work. Instead, one of the biggest shifts has been in B2B. A key insight was the role of infrastructure in period equity. That gave us a stronger business case for organizations, showing that providing period care is not just a social initiative, but an accessibility issue. That message now shows up across newsletters, client conversations, LinkedIn, educational content, sales materials, B2B pitch decks, and retailer presentations.
How joni® balances data with storytelling.
Wendi: They work together. We published a coffee table book called BLEED: Period Stories Written to Be Shared to make lived experiences visible and reduce stigma. Stories create connection, but data gives them scale. Together, they create a more complete narrative.
Advice for brands relying on the same industry stats.
Wendi: Consumers are smarter than ever. When they see the same numbers repeated over and over, those statistics eventually lose their impact. More importantly, relying on old or widely shared data limits your ability to create genuinely useful content. The biggest benefit of conducting your own research isn’t simply having a fresh statistic. It’s developing a deeper understanding of your audience. That deeper understanding leads to better questions, better content, and ultimately better decisions.
What excites Wendi most about research ahead.
Wendi: Research allows us to listen at scale. The joni® business model has a built-in feedback loop, where we’re always listening to our customers and making needs-based decisions. But research makes that more intentional and structured. As we grow and enter new markets, that connection to customer insight becomes even more important. I’d love to see these studies continue year over year so we can track impact, not just activity. At the end of the day, this isn’t just about growing a brand. It’s about understanding whether we’re creating meaningful change.
Wendi on listening as the foundation of impact.
“You can’t help people effectively if you’re not listening to them.”
Wendi
Outcomes from joni’s shift to original, proprietary research with Cashew.
01.
Original research (the Cost of Silence study) reframed period poverty as an infrastructure issue, not just an individual one.
02.
Proprietary data became a differentiator in an AI-saturated content landscape.
03.
Research insights expanded beyond direct-to-consumer into B2B sales and retailer conversations.
04.
Evidence now backs content across newsletters, LinkedIn, educational material, and sales decks.
05.
Data and storytelling combined to advance the menstrual equity conversation in Canada.
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