Women’s Health has been identified by industry leaders and through Euromonitor International’s global analyst network as one of the most commercially relevant themes across a wide range of consumer-facing industries, including health, beauty, nutrition, feminine care and lifestyle sectors. Euromonitor International’s introductory women’s health and wellness framework enables the mapping of potential investment spaces through an all-encompassing view of all areas of care and their relevance by life stage.
The development of specific women’s health solutions across consumer products, services and femtech should consider the entire spectrum of functional and emotional needs, with a holistic outlook which factors in physical, nutritional, mental and lifestyle support pillars.
Much like the blurring of symptoms across multiple areas of care, and in many instances their outcome interdependence, brands should be mindful of the implications of cross-pillar intersections when building product formulations, positioning and messaging. A good grasp of these confluences is as important for consumers as it is for business.
Addressing solution gaps across the physical need spectrum through educational empowerment
Addressing physiological impacts associated with various life stages and conditions involves adapting to evolving needs like skin and hair health, body functions, and notably, effective pain management. Improved education around hormonal imbalances related to the menstrual, maternal and menopausal phases, allows for customising regimens with topical and ingestible solutions, including, for example, phytoestrogen ingredients as part of formulations for menopausal skin or supplements such as black cohosh and B vitamins for alleviating symptoms like hot flushes and boosting energy.
Beyond a point solution, regimen tailoring should be done holistically in view of psychological repercussions through the integration of emotional benefits, as well as technology and digital educational platforms for hormonal and symptom tracking. In the realm of pain management, whether condition or hormone-related, there are opportunities for diversifying pain relief solutions across different age groups. Wearable tech and alternative therapies, such as digital therapeutics, CBD and aromatherapy, can be explored to target younger cohorts, in particular.
Comfort levels with health-related app-based services and tech-driven personalised products are much higher among 30-44-year-old females compared to their older counterparts
Source: Euromonitor International’s Voice of the Consumer Health and Nutrition Survey
Diversifying nutritional alternatives for health prevention and symptom mitigation
When looking at the nutritional support pillar there is immediate relevance across all areas of care and huge proliferation in the supplements space as well as increase in use of nutrition apps for guided dietary requirements.
There is further scope for developing female-health specific claims and attributes in the largely untapped functional food space
Source: Euromonitor International
Enriching women’s health-positioned combinations with additional attributes across the physical and psychological spectrum broadens the appeal of a more holistic and convenient supplement proposition. Equally, a focus on female health-centred nutritional functionality and education on appropriate nutrients across the hormonal and life’s journey, can instil perceptions of more naturally healthy and less invasive prevention-orientated treatment alternatives.
Integrating science and clinical backing, alongside nutritionist expertise and data-driven personalisation would be paramount for enhancing efficacy credentials in a largely unregulated environment.
Bridging psycho-physical outcomes for emotional benefit expressions and empathy
Whether instigated by pain, hormonal imbalances, post-natal outcomes or broader lifestyle-related issues, the emotional and mental ramifications are arguably the most complex to address. Women typically report greater levels of stress compared to men and are more disproportionately affected by mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression due to menopause, endometriosis or fertility issues, for example.
Various complexities emerge from the confluence of causal factors and root causes, and a better understanding of those interrelations allows for bridging psycho-physical outcomes in a more integrated fashion, rather than targeting symptoms in isolation. Taking sleep-related issues as an example and the respective impact on high cortisol levels, stress, metabolism, body weight, mental clarity and skin health would be one classic case in point.
A particular area to highlight is the recent notable advancements in digital therapeutics. Further connectivity and adoption of technology will play a huge role in connected care for psychological wellbeing, social support and the prevention of more serious mental health conditions across women’s life cycles.
36% of women aged 20-39 are comfortable with personalised tech-enabled emotion tracking
Source: Euromonitor International’s Voice of the Consumer: Digital Survey
Assuring seamless experiences across routines and occasions through a lifestyle-led portfolio
By bringing the physical, nutritional and mental components under one entity a holistic care approach through a lifestyle lens is further reinforced, with the design of women’s health solutions ultimately serving seamless lifestyle routines and experiences.
Over 10% of global female consumers cite lifestyle disruption as a key motivator for seeking new health treatment methods to address incontinence, mobility problems and depression
Source: Euromonitor International’s Voice of the Consumer Health and Nutrition Survey
There are sizeable prospects for adopting a more occasion-oriented positioning and delving into further untapped spaces. Sexual wellness is already seeing substantial momentum, while in the context of growing wellness travel destinations there is scope for diversifying experiential concepts and services in this space.
Fostering a sense of community through educational forums, loyalty programmes and sharing platforms stands as an essential prerequisite as part of a lifestyle-centric proposition. From a retailing standpoint, it is crucial to invest in the D2C model and cultivate the right retail partnerships which not only enhance visibility and accessibility but also empower users to navigate specific life stages and occasions with increased autonomy and precision.
Read our report Transforming Women’s Health: Empowering Women Through the Life Cycle for further insights into business implications and action-driven recommendations on go-to-market and innovation strategy.