Protection for the Protectors: The New Carefree Masterbrand Shines a Light on Motherhood
In the world of feminine care, there are numerous products geared toward helping women take control of their periods. However, as soon as a woman becomes a mother, they might feel overlooked and ignored. Carefree is breaking through and changing this trend! Nicole Harris, Head of Marketing, Fem Care, worked to help launch Protection for the Protectors, the new integrated campaign that supports the struggles and strength forged through motherhood. She sat down to discuss and share a bit more about the new Carefree Masterbrand, and its road to launch.
Q. Can you speak about the process of bringing the Masterbrand to life, from conception through to launch?
A. Bringing Carefree Masterbrand to life is a massive accomplishment that goes beyond introducing a new range of pads. It means giving moms the long overdue place and recognition they deserve in the feminine care aisle. As soon as a woman becomes a mother, they have an instinct to protect their child at all costs. Carefree believes that mothers should have the same level of unwavering protection they give their loved ones every day.
Carefree Masterbrand represents our commitment to providing superior products designed to meet a mother's unique and evolving feminine care needs. Our campaign, Protection for the Protectors, highlights this commitment by embodying a mother's protective spirit.
Q. Can you take us through the process behind this new innovative marketing approach - why now? What were the key elements of the Masterbrand launch that the teams investigated?
A. Our work on Masterbrand began shortly after the pandemic, which was a challenging and unprecedented time for everyone, but had a unique impact on mothers. The pandemic caused mothers to reassess and reset expectations, and to stand up for their family’s needs. And on a personal level, moms got real about the help they are lacking and the antiquated expectations that were highlighted by mom being back at home 24/7. We dove deep into our research to understand mothers today and surveyed 1,000 of them. We found that the majority of these women universally experienced physical and mental tolls from motherhood. 65% admit that they are struggling with mental health and burnout. Physically, they are experiencing unpredictable changes with LBL (Light Bladder Leakage) and heavier and sporadic menstruation flows. But despite this, when asked about their experiences, half of them said that becoming a mother has made them stronger and the difficulties they encountered helped them develop empathy, and confidence. This realization was the inspiration behind our consumer truth.
Q. What were the goals for the Mastercare launch and how will this separate Carefree from other feminine care brands on the market?
A. When we looked at our brand’s perception within the broader competitive set we found that Carefree firmly stands as a trusted and reliable brand with women. We also discovered an opportunity to fill a gap within the category by emphasizing our reliability and positioning Carefree as the modern and inspiring antidote to the daily challenges moms face. From a product perspective, Carefree will be the only brand clearly driving a pads & liner regimen with multi-fluid and odor control. We are also delivering more sustainable options to pad users with a super soft, non-plastic top sheet with no efficacy tradeoffs.
Q. Who is the target audience for Carefree Masterbrand and how will you continue to serve this consumer?
A. Our target is the “Ringleader Mom”. She has a full plate and always puts family first, which means her needs fall to the bottom of the list. Her feminine care needs are at a prime due to the physical changes that come with motherhood. Carefree is stepping in to be her advocate and putting her needs at the top of our list. We’re not just selling Carefree liners, we’re selling the Carefree system, which provides her protection every day of the month.
Q. Can you speak about the motivation behind the marketing portion of the Masterbrand expansion?
A. Protection for the Protectors means All Day, All Night, Everyday Comfort & Protection. We keep it real with products built to withstand the feminine care needs of motherhood. Our creative shows Moms how we see them, and our products walk the talk to help them get more out of them every day. We’re for the unfiltered moms, who come in all shapes and sizes, can be any age, and come from all walks of life. They can’t be defined by a certain demographic, but one thing unites them. They’ve been in the trenches of motherhood.
Q. Why is this launch so important for Edgewell, the category overall and our consumers?
A. We are challenging the societal norms by presenting an honest and unapologetic portrayal of motherhood. We aim to relate to all women, regardless of whether they are mothers or not. Our honesty and unwillingness to shy away from speaking boldly about feminine care challenges positions us as an ally for all women and shows we’re a brand they can trust.
Q. Can you speak about the process of bringing the Masterbrand to life, from conception through to launch?
A. Bringing Carefree Masterbrand to life is a massive accomplishment that goes beyond introducing a new range of pads. It means giving moms the long overdue place and recognition they deserve in the feminine care aisle. As soon as a woman becomes a mother, they have an instinct to protect their child at all costs. Carefree believes that mothers should have the same level of unwavering protection they give their loved ones every day.
Carefree Masterbrand represents our commitment to providing superior products designed to meet a mother's unique and evolving feminine care needs. Our campaign, Protection for the Protectors, highlights this commitment by embodying a mother's protective spirit.
Q. Can you take us through the process behind this new innovative marketing approach - why now? What were the key elements of the Masterbrand launch that the teams investigated?
A. Our work on Masterbrand began shortly after the pandemic, which was a challenging and unprecedented time for everyone, but had a unique impact on mothers. The pandemic caused mothers to reassess and reset expectations, and to stand up for their family’s needs. And on a personal level, moms got real about the help they are lacking and the antiquated expectations that were highlighted by mom being back at home 24/7. We dove deep into our research to understand mothers today and surveyed 1,000 of them. We found that the majority of these women universally experienced physical and mental tolls from motherhood. 65% admit that they are struggling with mental health and burnout. Physically, they are experiencing unpredictable changes with LBL (Light Bladder Leakage) and heavier and sporadic menstruation flows. But despite this, when asked about their experiences, half of them said that becoming a mother has made them stronger and the difficulties they encountered helped them develop empathy, and confidence. This realization was the inspiration behind our consumer truth.
Q. What were the goals for the Mastercare launch and how will this separate Carefree from other feminine care brands on the market?
A. When we looked at our brand’s perception within the broader competitive set we found that Carefree firmly stands as a trusted and reliable brand with women. We also discovered an opportunity to fill a gap within the category by emphasizing our reliability and positioning Carefree as the modern and inspiring antidote to the daily challenges moms face. From a product perspective, Carefree will be the only brand clearly driving a pads & liner regimen with multi-fluid and odor control. We are also delivering more sustainable options to pad users with a super soft, non-plastic top sheet with no efficacy tradeoffs.
Q. Who is the target audience for Carefree Masterbrand and how will you continue to serve this consumer?
A. Our target is the “Ringleader Mom”. She has a full plate and always puts family first, which means her needs fall to the bottom of the list. Her feminine care needs are at a prime due to the physical changes that come with motherhood. Carefree is stepping in to be her advocate and putting her needs at the top of our list. We’re not just selling Carefree liners, we’re selling the Carefree system, which provides her protection every day of the month.
Q. Can you speak about the motivation behind the marketing portion of the Masterbrand expansion?
A. Protection for the Protectors means All Day, All Night, Everyday Comfort & Protection. We keep it real with products built to withstand the feminine care needs of motherhood. Our creative shows Moms how we see them, and our products walk the talk to help them get more out of them every day. We’re for the unfiltered moms, who come in all shapes and sizes, can be any age, and come from all walks of life. They can’t be defined by a certain demographic, but one thing unites them. They’ve been in the trenches of motherhood.
Q. Why is this launch so important for Edgewell, the category overall and our consumers?
A. We are challenging the societal norms by presenting an honest and unapologetic portrayal of motherhood. We aim to relate to all women, regardless of whether they are mothers or not. Our honesty and unwillingness to shy away from speaking boldly about feminine care challenges positions us as an ally for all women and shows we’re a brand they can trust.