Female-centred issues have always been an interest of mine. Following a conversation with my mum who has been through the menopause, it became clear that this key life stage is one that has been over-looked, under-reported and stigmatised throughout history. My mission within my final year communications project, therefore became to both physically and emotionally empower the middle-aged female consumer, and spread the message that female health extends beyond fertility.

Market research revealed that sleeplessness is the most-widely felt menopausal symptom, so this is the symptom that my concept brand, Rest Assured, addresses. Sleeplessness particularly affects women’s success within the workplace, as it is the root cause of other inhibiting symptoms such as brain fog, which can ultimately lead to failure at work. Rest Assured’s product and communications strategy brings together like-minded women, and provides personalised sleep aids which allow them to succeed at work.

At Rest Assured we understand that sleeplessness is a complex issue, that requires both the physical and mental sides to be addressed. This is why our multi-faceted product offering consists of scheduled supplements, to enable you to rest at night and focus during the day; a digital meal plan, which combines foods high in ‘sleep-nutrients’ to take the stress out of eating; and a female-centred forum to provide peer support from women encountering similar struggles. It is this phygital product offering which differentiates us from our competitors, and enables our products to fit seamlessly into your schedule.

This mockup shows how the ‘7 till Sunset’ events series will be advertised via leaflets left in workplaces, to target Rest Assured’s primary consumer of professional, menopausal women. Each monthly event takes place on a Thursday between the hours of 7 and 9pm, designed to fit neatly after the primary consumer’s working day and finish early enough to achieve a restful night’s sleep. Part of the attraction for attending these events is the unique early-evening time slot, as many older women are put off events such as gigs due to their typical late-night timing (Graye, 2023).

Each of the six free events have been designed to be attractive to the primary consumer to encourage attendance and promote engagement. Added value is created via incentives such as free gifts (e.g. a take-home gardening set from the Gardening Masterclass), celebrity appearances (e.g. Caitlin Moran is a celebrated journalist and author, who writes on female-centred topics (The Times website, 2023)), and peer-to-peer connection created through group activities. The 7 ‘til Sunset events series fosters these connections which are especially valued by menopausal women (Poile & Houghton, 2022), thus communicating Rest Assured’s value to the consumer and inspiring action.

This mockup is taken from a guerrilla marketing activation, designed to grab the attention of passers-by using graffiti. This promotional tactic is part of Rest Assured’s first campaign, designed to shock, educate on the under-reported issues that menopausal women face, and create brand awareness for Rest Assured as a new brand.