Needed launches first-of-its-kind education and influencer academy on instagram
Needed launches first-of-its-kind education and influencer academy on instagram
Bridging the perinatal nutrition gap with expert-led, social media-based education for brand partners and health-curious women
Perinatal supplement brand Needed is launching a first-of-its-kind perinatal health curriculum for influencers who partner with the brand.
Needed Academy is an Instagram-native learning centre for the brand’s health practitioners, advocates, and influencer partners.
Faced with the proliferation of outdated and inaccurate health information on social media, Needed is mandating all prospective partners complete and pass this curriculum. The initiative builds on Needed's reputation as a trusted source of perinatal nutrition expertise and addresses the critical need for accurate, expert-backed information for fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum.
Julie Sawaya, co-founder and CEO of Needed said:
“Nutrition is the foundation of any healthy pregnancy journey, but is mostly ignored in our current standard of care.
“Women are left to do their own research in a category that’s crowded with misinformation and we know social media is one of the places many turn to for answers. Needed Academy strengthens our commitment to expert-backed information and is the embodiment of the radically higher standard for education and responsible sharing that we hold ourselves and our partners to.”
A lack of information for women during pregnancy
With the average prenatal appointment in the US lasting only 12 minutes - often neglecting nutrition entirely - many women are left in the dark during a pivotal time for maternal and fetal health.
Alarmingly, Needed reports that 95% of women are nutritionally depleted before, during, and after pregnancy. Pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, pre-term birth, and other top risk factors for moms and babies all have a strong nutritional link.
"Most women in the US see an OB for their pregnancy, yet OBs receive very little nutritional training,” says Dr. Phabillia Afflack, MD, OB-GYN.
“The system just isn't set up for nutrition to be a focus of pregnancy care. Needed Academy provides critical information that every practitioner and woman on the motherhood journey deserves to know."
Democratising access to information
Needed Academy aims to bridge the nutritional knowledge gap, democratising access to vital information through a free, easily accessible program - and equipping health advocates to share the latest, evidence-based information.
Each Needed Academy session features leading women’s health experts who guide learners through:
The physical demands of fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum and what women’s bodies need nutritionally to thrive.
Why women need radically more nutritional support than the status quo delivers.
The science and clinical experience behind Needed products – and how to share about them responsibly.
Needed Academy curriculum draws from over 630 research studies that show nutrition guidelines are set well below optimal levels and was developed in partnership with Needed Changemakers, a subset of the company’s extensive network of over 4,000 health professionals - including nutritionists, dietitians, naturopathic doctors, midwives, and OB-GYNs.
Content takes approximately an hour to learn, followed by a short 15-minute quiz. Completing Needed Academy unlocks perks including commission, free products, discounts, exclusive sneak peeks, and more.
Beyond influencers and brand partners, the curriculum will be free and available to anyone seeking information around perinatal health, helping to democratise information around perinatal nutritional needs in one trusted-easy-to-access place.