[00:00]
Hey, it’s Marc. So the remedy health and Pharma oriented story lines at the Olympics from Simone Bile’ ongoing mental health struggles to fellow gymnast Suni Lee’s come back from kidney disease. There are Pharma activations from companies like Eli Lilly and sanofi and for fleeting moments USA Rugby’s Ariana Ramsey’s experience with free healthcare at the games underscored the high cost of us care, but Health certainly formed a running subtext to the Summer Games and what may have been underappreciated was the greater emphasis on the needs of female athletes. This week’s guest explains how that greater Focus can translate to better health for all women Becky Edwards, chief communications officer at Organon brings us an Olympic game and women’s health perspective.

[00:42]
I’m Marc Iskowitz editor at large and welcome to the MM+M Podcast medical marketing media the show about healthcare and marketing writ large

[01:04]
Becky thanks so much for joining me today. Thanks for having me Marc. Absolutely. You had an extraordinary Communications career. You’ve had some really interesting roles over the years starting at Dow Jones. Can you please tell our audience about some of the roles that perhaps you feel were the most seminal? Oh gosh. This is like picking which kid you like best all of my roles. I think have billed on one another there’s a clear through line, which is that I’ve been lucky enough to be a Storyteller at organizations that have significant societal impact. So you mentioned Dow Jones I started there as a secretary actually and then I did some spec work for the Wall Street Journal and was able to work my way to being a reporter there. And then from there I moved to the business side of the paper and that’s what got my start in marketing and communication and I have worked at GE. I worked at the ioc as you’ve mentioned I have been

[02:16]
a committee hired you away from GE where you were I believe CEO of ge’s oil and gas division for Africa based out of London and they hired you to be

[02:26]
their director of strategic Communications and public affairs headquartered in Switzerland. I think you were there about a year and a half and tell us about how you arrived at, Oregon on. Oh, thanks for that question. Just one point of clarification while I was at GE. I got the wonderful experience of double hattings. So my role was both being the chief Communications officer for the oil and gas business and for sub-Saharan Africa, so it’s like a dual. Okay, but I left for the ioc as he said in 2017, unfortunately and and actually relevant to this conversation. I ended up not spending as much time as I would have liked at the ioc because my mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. So I thought the very real tug of balancing work and role responsibility as a daughter and a mother in my own family and in order to do so and ended

[03:26]
Leaving that role sooner than I would have liked to come back to the United States.

[03:31]
But as I said that my organ on role is thrilling because there are so few companies of the size.

[03:40]
That are solely dedicated to the help of improving Health outcomes for women. So when I got the call from a recruiter, I had never heard of organon.

[03:50]
And that was to be expected because organon was just born in 2021. It was a spin out from Mark and the idea behind the spin out was that we would be committed to advancing the health of women by bringing forward new Innovations improving choice of treatment options and expanding Access to Health Care Solutions, whether that’s therapies or devices to meet the unmet needs of women, so,

[04:15]
Who wouldn’t want to be at the Forefront of unleashing these improved outcomes, but me specifically because I am a woman and a lot of the health conditions that are unique to women whether they affect her disproportionately or impact her differently that point is exacerbated amongst communities of color. And so as a woman of color, I was very excited to be part of Oregon on and consider how we can advance the complete health of women at every stage of her life. Yeah. So terrific opportunity to do that and a biopharma that’s really focused on women’s health research and products. So your career, we used to gather those two interests the Olympic Games and Women’s Health and we’re going to talk about the intersectionality of those two themes today. We’re about a month removed from the summer games which ended August 11th and a couple of weeks from the paralympic games in Paris, which just ended

[05:15]
earlier this month

[05:16]
Firstly how did gender Equity show up at the 2024 Paris Olympics? Well, it was really wonderful to see how much progress has been made because actually when I was still with the ioc we were looking ahead to the games in Tokyo.

[05:33]
And I think that was going to Mark and if I’m correct, they achieved 49% female representation, but it was the first time that there was a focus on gender balance, I believe so, yeah.

[05:44]
So Paris, I mean definitely kept the momentum going and equal number of men and women competed and equal metal opportunities. And even in the US like many other countries, we saw women win more medals Olympic medals compared to

[06:01]
male counterparts so that put a real thrust and an accelerant to I think the momentum that we’ve been seeing for years on gender equity and how it plays out in sport stark contrast to a 1900 when only 22 out of of 997 athletes competing where women and that was only in two sports. I read tennis and golf so really interesting to see that this year. The game’s achieved that full gender balance. Well, you’re we talked about participation we talked about the increase in the events distribution, but I think we also got a real show a force in the power of viewership and Spectators ship and you know recognizing the importance of giving airtime to female athletes around the world. I was thinking about this was the first time the women’s basketball final was the ultimate of event in basketball right? It was the last

[07:00]
Of an air so a big deal for women on all in all facets.

[07:06]
Absolutely. Yeah that sport women’s basketball certainly enjoying a Resurgence of Interest all over the world. And that was the big part of it. Absolutely the second big woman’s health theme. I wanted to ask you about was the increased Spotlight on female athletes needs. How did that manifest it this year’s game? Yeah. There was a I think a big boost in visibility in more varieties of role models and more representation of the different sort of phases of life for a woman at the games. We saw nursery and daycares for athletes with children and Mental Health Resources that showed an important step in supporting women holistically because we know female athletes are so much more than their sport not only this but we saw the power of female athletes at all stages of their life. I mean my sport of rowing there were women in their 40s. We saw women who were competing and

[08:06]
winning while pregnant or recently postpartum. It was just such a

[08:11]
full and diverse expression of female

[08:16]
performance and all in many different aspects and with many different aspects of their life being represented. Hey, you mentioned nurseries and I think this was the first time mothers had been kind of supported in that way, you know, so they could compete at the Olympics and still, you know, breastfeed their children. What’s the significance do you think of that of having this kind of service available to female athletes? What kind of impact did that have? Well, I can only imagine like any other job a woman returning to work wants to not feel like they have to leave a segment of their identity behind or that they’re feeling fully supported in all aspects of their life that will enable them to bring their full self to work. So I think

[09:03]
a nursery at the Olympic Village is just like breastfeeding room at in an office location. It allows a woman to feel like no matter what circumstances are part of their life.

[09:17]
They can bring those considerations to the workplace fully perform their duties and also feel like their employer is recognizing or their workplace is recognizing that they’re more than well in the case of the Olympic Games the event that they’re participating in they’re more than that one role or task. Absolutely, right which is another step toward gender equality and you know, you mentioned awesome mental health and we see the the journeys if you will that Simone biles has been on with her own mental health was front and center and you know, we’re kind of in this sort of like the post Michael Phelps phase. You know, he kind of really put a spotlight on at a few years ago and we had actually on the podcast Alison Schmidt who was Michael phelps’s teammate as Olympic swimmer. She talked about, you know, her struggles with, you know, the suicide of her cousin and how she could have been more outspoken early.

[10:17]
and that could have maybe helped other people and now there’s more obviously conversation around it and it’s sort of helped all around I think, you know the athletes themselves as well as has been inspiration for others who are struggling with mental illness, but can you kind of give us your own take on how the games have addressed mental health issues specifically for female athletes

[10:36]
well, I think

[10:38]
Given the space that we work in marketing and media and Communications, I think one campaign that struck me.

[10:47]
As kind of really bringing this home was that Powerade pause is power campaign because I think it was inspired by Simone biles and part of what I thought was I mean obviously featured her prominently. I think what was so impressive about and what stood out to me is the idea of

[11:10]
Demonstrating that mental health issues are not a sign of weakness or even talking about mental health issues doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means that you are.

[11:22]
Powerful in your recognition of what it takes to perform right or that if you if what it takes to perform is a pause then that is just as important as the training you do every day as the nutrition that you ingest. Right? Like it’s a it’s a part of the full package of allowing you to express and be your best self.

[11:44]
And so I I don’t know if this is not what you were asking about like what campaigns I like to whatever but I do think the Powerade campaign and a lot of the campaigns that tackled Mental Health.

[11:59]
Show the essential nature of the work that we do right bringing a conversation to the four allowing it to penetrate the public Consciousness demonstrating stories that reflect the reality of everyday humans, maybe not just Olympians, but like every day humans giving us the vocabulary to talk about these issues telling us. It’s okay to talk about these issues and then giving us real anecdotes to work with and examples of solutions of how other people have pressed pause in their lives, even when they’re

[12:33]
at the highest Stakes of of performance like an Olympian.

[12:38]
Write these, you know Olympic athletes, of course, there are on another level right there on a level and we’re not them but they do go further than many of us think in terms of breaking the ice and helping the rest of society to to come forward and and you make a great point. You know, it’s it’s it’s not taking as a weakness as a sign of weakness anymore to mention these struggles that’s just life and it’s just makes you all the more you because you’re showing up with all these You know, despite all this and you’re being open about it about your struggles, so,

[13:08]
Point while taking I do want to bring up kind of a not so much a Counterpoint as just an alternative point of view, you know also my research I noticed there’s been quite a bit of press around Sciences sub-optimal literacy literacy. If you will about female bodies, for example, just Ennis Hill the British track star pointed out the lack of research into the impact of periods on performance. There’s also been a lot of media attention around how inadequately Elite Sport caters for athletes who become mothers and I think and His Hill said we still have a long way to go. It’s still quite a male-dominated area. Where do you see the next phase of change? What kind of Engagement in advocacy is necessary to keep this momentum going towards gender Equity. Well, I mean

[13:54]
There is no surprise to those counterpoints because the part of the reason for organon coming into existence is the woolfall inadequacy of research and focus on women’s health that would lead ultimately to treatments that are specific for women or the way women encounter similar diseases. So I guess I’m agreeing with your Counterpoint. And if the question is what’s the next stage for advocacy? I think you know addressing fundamental issues like improving gender equity and Women’s Health requires change at local National and international levels. So and it’s not just the burden of the public sector or the private sector it’s going to take convening and and listening first of all, I mean, I think a lot of what we’ve learned at organized that addressing disparities requires first hearing from the women in this case who have lived.

[14:54]
Lived experience is that we’re trying to overcome with improving research and education investing in Partnerships. The systemic biases require us to First listen and hear from those populations who have been underserved.

[15:13]
So women have a strong voice they have to have a seat at the table. And then I think the next step in advocacy is sort of what we have organized have tried to do which is

[15:23]
convening and catalyzing in East ecosystem of like-minded Partners and innovators who share this commitment to changing those systemic biases, so

[15:32]
In last fall organon participate in Apex in the United States, but this is sort of a an a coalition of Partnerships that exist year round. So Apex the Asia Pacific economic cooperation an organ on have a smart families initiative just as one example, and so this is a menu of options policy options.

[15:57]
That intend to be a comprehensive set of Family Planning policies developed to meet the needs that individual needs of women who wanted to decide their own family planning needs and timing and those countries who want to support those women whether it’s for economic reasons making sure they’re fully participating in the workforce. Whether it’s for demographic resilience, making sure they’re having families when they want to have families. So this type of public private partnership and setting out after listening setting out tangible practices and making sure that the innovative solutions are there in the market for the women who need them. Where are the challenges in ensuring that these movements and conversations bring lasting change and extend beyond the games.

[16:49]
The phenomenon that we just witnessed with the Olympic Games.

[16:53]
Not unique to sports seeing the positive outcomes of undoing the bias in that context of the Olympic Games can also help us to think about areas like healthcare.

[17:06]
Where women Health has often been overlooked research attention and investment have long favored Men’s Health Care needs perpetuating gender biases in drug developments. So

[17:17]
This leads us to a situation where we can take great examples, like what we saw in the Olympic Games. We can apply them to other areas of society like healthcare where or frankly anything because often in many aspects of a woman’s life are needs have been dismissed downplayed or deep prioritized. So the idea of advancing equity for women bringing forward new Innovations, improving Choice, whether it’s in treatment options or in the sport that you want to pursue expanding access in the same way that the sport World recognizes that the long overlooked role that women have played as athletes fans more.

[18:03]
People Like Us in healthcare have to pay attention to the ways women have been historically Left Behind when we listen and respond with meaningful changes and solutions. We can create a landscape.

[18:17]
Across communities that is not only more equitable.

[18:21]
But in genders more prosperity for everyone well said and you know, but before we let you go, I want to see if you could tell us about any other women’s health marketing campaigns that you feel stood out to you and you mentioned the Simone biles one and you know, just in general what opportunity you think the farmer industry has to show up at venues like the Olympics or other sporting events.

[18:45]
I love this question because I think the Olympic.

[18:47]
Are my Super Bowl? So like I look at the Olympic game campaigns and I think ooh, that’s cool. And I would mention two that stuck out to me one was things. It’s I’d never heard of figs, but the campaign caught my attention. It’s the brand that outfits the healthcare professionals that serve Team USA. So I thought their campaign was great because it under it it exposed and under exposed set of participants in the Olympic Games the people who are taking care of the athletes. So I love that one Bupa, which is a private Health insurer in the UK. I thought their campaign was amazing is amazing because it’s still ongoing in Saint Pancras in London, but a couple of reasons why I thought their campaign was great the concept was health is and so it was the idea of portraying health and how it looks in many different forms.

[19:47]
But also the execution was cool because they have print in Saint Pancras, but they also have Braille on the handrails and they have an audio component to the campaign. So it was super inclusive which I loved. Yeah terrific the second part of your question was sort of like what could we do as marketers? I think yeah, where are the additional opportunities for Pharma industry in general to show up at these kinds of venues? Yeah. Well, I think you know the cool thing is we’re not trying to make the case for Pharma and Healthcare to show up at the game’s. Alright long. It’s long in the past that anyone would believe that the games are just for cpg marketers, right? I think as you said Santa Fe Eli Lilly have proven that case and but now what I think about is what could we do differently in terms of our storytelling continuity? Because the way Paris in La were awarded was sort of in a package we have the opportunity for kind of cereal.

[20:47]
storytelling from the Paris games through to La which could be really cool and that then gets a question of how do we think differently or disruptively about campaign timing and distribution because traditionally Olympic campaigning or storytelling around Olympic athletes has been segregated to that time period just before the game I wouldn’t

[21:17]
Turn away if I started to hear storytelling connected already to LA.

[21:23]
And how that could build on the stories that marketers started telling for Paris.

[21:29]
Sure, that that makes a ton of sense. You need to build up to something like that in order to get the most out of it for sure. Well Becky. This has been a fascinating conversation. I do want to give you the last word here, you know you highlighted wonderfully, you know some of the gender Equity gains that we saw this year as well as the greater emphasis on the needs of female athletes, which was a very significant indeed. And then we also talked about the kinds of Engagement and advocacy that are needed to ensure that this momentum continues beyond the game is as well as some of the challenges there in but you know just kind of as a wrap up what are some of the key changes that were improvements that you hope to see in the next Olympic Games regarding any of these issues that we’ve discussed. Well, I’m totally all admit my own bias because I’m a rower rowing is my Sport and the sport of rowing has long enjoyed mixed gender.

[22:23]
So I really hope to see more mixed gender events because I think it’s a great way of promoting gender Equity. It encourages collaboration between male and female athletes you showcase gender equality by allowing women and men to compete together and then you enhance the inclusivity and the appeal of the games to a global audience and I think the other reason why I Look to this is a the next step in progress is because of the parallels to the corporate world and what we’re trying to do at organon. I mean, we are trying to make sure that there’s full representation of men and women at every level of our company because we understand the benefits of collaborating and we know that when you have a more diverse playing field in the core for world you get a better outcome.

[23:18]
So if I had to I’m there are already mixed gender events, by the way, but I would love to see more of that. Okay? Terrific. Yeah, we all would well this has been a fascinating conversation and talking about the intersectionality of women’s health and the Olympic Games. Thanks so much for joining us Becky. Thanks for having me Mark.

[23:37]
That’s it for this week. The mmm podcast is produced by Bill Fitzpatrick Gordon failure LeSabre Shack and Jack O’Brien. Our theme music is by cesium sohn rate review and follow every episode wherever you listen to podcasts new episodes out every week and be sure to check out our website. Mmm hyphen.com for the top news stories and farmer marketing.