Thinking July 19th, 2023

GenM Thought Leaders event: Our learnings

Alice Coey
By
Alice Coey Design Strategist

Earlier this month our team attended the GenM Thought Leader event hosted at Innocent’s HQ.

It was an opportunity for the organisation’s partners to come together, share stories, hear about GenM’s ambitions and what they’ve been working on. We also witnessed the unveiling of the shortlisted partners for the highly anticipated GenM Awards which will be announced later this year.

Who are GenM and why do they exist?

Currently there are 15.5 million women in the UK alone going through the menopause, yet this demographic remains largely underserved. Ageism and social stigma are some of the supporting factors as to why this huge portion of our population fall under the radar and are often underrepresented and misunderstood. Since 2021, GenM have been working to make the menopause a more positive experience for all, conducting ground-breaking research and introducing progressive brands, organisations and employers to a new, commercially attractive market in a responsible, ethical way.

So, what did we learn?

A discussion panel event hosted by three leading opinion leaders; Vanessa Vallely, Cherron Inko-Tariah and Kate Nash explored topics of leadership, and driving change. From the discussion three key themes arose.

The power of networks

Minority populations have always been side-lined. Be it because of where you are from, who you choose to love or how your body looks or functions. People going through the menopause are no different. Inko-Tariah and Nash both spoke fiercely about the often power of individuals from these groups coming together as a collective, be it a BAME staff network in the civil service or Disabled Employee Networks in some of the UKs largest banks. Great things can happen when people come together; we can impact change, find support and inspire a sense of belonging.

How to get people, businesses and society on board

Change often comes from the bottom up, but getting people onside along the way is often vital. The three panellists discussed their learnt techniques of how to get people on board to elicit change. Firstly, recognising that not everyone is swimming in the same direction. Some people may have other motivations and hidden agendas, and it’s important to understand those before trying to change them. Secondly, meeting people where they’re at – once you’ve established where they are coming from, meet them where they are and then slowly get them on board. Finally, paint a picture. Paint a picture of where you could be with or without the change. Our research and strategy team often use this technique in a process called ‘speculative futures’ – taking a clue or hint from today and thinking about what the future would look like in 20 years or so. From there, we are able to back-cast and design solutions to either achieve or avoid the prediction.

Individuals still have impact

While collectives have power, the impact that an individual can have is often underestimated. Valley urged the individuals in the room to not ‘underestimate or diminish what you can bring to the table’. If you don’t think that you can do anything, you’re wrong, there are small acts that you can do to amplify voices, even something so seemingly trivial as sharing a post, or hitting the like button. That in itself is a small act of rebellion, making you one step closer to becoming, as Inko-Tariah called it, an ‘angelic troublemaker’.

Research shows that two thirds of women experiencing the menopause or perimenopause feel brands are not doing enough to support them, while 76% do not feel represented at all by brands’ advertising and marketing. There is a huge opportuniy to be made by brands and companies taking action to support these users better, paving the way for the next generation of people who will experience the menopause. Our women’s health product development experts can help you to action these points in a way that’s tangible, and design women in, for today, and future generations.

Whether you’re shaping a new concept or scaling a proven idea, our experts will have advice to help you in your process.

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