Founded in 2015, MenoMe®’s one and only game is menopause. Developed by women, for women, it offers a range of natural supplements and so much more.
Dedicated to educating and uplifting women going through menopause, it’s transforming how Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural health product sector engages with consumers and drives brand awareness.
“I think women are drawn to us because we’re natural and we debunk the doom and gloom associated with menopause. We offer a money back guarantee on all our products when purchased from our website so as to de-risk their first purchase. Then they're delighted to discover that our products really work, and they become very engaged and loyal,” says Leigh Kite, MenoMe®’s Managing Director.
MenoMe®’s range includes Lotsalocks®, comprising keraGen-IV®, a functional protein extracted from the wool of New Zealand sheep, and Happy Go Tummy™ which combines award-winning Livaux® gold kiwifruit powder with a Fonterra sourced probiotic. Merry Peri™ and Perky Post™ round out the range offering broad spectrum support for perimenopause and post-menopause symptoms respectively.
All MenoMe® products are made and/or encapsulated in New Zealand and are distributed from here, being available for purchase online and in a select number of stores locally. MenoMe® is poised to develop its international presence and, to support this, applied for the FernMark accreditation for its products.
“I knew about the FernMark and how it is such a strong mark of credibility and trust,” Kite says.
“It promotes the incredible values that New Zealand represents on the international market and was a key factor in ensuring MenoMe® was best placed to commence our export journey.
“As an organisation which also mainly sells online, there is a lot of cynicism about online products, so the FernMark helps us dispel that and show that we are an authentic product from a country with a reputation for quality and authenticity.”
Kite, who has extensive experience in New Zealand’s natural health products sector, was inspired to develop menopause related supplements following her own experience with perimenopause.
“I was in perimenopause and didn't know it,” she says.
“Like most women, I thought that menopause was just about hot flushes. However, they are only one of 34 symptoms of menopause. At that time, I had been in the natural health industry for about 10 years and I didn't even know the range of perimenopause symptoms, so imagine how many other women also don't know.”
Menopause is considered somewhat of a ‘taboo’ subject and studies have shown that women are largely uneducated about this life stage.
MenoMe® helps women to prepare for entering perimenopause and to seek the assistance they need. MenoMe®’s website is full of educational resources, including case studies, free downloadable information, and a quiz – “Are you in peri or post-menopause?”. The business has also created the menopause podcast Women on Fire®, and has a closed Facebook community where thousands of women are connecting and sharing their menopause experiences.
Kite says this community building is key as research has shown that being able to talk about menopause and having a positive menopause experience are directly correlated.
Educating women is also key for MenoMe® in raising awareness about its products and helping women find supplements that relate to their individual needs.
“Products on a retail shelf do nothing for women if they're not educated on what they need and when they need it,” Kite says.
Now MenoMe® is looking to expand its product offering into high-demand products that tackle a variety of menopause symptoms and is mapping out export opportunities.
Kite says there is an opportunity for New Zealand’s natural health product sector in international markets and she expects sales to increase.
“Global demand is really driving new ingredient innovation in New Zealand and with our natural resources, quality systems, and our manufacturing base, I think our country’s natural health product sector is perfectly poised for growth.”