Executives at Speaking of Women's Health readily admit that the organization could not have evolved into the national foundation it is today without the help of the numerous consumer products suppliers that have joined forces to draw attention to the health issues that are most important to women.
Below are comments from some of those suppliers about what Speaking of Women's Health means to their companies and the important work the organization does on behalf of women.
J&Y MATHEW fiR., director of shopper marketing, Unilever [Supporting the initiative] is a strategic fit for Unilever. Unilever's mission to add vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. Through our Shopper Marketing program, we support the National Speaking of Women's Health foundation, enabling us to reach women in a fun and educational environment and provide solutions to their everyday needs. Unilever's strong portfolio of
brands supports the Speaking of Women's Health Foundation's mission of educating women to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. We can help women address individual needs for their home and personal care and provide recipes and healthy meal solutions to simplify their lives.
SPOKESMAN, Mars Snackfood US
Mars Snackfood US is proud to be a sponsor of Speaking of Women's Health because its mission appeals to largely the same audience that loves our Dove chocolate. By sponsoring Speaking of Women's Health, we have a unique opportunity to be part of educating and inspiring the women that are touched by this program.
JEANNINE SHAO-COLLINS, senior vice president and publishing director, Meredith Publications
We have been involved with Speaking of Women's Health for about a year. We are the exclusive publishers for the organization, and we participate in many of their events. At the same time Speaking of Women's Health has participated in our events, and I think that has helped make those events more informative for the attendees.
The group is really right-on with our editorial position. Our publications are very much information-driven, with a great emphasis on health and wellness, and that is what Speaking of Women's Health is all about.
We feel very proud to be a part of this organization and the work it is doing to help women.
BILL LOWE, regional vice president, Bayer Consumer Health Care
We are very excited about joining this effort.
We see what Speaking of Women's Health is doing as a strategic fit for many of our brands--One-A-Day, Citrical and others. But more important, the bigger issue of improving women's health is the right thing for us, as a supplier, to support, and the work Speaking of Women's Health is doing in this area is something we are proud to be involved with.
CAROL HAMILTON, president and general manager, L'Oreal Paris
When a woman says the name L'Oreal Paris, the next phrase that rolls off her lips is 'Because I'm Worth It.' That slogan is at the heart of the L'Oreal Paris philosophy and operating principle. As a respected corporate citizen, L'Oreal Paris supports numerous initiatives, such as the Women of Worth program and the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Another important affiliation for L'Oreal Paris is its sponsorship of the National Speaking of Women's Health Foundation [NSWHF]. The reason for the sponsorship is simple--L'Oreal is dedicated to supporting and empowering women.
The unrestricted educational grant provided by L'Oreal Paris enables the NSWHF to conduct more than 40 full-day health conferences across the United States. These health conferences, often referred to by SWH as 'edutainment,' are a blend of motivational speakers, health screenings, social networking and educational workshops. The attendees are able to spend the full day focusing on their own health and wellness and that of their families.
So, the busy mother of three who might have forgotten to schedule her regular bone density screening can easily slip off her shoe and get screened right there at the SWH conference. She can instantly practice the SWH motto 'Be Strong, Be Healthy, Be in Charge.' The L'Oreal Paris funding helps to make this possible.
From a pure business and financial perspective, this sponsorship cannot be measured as one would measure the results of a TV flight or a coupon. For L'Oreal Paris, our investment in this foundation is one of the most powerful things we can do to tell women we care about them and how they live their lives.
Do we hope that this translates into product sales? Of course we do. But as manufacturers of products sold in self-service stores such as Wal-Mart, we know that product education is critical in guiding the consumer to the proper product. SWH conferences provide a prime setting for this education.
In each conference city L'Oreal Paris has a 10-foot exhibit booth that conference attendees can visit at any time during the day. The booth is staffed with licensed, trained beauty consultants.
In 2008 the L'Oreal Paris booth will feature skin-analyzing machines that use light frequency to capture and make visible various skin conditions, such as congested pores, dead skin and dry patches. The L'Oreal Paris consultants will talk with the 'client' and offer tips and suggestions for improving her skin and her skin care regimen.
The National Speaking of Women's Health Foundation is a well-respected, highly regarded health education organization with a very loyal fan base. L'Oreal Paris and the other national SWH sponsors are among the top players in their respective business categories; Wal-Mart is the world's largest retailer. The combination of those assets and expertise provide us the opportunity to truly change people's lives for the better.
KRISTIN SCHWEITZER, director of customer-specific marketing, Kellogg Co.
Kellogg Co. is a proud sponsor of the Speaking of Women's Health program. Our company is committed to providing consumers with a wide choice of quality food that can be part of a balanced diet and to educating consumers about healthy lifestyles.
Similarly, the Speaking of Women's Health program seeks to educate and encourage women to make informed decisions about their health, well-being and personal safety.
Kellogg's sponsorship provides an excellent opportunity to partner with a well-respected program and speak to consumers about the importance of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.
Kellogg began its sponsorship with cereal brands in 2003. Our wholesome snack brands began sponsoring the program in 2006.
Kellogg's sponsorship of this program has provided an additional avenue to educate consumers about eating a balanced diet and leading a healthy lifestyle. The sponsorship has also allowed us to generate consumer awareness around some of our 'better for you' products, including Smart Start cereal, Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal, Special-K cereal and cereal bars, and All-Bran cereal, fiber bars and crackers.
Through the program consumers have been given important information on taking a pledge for better health, as well as facts and exercise through our wholesome cereal and snacks packaging. Kellogg has also participated in Speaking of Women's Health conferences to educate women on healthful eating habits.
We've distributed wholesome cereal and snacks samples at Speaking of Women's Health events held in Wal-Mart stores nationwide. We have also educated women by featuring important Speaking of Women's Health topics on select Kellogg's packages sold in Wal-Mart stores.
JENNIFER ALLEN, director of global communications, Merck Vaccines and Infectious Diseases
The partnership between Merck & Co. and Speaking of Women's Health began in 2006 as a way to provide disease education materials to mothers and young women about the link between cervical cancer and HPV [human papillomavirus].
After Gardasil [the company's cervical cancer vaccine] was approved in June 2006, our involvement transitioned to also include educational materials for mother of daughters ages 9 to 17 and young women 18 to 26 about how to help prevent cervical cancer and other diseases caused by HPV. By partnering with Speaking of Women's Health, we were able to provide educational materials to more women interested in increasing their knowledge about health and wellness.
There is a public health benefit to the program as women become more aware about cervical cancer and its link to HPV. Mothers and young women can have appropriate discussions with their doctors and health care professionals about ways to help prevent cervical cancer and other diseases caused by HPV.
Through Merck's support of Speaking of Women's Health, which is also a program central to Wal-Mart's health and wellness initiative, Merck has developed a great relationship focused on helping to educate women about their health and well-being. We hope to build a long-term collaboration centered around our mutual missions to improve health and wellness.
DAWN BATES, consumer promotions manager, Kimberly-Clark Corp.
The Speaking of Women's Health Foundation's work to educate women to make informed decisions about their health, well-being and personal safety perfectly mirrors Kimber ly-Clark's mission of improving the health, hygiene and well-being of families every day. So, our sponsorship of Speaking of Women's Health is a natural fit.
In addition, being involved with this foundation is another example of Kimberly-Clark pursuing strategic marketing initiatives that enable us to deliver the promise of our brands to our consumers in environments that are meaningful and relevant to them. Speaking of Women's Health is a perfect fit with this, since it focuses on an important issue to women, who typically represent our primary consumer targets.
By working with the organizers of this foundation, we feel we are able to better connect our well-known brands with consumers, while ensuring that they are able to access valuable educational information and tips that can help improve their health.
Kimberly-Clark is committed to helping women live healthier, more fulfilling lives. Sponsorship of Speaking of Women's Health, one of the largest health campaigns in the country, gives us an opportunity to interact with women during the almost 50 conferences Speaking of Women's Health hosts annually.
Our sponsorship has become an avenue to enhance our own brands' visibility and build a stronger partnership with one of our best global customers. Our brands are able to interact with Wal-Mart shoppers by bringing them relevant health and wellness information through instore demonstrations, sampling and literature.
Each conference attendee receives a gift box from Kimberly-Clark filled with such K-C brands as Poise, Kleenex and Kotex. We also have an interactive booth where guests can play a fun game similar to Bingo where everyone's a winner. Finally, to close the day on a high note, we raffle off a grand prize of over $100 of free KimberlyClark products.
