Bayer for Women: Crafting hyperlocal narrative while leveraging the global identity

“WOMEN | Bayer”, a global effort to create awareness and inspire action around women’s health issues, is more than just a campaign. The comms team in India identified unifying framework of the initiative and extended its relevance beyond health to encompass all areas where Bayer supports women. They tailored the distinct visual and thematic identity of this global campaign to its local needs. The result: A contextually-strong, evidence-backed Bayer for Women movement in India, aligned with the brand’s vision of championing women-led growth in the country. 

See the Bayer for Women campaign video here. It emphasizes Bayer’s commitment to empowering women in social, economic, and personal aspect of life.

What is Bayer for Women and how did it come about?

For over 125 years, Bayer has been a part of India’s journey, contributing to its agricultural transformation and healthcare advancements. This legacy of innovation and sustainable growth goes hand in hand with a deep commitment to the country’s development.

As part of this journey, Bayer has launched numerous initiatives to ensure women’s wellbeing through access to health, education, and skilling and entrepreneurship opportunities. But over time, the team realized these efforts, though impactful, were often fragmented and led by different teams.

“We realized that, despite so many impactful initiatives, we were missing a common thread to bind them all together,” says Rachana Panda, VP & Cluster Comms Head – Bayer ASEAN, ANZ & South Asia, and a driving force behind this project. “We wanted to move from programmatic interventions to a broader narrative of impact and engagement”, she adds. 

Through the collaboration in the “Preserve the Uterus” campaign, we are working to raise awareness about alternative treatment options for HeavyMenstrualBleeding and reduce unjustified hysterectomies. More here in the Instagram video.

Where did you see the greatest scope for positive change?

Bayer recognized early on that true progress can’t come from addressing just one facet of women’s lives - it requires a more holistic approach. Health, education, livelihood, economic empowerment, and agency are deeply interconnected, and unless issues in these areas are addressed together, impact remains limited. This insight led Bayer to look inward - at the many standalone initiatives it was already driving, and ask a bigger question: How can we amplify the common purpose of our efforts across India? The answer was clear - bring it all together under a cohesive vision. That’s where the power of global identity stepped in, and when tied up with local efforts, it offered the perfect framework.

The team showcased stories under the campaign that revealed how Bayer was already making a deep and lasting difference in many areas of women’s lives, “education being one,” says Rachana. “We’ve adopted 125 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs), out of which 50 are in all-girls schools, focusing on fostering curiosity and innovation in young girls and bringing science-based learning to rural communities,” she explains.

Another focus is on building Agri-entrepreneurs. “Through Better Life Farming (BLF), one of our key objectives is to integrate women into mainstream farming, by economically and socially empowering them as farmers and entrepreneurs running their own BLF centers. The initiative helps women launch businesses in local communities as input providers,” she explains. While not exclusively for women, BLF encourages and enables female participation.

Health is also a critical pillar because the burden that women carry is not just physical but also mental, social and financial. Rachana says: “We have products like Saridon Woman to help women manage period pain. It is an innovative, first-of-its-kind solution to provide holistic relief from menstrual discomfort and allow women to carry on with life without disruption. Meanwhile, the Preserve the Uterus initiative addresses the alarmingly high rate of untimely and unjustified hysterectomies, raising awareness about safer, science-backed alternatives.”

All these efforts now come together under Bayer for Women. Rachana shares, “The campaign was less about launching something new and more about showing the combined impact that Bayer already has in millions of women’s lives and why we choose to stand with them, every step of the way.”

Can you tell us about how the whole project came to fruition?

To create a meaningful, long-term impact, we needed more than isolated initiatives, we needed a movement. That was the genesis of Bayer for Women, a campaign that brought together all women-centric efforts across Bayer India under one powerful, purpose-driven platform. Anchored in human-centered storytelling, the campaign aims to integrate, amplify, and celebrate the full spectrum of our work supporting women.

Once the "why" was clear, the "how" needed thoughtful planning. We recognized that for the campaign to resonate and endure, a strong and consistent visual identity would be critical, one that could unify diverse stories, evoke emotion, and instantly signal credibility. A visual language that wouldn’t just represent Bayer but represent women.

That’s where timing worked in our favor. The global launch of the WOMEN | Bayer identity came at just the right moment offering a cohesive system we could adapt for India. “It was almost plug-and-play,” recalls Rachana. “The mnemonic and Bayer cross logo were already created and approved. We simply contextualized the global identity for India, saving time and resources while ensuring alignment.” This visual identity became the face of the campaign across social, on-ground, and partnership platforms giving it instant recall and strategic consistency.

World days offered organic moments to connect Bayer’s mission with real stories of women making a difference. On Earth Day and World Water Day, we spotlighted women farmers using sustainable practices like Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) to conserve water. On World Health Day and International Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Awareness Day, we surfaced critical yet under-discussed issues like anemia in pregnant women and the rising concern of unnecessary and unjustified hysterectomies respectively. These stories coupled with women-centered campaign identity gave a fresh, human lens to these health and sustainability challenges - turning awareness into advocacy.

The campaign officially launched at a high-energy third-party partnership event, where hundreds of women, leaders, founders, and innovators, gathered. The new identity came to life through a stirring video that premiered at the event and later garnered strong traction on all our digital platforms. “When the video played, the room erupted with cheering, clapping, even a standing ovation. It was a powerful moment - not just for the campaign, but for what it stood for. A reminder that real change happens when purpose aligns with action”, shares Rachana. 

Localization without a loss of identity

The team in India knew that localization had to go beyond cosmetic changes - it had to be intentional and strategic. “While the Bayer for Women campaign drew from a global design, we adapted it with a sharp focus on local resonance without losing brand coherence. This meant recognizing that even a small visual shift like adding a cape to a woman conserving water could turn a message into a story of local heroism while staying true to the brand’s global identity”, Rachana says.

The team wanted to prioritize authenticity, elevating real stories of impact over generic empowerment themes. As Rachana notes, “This thoughtful approach helped us create a campaign that didn’t just communicate - it connected, building an organic digital space where women’s voices could be seen, heard, and shared meaningfully.”

Looking ahead

Though still in its early stages, the Bayer for Women campaign is demonstrating meaningful traction with a reach of ~2 million across platforms.

Rachana explains, “Looking ahead, we will sustain the momentum through the ongoing digital partnership. Our focus is on demonstrating tangible impact by September, even as we remain mindful of digital fatigue. The future phases will require creative evolution to keep the campaign relevant while staying anchored in its core mission: empowering women in real and measurable ways.”