• by Les Luchter , Staff Writer, September 12, 2024

With the provocative title of “Gaslighting, Gray hair and Gadgets,” agency network Plus Company has published a report on how brands can help “reclaim women’s health and wellness in the digital age.”

While the report cites “the doctor is out, online is in” as one of four key trends in the women’s health space, no evidence is presented of actual gaslighting taking place. “We were trying to be a little clever with the way we were setting up the different trends,” co-author Shannon Suggett explains to Pharma & Marketing Insider. “We used that word to grab attention because some women do feel that way.”

Being no stranger myself to headlines that sort of stretch the truth, I next ask Suggett  -- who’s executive vice president of Plus Company member agency Citizen Relations -- about the gray hair reference.

That was a nod to one of the other key trends – “Menopause: The Last Taboo?” – in which the formerly taboo subject is now “having a moment,” according to Suggett. One reason for the breakthrough: “celebrities jumping in and starting to talk about it more because they themselves are in that life stage.”

But the menopause taboo doesn’t just affect women with gray hair. With perimenopause also involved, the curtain is pulling back for “all different ages” of women, Suggett notes.

The other two key trends center around the “gadgets” of the title: apps, wearables and other health tools that women are now using.  One is that women are taking control of their own health and wellness. The other asks if this “obsession with health monitoring via smart rings/watches, period trackers and sleep trackers” may actually be unhealthy.

As an example, Mairi McCaslin, strategy director of the Mekanism agency, told the report, “when we talk to women about wellness, sleep is always at the forefront. We’re noticing that the women who don’t use sleep trackers don’t let poor quality sleep affect their day. Whereas women whose data shows a poor night’s sleep will start their days feeling anxious and stressed.”

To make sure such gadgets don’t work against healthy outcomes, supplements and nutrition brands should “promote digital detox and stress-relief activities as a holistic approach.”

Turning to the trend of women owning their own health and wellness, the report suggests using multilanguage campaigns “to boost relevance, trust, and brand love”; introducing anonymous user modes to build trust; and making data-sharing clear “to retain customers and build trust.”

For “the doctor is out, online is in,” the report notes that “skeptical” Gen Zers are increasingly finding social media suspect and thus “turning to online communities such as Reddit to validate what they see on social.”  Brands can become “a trusted voice bringing expertise and authority to these conversations”  by partnering with experienced agencies “to ensure influencers are legit and genuinely connected to your brand” and by boosting trust with verification and reviews.

“Brands are being more upfront and honest in the way they communicate, using real people and their life experience to connect,” Katie Jensen, Mekanism group creative director is quoted  in the report. “When done right, it’s both powerful and emotional.:

With menopause, the report states, brands that break the taboo “while focusing on different stages of it will be in high demand.”

Marissa Cristiano, group account director of Cossette Media, compared what’s happening with menopause to what has previously occurred periods, pregnancy and fertility. “We can now see the door opening on conversations around menopause, but it’s currently just a crack,” the report quotes her. “We want it to blow wide open.”

How can brands and marketers do that?

The report has the following suggestions:

• “Focus on stages of menopause—help close the knowledge gap with targeted content.”

• “Champion school education for long-term brand loyalty.”

• “Target mothers and daughters entering perimenopause and puberty together—combine messaging and products.”

• “Repackage products for menopause with genuine benefits—but the claims must be legitimate.”

• Gyms and wellness centers should “offer classes tailored to women in this stage of life.”

• Food and drink brands should “create products that support joint health, fitness, and sleep for this demographic.”

“Gaslighting, Gray hair and Gadgets” was based on a Plus Company survey of 2,500+ adults aged 18-65 in the U.S. and Canada by Angus Reid, plus other data.