Digestive disorders such as intestinal pain, bloating and inflammatory bowel diseases are much more likely to afflict women than men. Since intestinal microbiota is responsible for producing more than 95% of serotonin (dubbed the feel-good hormone) – sharing, producing and storing more than 30 neurotransmitters – that should be a concern for the health and welfare of all women.
Activia Canada – a brand associated with women for over 20 years due to its in-depth studies on their digestive health – decided to go beyond the realm of its products’ benefits and socially engage with women. The brand called upon the services of Will & Way to define and bring its social impact mission to reality.
The first step was to lead interactive discovery workshops with stakeholders and compile research to establish Activia’s impact mission: empowering women – and all those who identify as women – through gut health and social action.
And thus, the We’ve Got Guts program was hatched. The initiative aims to encourage Activia’s community and Danone’s employees to nourish their gut, to follow their instincts and to live their lives with confidence.
The concept for the social action program was to engage and mobilize Activia’s immediate stakeholders, namely consumers, employees, partners and influencers.
The We’ve Got Guts Forum – a public event that took place in Toronto – was intended to inform and inspire women with content and experiences related to digestive health and empowerment. Renowned speakers and digestive health experts who are recognized in Canada were brought together to create a strong and comprehensive event that included:
There were several highlights throughout the day:
“Conceptualizing and ultimately bringing to life an event that’s focused on digestive health and women’s empowerment is a true privilege. We bore witness to some strong emotional moments from a highly engaged group. When a Brand delivers a concrete commitment like this, we can see just how much difference a Brand can make.”
– Nadine Boustany, Director, Will & Way
It was important to launch the We’ve Got Guts initiative with a strong and unique brand identity and a graphic presence that would represent its philosophy, while all the while remaining consistent with the Activia brand.
The event’s microsite – which included its objective, schedule, gutsy speakers and registration options – was also created.
The event was made complete with the participation of Activia’s community partners: The Canadian Digestive Health Foundation (CDHF) and Dress for Success (DFS) Toronto. These two community partners were able to present their initiatives as well as interact with attendees. A clothing drive was organized to benefit DFS Toronto (with nearly one in three participants donating clothing) to help women better integrate into the professional world.
Credits:
