Ela Veresiu, an associate professor of marketing at York University's Schulich School of Business, has received a prestigious Insight Grant from the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) for her timely research project titled "Championing Belonging and Inclusion of Ageing Menopausal Consumers in Canada's Marketplace." This project is in collaboration with Schulich alumna Marie-Agnès Parmentier, a professor of marketing at HEC Montréal.
Ela Veresiu
Veresiu's project was inspired by a 2022 report by the Menopause Foundation of Canada, "The Silence and the Stigma," which showed that 72 per cent of women surveyed stated the advice they received on menopause was not helpful, while 87 per cent said they believe working women need support through all stages of life, including menopause.
Her research examines how menopause, a natural process of aging, impacts Canadian consumers and how the marketplace can better serve them. The project first seeks to understand how consumers' experiences of menopause are shaped by specific cultural and market constructions, and how menopausal consumers' interpretations of and reactions to their bodily changes shape their consumer behaviour and identity negotiations. Next, it plans to identify what obstacles are preventing innovation and product development in the menopause market and what inclusive practices practitioners can use to overcome these obstacles and best cater to menopausal consumers.
To accomplish these goals, the research team will: collect archival data on the topic from Canadian media, magazines, non-profit organizations and the medical community; conduct semi-structured, in-depth interviews with Canadians across menopausal phases; and engage in observation of online support groups. They will then find institutional entrepreneurs, established companies, and advertisers that are specifically catering to menopausal consumers through their market offerings and examine their segmentation and marketing strategies, as well as interview key employees.
"Ultimately, through this novel research, we aim to provide positive insights and instil positive change beyond theoretical advancements by empowering aging consumers going through menopause to insist that their changing consumption needs and wants are met by the marketplace," says Veresiu. "Simultaneously, we aspire to provide business leaders, entrepreneurs, other practitioners, and policymakers with the necessary tools needed to meaningfully engage and include the menopausal consumer segment."
Through her research, Veresiu hopes to help readjust the ageist and sexist attitudes regarding menopause that she believes are embedded throughout society.
This story was originally featured in YFile, York University's community newsletter.
