ANAHEIM, CA — For CPG companies, women’s health is quickly becoming an area of interest as consumers in this demographic seek products that can address a variety of gender-specific needs related to premenstrual syndrome, menopause, and mental and emotional wellbeing.
As part of Opportunities in Women’s Health, an educational panel session held during Natural Products Expo West 2024, Karen Hecht, scientific affairs manager for AstaReal; Julie Gordon White, founder and CEO of Menowell, a menopause protein energy bar; Rachel Jones, senior VP and chief product innovation and science officer for GNC; and Sherry Frey, VP of total wellness at NielsenIQ (NIQ); discussed the trends they’re seeing in the women’s health category and how the conversation around historically taboo topics is changing, driven in part by consumer demand. Robyn Lawrence, senior editor of the Nutrition Business Journal, moderated the panel.
Jones noted two shifts in the category, both geared toward creating a tailored approach to women’s health products that will help consumers maintain their health and quality of life.
“First, we’re building the scientific understanding, and second, we’re learning how to communicate that knowledge,” she said.
She gave gut health as an example, noting the recent uptick in scientific research around prebiotics and probiotics and what they can do in the areas of mental health, metabolism and weight loss as they relate to women.
“Gut health on the innovation side is huge,” Jones said. “Women care about gut health.”
Along those lines, Hecht added that she’s seeing a growing body of research that analyzes women separately from men, particularly as it relates to gut health.
“We’re seeing that there’s a gender-based microbiome we should be paying attention to,” Hecht said. “The microbiome changes at different life stages for women and the hormonal environment also changes.”
Those hormone changes include menopause, once a taboo topic that is starting to move into the spotlight thanks to bold CPG companies.
“We are seeing more and more that brands are talking about [historically taboo topics] on the package,” Frey noted.
“We are seeing more and more that brands are talking about [historically taboo topics] on the package.” — Sherry Frey |
VP of total wellness | NielsenIQ
One such brand is MenoWell Bars, whose packaging carries the message “Power Food for The Pause.” White created the energy protein bars from scratch after she was unable to find foods that could help her combat the weight gain that often comes with menopause. Eventually, the serial entrepreneur decided to launch MenoWell. When she reached the funding stage, she turned to woman-funded venture capital (VC) vs. traditional VC channels and found quite a bit of support.
“For those of you in women’s health, know your audience, trust yourself and don’t talk to people who don’t understand what you’re doing right out of the gate,” White advised.
Part of White’s success to date could be attributed to the fact that she doesn’t shy away from using the word “menopause,” a secret to success Frey said is apparent in NIQ’s messaging research. Yet, Frey also said that even though research shows consumers are comfortable with on-packaging messaging that uses specific women’s health-related words, some of NIQ’s clients are still hesitant to include it.
“This is the business you’re in, and even though we know consumers are saying they want it, sometimes we’re a little awkward and uncomfortable about doing what they’re asking us for,” she shared
For CPG companies looking for their niche in women’s health, Jones offered one piece of advice.
“Pay attention to what women are seeking and the needs states they want to address and then offer valid solutions,” she said.
