Rebranding motherhood

In an effort to dismantle long-standing taboos linked to the things women and their bodies endure daily, a shift towards celebrating unapologetic womanhood comes to the fore. From normalising the realities of motherhood, harnessing the power of menstrual cycles, to breaking the menopause taboo, this empowering womanhood movement inspires brands to optimise womens’ needs rather than ignoring them. 

Beyond birth support

Breastfeeding and postpartum recovery remain highly taboo and unspoken subjects. In response, many new parents are left to navigate their fourth trimester alone and in private. The pandemic has only exacerbated this and the isolation, insecurities, and anxieties felt by mothers are at an all-time high. In an effort to debunk myths and taboos, individuals, brands and organisations are ditching the polished, perfected and unrealistic portrayals of motherhood to instead showcase a more honest, raw and unapologetic representation.

A great example of this is #TheBoobLife campaign by Tommee Tippee. The campaign aims to open up the conversation on new motherhood and reassure parents there is no one-size-fits-all breastfeeding journey. In addition to a range of products created alongside real parents to make infant feeding easier, they released a series of live events and Instagram TV episodes to discuss the reality of feeding; the highs, lows and the frank, hard truths.

Cycle syncing

In many societies, the menstruation cycle still remains a taboo subject. However, pivotal policy changes tackling period poverty and significant growth in the Femtech market suggest attitudes towards menstrual care are changing. R/GA London, Nike and female physiologist, Stacy Sims collaborated recently to create the first-ever cycle syncing training collection on the Nike Training Club App. The aim is to help educate women on how to sync their training to their menstrual cycle to not only perform better but to optimise their energy and adapt to their body’s needs for each phase of the cycle.

Sexual wellness for menopause

According to Forbes, by 2025, there will be over 1 billion women experiencing menopause in the world, which will be 12% of the entire world population. Despite this, the menopause market remains largely ignored and untapped. Working to overcome this, is Tabu, the first sexual wellness kit made for menopause.

“Tabu believes that there aren’t enough conversations about menopause. For it to be a notable transition in a woman’s life, there’s an overt silence when it comes to menopause, which contributes to why women feel hesitant to speak up about the way their bodies are changing.” – Dr. Heidi Gastler

What does this mean for your brand?

Women will find reassurance and confidence in brands that offer a more accurate representation of themselves and their bodies. Whether you’re a designer, product developer, marketer or strategist, consider your role in empowering women and responding to their needs at all stages of their life. How could you help support and normalise conversations around womanhood, postpartum experiences, menstrual cycles and menopause?