• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, October 12, 2022

Natalist, the fertility and pregnancy brand, is launching its first-ever brand campaign. The emotional homage shows quick glimpses of tender and vulnerable stops along the road to conception and parenthood, themed "Always in Awe."

TV networks, however, aren't in awe. They objected to breasts, breastfeeding and IVF injections, so a censored 30-second spot will air on TV.

Jennifer Dasho, general manager and chief marketing officer of the Austin, Texas-based company, talks to Marketing Daily about the stigma that still surrounds women, pregnancy and childbirth.

Marketing Daily: First, let's talk about what made you decide now was the time for a first brand awareness campaign.

Jennifer Dasho: Everly Health, a digital health company, acquired Natalist a year ago. Historically, the brand has been focused on the fertility and conception-centric part of the reproductive journey. We offer supplements, pregnancy, ovulation and hormone testing. We're a relatively young brand in the space, sold nationally in drugstores and online. We wanted to expand the brand and what we stand for. And from the beginning, that's been science-backed support for women, with a focus on sustainability.

Marketing Daily: And what are you hoping to do with this approach?

Dasho: The status quo in this space is to focus on the baby -- the outcome -- as if that's what success looks like. We wanted to focus on all the pieces in between. People think conceiving is synonymous with achieving, and that couldn't be further from the truth. All the ups and the downs and the in-betweens are equally awe-inspiring. It's important for women to see them -- and feel represented. Shining a light on all those moments led to this concept of always being in awe at every part of it.

Marketing Daily: Can you comment a little on the creative -- the idea of using a montage of so many different images and pictures?

Dasho: Preacher, our agency, helped with both strategy and creative. We worked with a fantastic photographer, Brianna Roye, for some portraits and collected a tremendous amount of user-generated content to make sure we were telling true, authentic stories. And the whole creative idea started as a poem, so the voice-over is read by a poet.

Marketing Daily: Were you surprised by the networks' reaction and what they pushed back on?

Dasho: Not really. We've seen it happen before, as recently as Frida Baby. I was disappointed, especially because they said they didn't want us to show breastfeeding. They didn't want to see a woman using a breast pump, hear the word "nipple," or show women in the birthing process. These are all such normal parts of motherhood -- it's what's contributed to this very sanitized version.

Marketing Daily: Where will these run?

Dasho: We're still finalizing that, but 15s and 30s will hopefully be on broadcast TV. We'll be in paid social and display advertising. We've got some great programs we're trying to execute with influencers. And the full, uncensored version is on our website.

Marketing Daily: What do you hope people will think of Natalist after seeing these ads?

Dasho: From the beginning, we wanted to treat women and this experience with tremendous importance, and to communicate that importance at every stage. So I hope people feel a sense of reverence. I hope they feel fortified. I hope they feel seen and ready to take the next step. These stories need to be seen and heard and told. And I hope, at some point, that translates into a longer-term relationship with the brand.

Marketing Daily: What metrics matter most to you for this effort?

Dasho: We do a quarterly brand equity tracker. And by the end of the year or early next, I hope to see some growth in our brand equity and attribute measures. We're also closely watching branded search and traffic volume. And, of course, we hope to see an impact on sales.

Marketing Daily: Since abortion bans have been spreading across the country, that's created a lot of fear in people using IVF­–the legal implications are so vague. That's a core audience for you. Has that fear come up among your customers?

Dasho: Yes. Since our founding in 2019, we've consistently believed that fertility, pregnancy and termination are complex health decisions. They should be based on conversations between a patient and a medical provider. We stand by the position of medical organizations like the American Medical Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. And we'll continue to be a brand that supports people no matter their path.