Episode Transcript
[00:00:10] Speaker A: Hello and welcome to Hacking Kaizen. I'm Graeme Newman. Today we're off to London to discuss the future of women's healthcare. With Alison Slingsby, global lead of women's health innovation. At the pharmaceutical company Perrigo, we explore the latest advancements in menstrual health products, the evolving perspectives on contraception and menopause care, and the transformative impact of generative AI in this vital healthcare sector. Remarkable strides have been made in menstrual health, unveiling innovations designed to address the myriad of challenges women face, from managing menstrual flow to alleviating pain. These innovations span from sustainable sanitary protection options to new pain relief products, all aimed at enhancing the daily lives of women, from adolescents through to menopause. Recognizing the obstacles women encounter in accessing effective contraceptives, we delve into how to make these products more accessible. The aim is to empower women, enabling them to take charge of their reproductive health with confidence and ease. Our conversation also examines the role of AI in revolutionising women's health. By merging advanced technology, consumer insights and strategic partnerships, the future of women's healthcare is being reshaped, making it more accessible, personalised and effective. Join us now as we uncover these groundbreaking innovations and insights on hacking Kaizen.
[00:01:43] Speaker B: In terms of women's health, and particularly the whole menstruation side, there's been a lot of new innovations from the point of the different pain points they have of managing their menstrual flow, whether that be through sanitary protection. And there's obviously a lot of innovations with sustainability there.
I was reading the other day that there's a whole campaign for women that are living in deprived areas with reusable sanitary protection, which is brilliant and obviously that's going to help with landfill, but it's also very much more affordable for them, especially because there's charity's providing them. But on the other side, you know, another pain point for them is literally pain. And so there's a lot of innovations coming through to help women manage that on their monthly cycle so that they can actually maintain their life. Because if you imagine that women from a very early age, like twelve years old, right the way through to menopause, are going to be experiencing menstruation every single month, if they're having issues, then really that could impact heavily on what they're able to do in their life, so things that can help them manage that. So there's different pain products, there's different heat soothing to help with the cramps. So there's an awful lot more going on in that area for women. So it's really good to see that now. There's a lot more focus on helping women manage their day to day life.
[00:03:22] Speaker C: And I'm getting a sense that the value proposition of a pharmaceutical company in this area, such as Perrigo, is not just manufacturing the medication itself. There are services in terms of apps and wearables, and other ways to add value, rather than just running metrics on how many meds over the counter a company like Perrigo can sell.
[00:03:50] Speaker B: Absolutely. And I think that's the thing, is that the consumer has to be at the centre of everything. And so the experience that they have really has to encompass. The end point might be taking medication, but there's so much more that needs to be done to support them, to make sure that they are actually getting the information that they want. There's a huge educational piece that's required because we don't really learn a lot about our bodies at school. I know we all do biology, but we don't really learn that much that helps us on a day to day basis. So being able to understand why things are working the way that they are, we can then help ourselves. How these different therapies can interact with each other, that's also required. But then there's that support mechanism. And one of the things that we are very aware of is that women, there's quite a lot of taboos around talking about different areas in sexual health.
And that is something that women want to be able to have those conversations and giving them the platform to be able to link with like minded people and have those conversations as openly as they feel they want to is also obviously really helpful in supporting them.
[00:05:18] Speaker C: I want to talk more about the product development process and how is it best leveraged against consumer insights and market research in the development of new women's health products.
[00:05:30] Speaker B: Sure. So I think that really developments, they have to be grounded in consumer insights. I think that's the first point. It's fundamental to developing products that make a difference, is making sure that you've got a really clear consumer insight that's leading the innovation. So the first thing is who, who are we actually trying to address? You know, are we looking at a specific age demographic? Are we looking at a specific health issue?
For example, you know, we talked about menstruation earlier. You know, are we looking at women that are suffering particularly from heavy menstrual bleeding, for example?
Then the next point is, what is it that they're actually needing? You know, what's the problem that we're trying to solve? Are they trying to solve the problem? Let's take the menstruation as the example. Are they trying to solve the problem of having the bleed, or is it the actual impact that's having on their life? So, for example, is it that they need something that's going to give them the reassurance that they're not going to have a bit of leakage while they're out doing activities that they want to do? You know, is that the problem we're trying to solve, or is it the actual bleed? What is it we're trying to do?
And then we have to consider, why is it that those needs are not currently being addressed? What is it that's missing? Is there something, are products that are available or solutions that are available falling short? Are they underserved? What's actually happening?
And then obviously, from a competitor point of view, we need to see, well, what's already there that's trying to solve the problem.
And where are they falling short? What can we do to actually make a difference and have a differential there? And so what is it that's the problem with those?
Which then leads us to finding where there's a gap, a gap for things, for improvement or for something novel.
And then lastly, it's really thinking about how do we make sure that we actually have the capability?
Can we actually develop that ourselves or do we actually need to work in partnership?
But I think the other thing is that throughout this process is really that whole test and learn, testing the hypotheses of, like, the insights that we've actually first started with. Is that still true? Does this still resonate with consumers and making sure that we sort of, like, go that way? I think the biggest mistake is to try and have a product that you fall in love with and try and shoehorn it into a problem that doesn't actually exist. And I think that's what we have to try and do.
[00:08:23] Speaker C: Yeah, you mentioned partnerships before. Alison, can you tell me a little bit more about how you deliver innovation with collaborations?
[00:08:32] Speaker B: So I think it's impossible for one company to really have the solution for everything.
And so really identifying where those gaps are and where you need to partner is the first step. But then it's finding the partners that have the same philosophy, the same sort of, like, feel and passion that they want to deliver to the consumer is also key because I think, you know, if you, if you've got strategies that are at odds with each other, it's not going to work. So finding that is really important.
And then it's really down to how you're going to dovetail together to actually make that difference and make it stronger by having that partnership.
[00:09:22] Speaker C: Can you provide an example of how customer feedback has directly influenced the product innovation?
[00:09:28] Speaker B: Yes. So I guess one of the things that, that we particularly have worked on is on the contraception side.
And we found that there is definitely a gap with women being able to take control themselves and making that decision themselves as to what method they used. So just to explain what I mean, with contraception, the only methods that in the majority of countries across the world, that women can access themselves and make the decision when they start, when they stop, etcetera, are the least effective methods. When I say that, what I mean are things like condoms, maybe cats, maybe like using natural methods, the ones like the pills, the injections, etcetera, you have to see a healthcare professional to actually access those. So with that insight, one of the things that we worked on was how can we actually make women able to make that decision for themselves and access.
And that's one of the things that we've been working on for a very long time and actually came to fruition just last year in the US, where we were able to get the authorization for the pill to be sold directly in the store. So women don't need to now go and see their doctor, they can actually take it off the shelf and make that decision for themselves. And that's actually given them access to a much more efficient, effective method themselves.
[00:11:07] Speaker C: In making that decision and following that train of thought. Alison, looking at how best to respond to customer demand, how do you identify emerging trends in the women's health market?
[00:11:20] Speaker B: So, I mean, a lot of it is keeping your ear to the ground and seeing what's going on. We do actually do an awful lot of research with consumers on a yearly basis, but we also track trends, not just in healthcare, but trends that are happening with our consumers.
So the trends for more as one of the things I've mentioned before is about personalization. Well, that's not just about healthcare, that's about many things in our life. People are wanting to actually do things that are more personalised and specific to them.
[00:11:58] Speaker C: That's interesting. You mentioned trend. I wanted to ask you, how quickly can you move from recognizing a trend to product development and market introduction?
[00:12:08] Speaker B: That really depends entirely on what type of product we're actually planning to actually launch. So if you're talking about a traditional pharmaceutical product, obviously that takes a lot longer because you've got to have all the clinical trials and the licensing, which takes quite a long time. If we're talking about things that are more femtech orientated, it can be much, much quicker. So, for example, if it's the development of an app or something supporting women in that respect, we can go much faster.
[00:12:47] Speaker C: Okay. And can you discuss your approach to branding and positioning in this space?
[00:12:54] Speaker B: Sure. I think that branding is really very important.
It does really give that whole feel for what the brand stands for. A lot of people will actually buy something because of what the brand stands for.
And I think linking products together is also very important because if you're familiar with and supportive of a particular brand and then they come up with another alternative or another area that might help you, you're going to recognize that and you're going to see that there's the same kind of qualities that you can expect that come from that particular brand. So I think that, you know, branding can play a very big part in how consumers see products.
I mean, I think, you know, we all go into the store and have a look and there's a whole shelf of things that you're looking at. And we do tend to get drawn to the brands that we are familiar with because we understand what they stand for and what quality they're going to provide. If there's a completely new one there, you're going to take a little bit more time to think about that. As to whether you're going to invest.
[00:14:16] Speaker C: In that brand and in terms of your strategy for this, looking at e commerce and looking particularly at the long tail of women's health products, as a marketeer, how do you strategize or differentiate from the ecommerce consumer behaviour purchasing cycle to the traditional walk into the store?
[00:14:39] Speaker B: I think you have to see them almost together in some respects, because although the consumer that may buy online may be slightly different to the person that's going to constantly go into the store, there's still those. It's still about that awareness, you know, you're still there, you're still going to have that awareness going on in store. You need to link the brands and make sure that there's no difference between them.
In terms of the e commerce side, it does open up many more opportunities in terms of subscription. If it's. If it's a product that people are going to be using on a regular basis, that then leads to the whole convenience side, because people don't have to remember, oh, yeah, I'm just running out, you know, there's a lot more that you can do. There introducing potentially new brands directly to them in store. Obviously, you know, there's still a. Still definitely a place there, but in some ways, you have to work a bit harder to be attracted to the consumer in that way.
[00:15:48] Speaker C: That's really interesting, Alison. And certainly the e commerce space is very much where consumers are migrating to in this part of the world, certainly being led by Taobao and other platforms in China.
What's Perigo's activity in Northeast Asia? I'm thinking particularly for the chinese and japanese markets.
[00:16:11] Speaker B: Yes. So interestingly, we do have a presence there, particularly with our emergency contraception.
And actually, that's something that's quite topical. In Japan at the moment, there is a trial going on from the government to enable women to access emergency contraception directly in the pharmacy without needing to go to the doctor. Traditionally, people have had to go and get a prescription first, but this is actually now a pilot that's happening to trial to see if women can actually make the decision themselves going into the pharmacy. So that's a really big step forward, as you can imagine, women in that situation, there's a lot of stigma attached to this. So anything that can break that down is really going to help.
[00:17:05] Speaker C: Yeah. There's also different cultural sensitivities, of course, in China and Japan with regards to this. And I guess the next question is, how do you deal with regulatory compliance and the navigation, navigating these challenges across different regions?
[00:17:21] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, every country has its own different regulations, and you know that different health authorities in the countries will have a different view on whether they are willing or not for certain products to be available.
And it doesn't always come down to the medicine itself. Sometimes it does come down to cultural issues as well.
So we do have to take a lot of time to look at that.
We engage with stakeholders locally to find out what the current situation is and how we can best navigate that. So we do look to a lot of experts to help us with that, with navigating that. When I say experts, I'm thinking particularly of the key opinion leaders in healthcare. So your doctors, your pharmacists, etcetera, to help us navigate the best way around.
[00:18:24] Speaker C: That, I'd like to talk now about attitude, awareness and usage of products in emerging markets, such as those here in Southeast Asia.
Is there less awareness among consumers here towards women's health products? And if need be, how can we fix it?
[00:18:42] Speaker B: I'm not sure that there's necessarily less awareness. I think it's perhaps more of a cultural.
A cultural thing with. With willingness to sort of, like, talk about these different issues.
And I think, you know, that actually, with, with the technology now and people being able to look at things more privately, I guess, or discreetly, there is an opportunity there. I mean, just, just to give you an example, there is a company called Mobi. They've actually recently provided an app specifically aimed at Asia Pacific.
And the idea of this is to support couples during pregnancy and sort of like early parenthood, because what they found is that 85,000 women in the Asia Pacific region die each year in something related to pregnancy or childbirth, which is really shocking. I have to say. I was absolutely astounded when I found that out. And so, and this app is aimed at helping fathers as well as mothers to make the whole journey through pregnancy and through early parenthood much more collaborative. It helps them to see, on a day by day basis, what to expect at each stage, what to expect with their child's development.
And I think this is actually helping to really support people in that area where maybe there isn't that support that they can rely on. So I think that is actually really quite important.
[00:20:36] Speaker C: That's a wonderful initiative. And I think it's very easy to forget the hinterland and rural areas. Living in Bangkok or Jakarta or Singapore, we have these mega cities, but these issues are really grassroots issues.
Again, there are many, many women in rural areas. And I guess this is as much a marketing exercise as an educational exercise.
[00:20:57] Speaker B: Exactly. And I think that's the thing, is, you know, as I mentioned before, that, you know, education and knowledge is really important in underpinning this because, you know, we don't necessarily learn everything. And, you know, there is no magic book to tell you how to bring up a child. But, you know, if there's, if there's something that you can sort of like, ask questions and support and, you know, if you haven't got access to be able to go and see a doctor or go and see somebody, if you're in a more rural area, clearly this is going to help. And I think it's fantastic.
[00:21:29] Speaker C: And in terms of this product localization and adaption, how do Perrigo align their products to fit with the cultural and societal norms? Is this something that you would partner with or you would do exploratory field work yourself in these emerging markets?
[00:21:46] Speaker B: It's a combination, to be honest with you, it depends on the market.
In some, we will actually do it ourselves. In others, we will actually work in partnership where there is an established company that already have that relationship. So it really depends on the individual market as how we will approach it, but we are open to either being doing it ourselves or in partnership.
[00:22:14] Speaker C: And what are the most significant challenges in establishing a strong market presence for products in emerging markets?
[00:22:21] Speaker B: I think one of the key challenges there is actually being able to reach the consumer in a way that resonates with them. And so again, this is where, if we're already established there, we may well have the knowledge to be able to do that. But if it's actually a new market for us, we really do need to look to see, okay, what's the best approach? How are people actually engaging? Because there are definitely different cultural issues there in terms of how people engage with companies and with female health.
[00:22:59] Speaker C: And what would a timeline be like in terms of ROI and break even point for this investment in emerging markets?
[00:23:08] Speaker B: I think, to be honest with you, that's really difficult to answer because it's going to be going to depend on the individual market.
You know, that some of them are going to be much longer term investment before you're going to see the return.
And in those instances, you would try and go in a more staged approach. So starting small and then gradually expanding outwards.
But really, honestly, it depends on the individual market.
[00:23:41] Speaker C: Now, we can't ignore the AI conversation, Alison, as much as a lot of this research is qualitative and quantitative in the traditional realms of talking to consumers and getting consumer feedback. What's been the impact of AI in terms of your pharmaceutical innovation?
[00:24:00] Speaker B: So it does actually, it's interesting, artificial intelligence can actually help in development because obviously we do some social listening, we can find out what trends are, but it also can help to identify where there's linkage between different health issues. So that can actually help us in that respect.
And actually there is a femtech startup in Japan called Yorisol who actually uses artificial intelligence to facilitate communication between female users experiencing menopause and their male partners. And it means that they can actually, that the women log in what they're actually suffering from each day, and that actually, you know, is prompted by questions from an AI powered bot, and then that actually forwards those responses to their partner with suggestions on how they might actually support their partner that's going through the symptoms on that day. You know, it's quite an interesting use of AI, I think, you know, in, you know, creating almost sort of like bringing partners together more, if you like.
[00:25:20] Speaker C: Are there any other examples of AI inside your innovation space, Alison?
[00:25:27] Speaker B: We're actually perhaps not using it quite so much ourselves, but I know that there is also some work being done by Samsung. So, you know, this is where I think so many companies outside of traditional healthcare are actually moving into this space. So, for example, Samsung have developed an app exclusively for their tvs where people with those, with those with their smart tv can select sort of like their symptoms, put it in, say, how long they've been suffering from it, and then that will automatically connect them with a healthcare professional. It will link them and they'll have then an online conversation, but it can also link up with their watch or, you know, with their, with their phone so they can monitor their health trends. And I think, you know, this is actually quite an interesting development where there's companies out that you wouldn't normally associate with healthcare that are trying to move into this space.
[00:26:36] Speaker C: My last question is going back to menopausal women. And in this part of the world, there is stigma, and there is, to a larger degree, very little support and education in this space. How can women contact you? How can they get more engaged in the conversation?
[00:26:54] Speaker B: So, in terms of menopause, as I've mentioned before, there is a huge difference from woman to woman of how they're actually going to experience the menopause.
Interestingly, there is some evidence that shows that in more China, Japan, Thailand, in those areas, that maybe women don't suffer quite in the same way.
And part of that is down to the diet, the difference in diet that they have. However, it doesn't mean that they're not going to have any symptoms at all, because, you know, as I mentioned, there's like over 34 different symptoms. So the way that they experience menopause may be completely different. And I think, therefore, it is important that there is support provided that they can actually, like, engage with each other, look at, talk to each other, have those discussions, because there is still a stigma around this as well, around aging women and how we can age healthily in terms of the support that's available. There are many different platforms now that are working towards supporting menopausal women.
At the moment, we're not in that area, but we are working to come into that area.
But I think, you know, that I would encourage women to look and see what information there is online because there are so many more platforms now that are there to support them. And as I mentioned, the one that I mentioned earlier in Japan from Yorisol, with this artificial intelligence helping that communication, that's a good example of how support can help women in this time in their life.
[00:28:57] Speaker A: My thanks to our guest, Alison Slingsby. There on our website, you can find the program notes and a reading list for this episode. Hakikaizen is produced by DSA. We'll be back at the same time next week, but until then, from me, Graeme Newman. Many thanks for listening.
