Position Paper 2 - Image Enhancement

 Philosophy: Hope & Grace Initiative

For as long as I can remember, I have been gifted a Philosophy product for Christmas. When my brother was younger, he would receive the Christmas Cookie fragranced shampoo and body wash. He would stock up on them and smell like sugar cookies year-round. They no longer make his favorite Christmas Cookie fragrance, but I'm fond of the memory. Although anything vanilla fragranced isn't my favorite, it is rare for me to be disappointed by anything by the brand. 

Philosophy sells skin care products such as face wash, serum, moisturizer, lotion, shampoo, body wash, perfume, and more. The company was founded in 1997, and its headquarters is located in New York City. The brand is trendy, and its most popular fragrance is Amazing Grace, which was America's #1 perfume last year. 

Hope & Grace Initiative: Research

I was pleased to discover how much Philosophy does regarding mental health awareness through their hope & grace initiative. I admire their efforts because they promote mental health while enhancing their image. According to Philosophy:  

"Supporting women’s mental health and wellbeing is vital to building stronger communities and a better society, and philanthropy can help lead the way."

Philosophy released a report titled, Helping Women out of the Shadows, which discusses their philanthropy and initiative. The information goes into detail regarding the need to focus on women's mental health awareness. For example, according to the report, women are twice as likely to suffer from depression as men. Women are also more likely to suffer from phobias, develop an anxiety disorder, or develop PTSD after a traumatic event.  

Due to children having a "unique set of challenges, systems, and interventions" for mental health, Philosophy mainly focuses on women in their late teenage years and older.

The report also discusses how mental health risk factors are more prevalent among women. For example, it has been found that women report higher stress levels than men. Philosophy also lists factors that contribute to mental health and how many women will experience these things in their lifetime: 

• 1 in 6 women has experienced stalking victimization.
• 1 in 3 women will experience severe violence by an intimate partner.
• 1 in 5 women will report being raped.

These statistics are staggering. A quote included from the World Health Organization states: 

“Effective strategies for [reducing mental health risks] cannot be gender neutral while the risks themselves are gender specific.”(source)

According to Philosophy, there are "seven opportunities to lay the groundwork for systemic change." These include: 

1. Help build a body of evidence-based, gender-responsive interventions.
2. Provide capital to for-profit and nonprofit solutions.
3. Spearhead education about stigma.
4. Develop field-wide capacity and coordinate philanthropic efforts.
5. Improve the provision of care.
6. Advocate for women’s mental health policies—and the resources needed to enact them effectively.
7. Demonstrate the effectiveness of gender-responsive programs at the community level to demonstrate the potential for impact elsewhere.

The report released by Philosophy includes tons of research regarding women's mental health. This alone presents how dynamic the company is concerning its philanthropy. Mental health is something that needs to be taken seriously. Philosophy sees the need to do something about it. 

Hope & Grace Initiative: Outreach

How does Philosophy raise awareness about mental health? Every purchase helps support community-based mental health efforts, and 1% of Philosophy's sales are given towards the cause. According to Philosophy, $5,400,000 have been donated, and there have been 91 grants, 74 organizations, and 1.8 million women supported due to these donations.

Philosophy uses media to promote mental health. For example, the brand has a video titled, "How are you, Really?" that helps support the hope & grace initiative while also promoting mental health and how to care for it:

"We all know one... 1 friend, 1 niece, 1 daughter, 1 sister, 1 aunt, 1 mother, 1 grandmother - who may be among the 1 in 5 people struggling with a mental health issue. We believe that when we address the wellbeing of just one in our community, we bring hope and grace to all."

                                                                                                            - Philosophy 

Philosophy also uses their Instagram for positivity. For example, they post positive quotes and advice on their Instagram and other social media platforms. 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by philosophy (@lovephilosophy)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by philosophy (@lovephilosophy)

 

Conclusion

I love Philosophy's initiative because they not only support women's mental health awareness, they educate others on mental health regarding women. Many people do not understand mental health in women or how prevalent it actually is, especially in a social media-based society. I find it inspiring when companies and brands use their platforms to educate others and apply a positive outlook on social media to promote women's health. By researching this initiative, I have learned more about women's mental health, and I plan on supporting Philosophy and their charity in the future.