On Its 20th Anniversary, Period Cup Trailblazer Diva International Rebrands And Unveils New Diva Disc

“We want people to know that we’re still here, we’re better than ever, and we have big plans for the future,” says Diva International founder Carinne Chambers-Saini.

When she launched Diva Cup 20 years ago, big-box retailers and national pharmacy chains wouldn’t give her revolutionary sustainable period product the time of day. Now, two decades and a comprehensive rebrand later, Ontario, Canada-based Diva’s products are sold in 40 countries and 20,000 North American retail doors, including Walmart Canada and Shoppers Drug Mart. It will be adding a new Diva Disc to its assortment at Target and Meijer, among several retailers. 

Diva also has a thriving Amazon business, bringing in $3 million on the platform in 2022, making Diva Cup the No. 1 selling menstrual cup globally. Diva Disc will launch on Amazon in the United States and Canada next month. The disc will retail for $35.00, same as Diva’s best-selling cups. 

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Diva International’s new Diva Disc makes its debut this month at retailers such as Target and Meijer.

Diva’s success has been hard-fought. Although it debuted in 2003, the brand didn’t enter the mass channel until 2013. Chambers-Saini recalls garnering any interest from retailers was incredibly challenging. “Most of the retailers laughed at us and said, ‘We’ll never carry this,’” she says. “They thought it was completely ridiculous.”

Such is the plight of a category innovator. Chambers-Saini says she built the demand for Diva Cup through alternative channels like the natural grocery channel. Whole Foods was hugely important to the brand, but it took even Whole Foods five years to grant Diva full distribution at its stores. 

In a nascent category, Diva International has had to play the role of educator. Until a few years ago, Chambers-Saini says Diva was responsible “creating 100% of the education around menstrual cups.” It laid out the basics of what a menstrual cup is, its features and how to use it, all in the face of major consumer resistance. 

For much of Diva’s existence, it wasn’t focused on cultivating its brand, but instead on the tough educational efforts that ended up paving the way for eventual competitors. Chambers-Saini isn’t upset about competitors because establishing the period cup category has been a huge part of its vision. “We wanted this to be a category that people took seriously, and it’s there, it’s considered a category,” she says.

Still, upstart period care brands have stolen share from the market leader. While Diva’s sales have been advancing yearly—the brand declined to divulge exact figures—its sales growth has declined in the last few years as competitors have multiplied. 

“We were really the only one in the category, making up about 90% of menstrual cup sales, especially in retail. With the increase in other brands, especially brands that have significant VC funding and many other products, some have over 100 SKUs across many categories, it was very easy for them to get some of that share,” says Chambers-Saini, adding, “These other brands that maybe have cooler, younger packaging are coming in completely fresh. We have a legacy brand that we built over the last 20 years. A lot changes over 20 years.” 

Diva realized it was critical for it to have a refresh to stay relevant. It hasn’t been easy, though. Chambers-Saini didn’t divulge how much Diva spent on the rebrand, but calls it a “significant” amount. The brand went through three agencies to find the one that was the right fit. 

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Diva International founder Carinne Chambers-Saini

“We felt that we didn’t have the right partner to truly envision it,” says Chambers-Saini. “We had to do a lot of deep work as an organization, going back to who is Diva, what do we stand for and how do we communicate that through our branding, through this evolution of Diva.” The updated brand identity is cleaner, more gender neutral and centers messaging around conscious cycle care with clarity and authenticity. 

Chambers-Saini has bootstrapped Diva thus far. She says that may change very soon, especially as the period cup market valued at over $835 million globally in 2022 accelerates. 

“We’re at the stage now, especially with the aggressive plans that we have and the plans for innovation, we are probably going to look at that,” says Chambers-Saini. “This is a legitimate category with significant sales. Even Tampax came out with a cup. That’s crazy to me when we were screaming from the rooftop and nobody would listen to us. That just goes to show how far we’ve come. I think it’s really time for Diva.”