Have you seen Davina McCall’s latest documentary about menopause? Have you read the latest female celebrity memoir detailing her battles with hot flushes? Do you think you know all there is to know about midlife women?

Whilst it’s great that there are more conversations around menopause and perimenopause happening, there is still a sense that some brands aren’t getting it right. Or simply can’t be bothered to give it a whirl. The market for beauty and wellness products is huge, and Forbes magazine recently dubbed midlife women as ‘super consumers.’ Nonetheless in the same article it revealed that just 5% to 10% of marketing budgets are earmarked for consumers over 50.

At Differentology we conducted expert interviews, desk research, and an online survey to create ‘The Midlife Brand Rule Book.’ Here’s some of the things we learnt that could help brands reappraise this vital market,

1: Beware the ‘wealthy ageing’ narrative: not all of us are millionaires

You may have noticed that celebrity-led menopause brands are getting quite a lot of attention. Examples would be Naomi Watt’s ‘Stripes,’ and Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘Goop,’ (which also targets other ages). Whilst showcasing worthwhile female narratives, these brands are also high-end and focusing more on a ‘wealthy ageing,’ approach. Which in essence boils down to the notion if you throw lots of money at a problem you will get rid of it.

Feeling tired? Why not purchase a vitamin supplement called;‘Why am I so Effing Tired?’ from Goop’s website, retailing at 90 dollars. Whilst the product language is refreshingly playful and speaks to one of the core wellness needs of midlife women, the price point is inaccessible. It’s important to remember that price is increasingly important for women navigating the cost-of-living crisis. It’s also true to say that celebrities who can afford high-end tweakments, infra-red saunas at home (Google reveals they start at around £2,000) and custom-made bone broth for breakfast are not always super relatable. 92% of the women we surveyed felt that the beauty and wellness categories were only accessible to the privileged few.

2: Simplify, simplify, simplify  

This is not about patronising women, but if you’re experiencing brain fog, and overwhelm, don’t amplify the symptoms by offering products that require a degree in biology to understand how they work. A personal example is how I now need to wear glasses as a midlife woman, and struggle to read instructions on pack if I’m in the shower. There does not seem to be many brands addressing this.

It also applies to beauty routines and providing a clear explanation of what each product an ingredient brings to the table. No woman wants to be hunched over a face cream for 40 minutes trying to work out whether it needs to go over their SPF or under. Also think about design and signposting on pack and in-store. Heather Jackson Co-Founder of GenM, explains: ‘I’d love for the retailer to think more about the experience of in-store shopping of a menopausal woman who might be overwhelmed, sleep deprived, anxious and experiencing brain fog, How are you making it easy for her to find the products she is looking for and needing?’

3: Menopause is just one aspect of life a midlife woman is navigating

Just because you throw references to ‘hot flushes’ into your copy does not make you relevant to every woman over 45. We spoke to Kim Palmer, founder of Clementine, who explained: ‘Everyone says when women hit midlife, they have this ‘fuck it’ kind of attitude. This is not the experience for everyone and for many it’s a time of enormous pressure. If you’re caring for children and potentially caring for parents. It’s a double whammy. Then your body changes. There is a pressure to stay looking young or you feel like you’re on the shelf. Your hormones are playing havoc with your body and mind, and you are expected to be killing it in your career. It’s exhausting. So, the needs from a mental health perspective are huge.’ 

So midlife women will be dealing with other pressures and looking for products that help with the physical and mental side of things. Eleanor Mills who founded Noon.org.uk believes brands should avoid superficial levels of ‘meno-washing’. She explains: “Some brands are branding everything hot pink and ‘menopause’ from nightwear to skin cream to shampoo – but our own research shows that Queenagers, as I call women 45 plus, hate being seen through a menopausal lens. They want doctors to know how to treat their symptoms, but they don’t want to be seen as walking hot flushes – over 70% of our community say that. They want to be seen in the entirety of who and what they are, not be reduced to a bag of hysterical hormones.”

4. Reflect the diversity of real life when talking to midlife women

If you Google menopausal women you will see a plethora of images of white, middle-aged, blonde women. There isn’t enough diversity. There isn’t diversity in terms of the types of ageing we are seeing either. So, we tend to over index on women who have had tweakments and not feature women who have aged without them. This can make women feel depressed as they don’t see the reality of their own ageing faces reflected in advertising.

It's an exciting time for brands in this space and there are plenty of opportunities for those who get it right. Be playful, authentic, add clarity not confusion, address the woman as a whole and think about the tangible ways you can add value to her life. Remember that menopause is not the only thing that midlife women want to talk about. The simple truth is women want life to be easier sometimes. These are just some of the things to consider when speaking to the midlife woman.

Above all ensure you aren’t adding to the overarching discourse of ageism that exists in our broader culture. As Madonna recently said: “I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny that permeates the world we live in. A world that refuses to celebrate women past the age of 45 and feels the need to punish her if she continues to be strong-willed, hard-working and adventurous.”