Evolution of Sanitary Pads: From the Traditional Product to a Tethered Digital Platform

Abstract

Digital platforms have made a dramatic impact on the modern economy. Firms with business models anchored on digital platforms are generating unprecedented value. Much of this value comes through unlocking the power of data. Exemplars are companies such as Didi, WeChat and Alipay. Previous research has illuminated many aspects of such digital platforms and how they unlock the value of data. However, we have more to understand on how traditional companies, built on value chain-based business models, can create similarly unlock the value of data. In this paper, we study a traditional product, namely sanitary pads, to demonstrate how traditional firms can unlock the value of data similar to what digital platforms can do. This paper will discuss the role of sensors and how sanitary pads can be extended into digital platforms.