Demonstrate brand leadership in the menopause category by pushing awareness, education and empowerment
With International Women’s Day upon us, what better time to push the equity agenda for women on menopause?
Catalyx-owned research* for a known supplement brand found 65% of women with perimenopause symptoms don’t recognise the reason for their symptoms and don’t know where to start to manage them.
The alarming number is illustrative of the broader lack of societal awareness and understanding of the menopause, in particular the very real lack of support that women encounter at such an emotionally charged time in their lives.
Brands powering up change
Our research* shows that brands have an enormous opportunity to demonstrate leadership by pushing the equity space for women and menopause. But to shift the dial, brands should consider how they can contribute to the category through more than just their products.
To date, brands have seen many young women through their first significant body changes and on to motherhood, and yet, when women hit that later critical change, those brands are nowhere to be seen – there are no more ‘live well’ campaigns.
Societally women are valued for youth, beauty and motherhood, but too often ignored later in life. After all, how many brands and campaigns spring to mind that highlight women ageing as a positive thing?
It appears as though wellbeing and lifestyle brands haven’t stopped to consider this stage in women’s lives leaving perimenopausal women left in the dark: “I can’t think of any brands tackling this”.
Women share that they “don’t know anything about it [menopause] or where to start”, and describe the emotional impact of their experience as a “horrible, lonely and upsetting time” and feel “overwhelmed, scared and embarrassed”.
The powerful words of our cohort’s lived experience demonstrates that women are crying out for help: “Really advertise products towards perimenopause and educate women about what it is.”
Brands need to stand up and consider how they might be able to play in any area that pushes the dial on supporting and educating women. And while there’s no one size fits all for tackling this historical taboo, driving the equity agenda for women on menopause could be an important and rewarding challenge to undertake.
Driving the bigger picture
Positioning your brand as experts in this area of women’s health will also allow brands to bang the drum for wider public discourse about the many varying issues – this isn’t a women-only issue, it has an impact for everyone.
Well thought out campaigns can help shape the new narrative, and drive forward the change in language that’s needed about this women’s health ‘problem’, instead capturing the very real and emotive experience of women across the world.
Allowing women to move from this: “This is one of the most annoying and frustrating times in my life. I have zero control or real understanding of what is happening and when it’s happening next.”
..to feelings of empowerment.
As exemplified by Dove’s ‘Real Women’ campaign, purpose-driven brands must consider how to speak to women in an authentic way that empowers women and supports them to be emotionally seen.
Undeniably, it will take time and effort to capture this market with the sensitivity it needs, but at Catalyx we believe there is a huge opportunity for credible brands to own this space, educate society, and empower women to navigate this new journey with self-understanding, knowledge and market tested solutions.