At our webinar last month, we did a deep dive into wellness, using our fresh global data to unpack why every brand should have a wellness strategy, no matter their sector. From finance to utilities, luxury to travel, no industry is immune from the consumer desire to safeguard their wellbeing in every aspect of life. It’s why, by some estimates, the global wellness industry is worth $1.5 trillion, and it’s only set to grow.
Harnessing analysis from our global research programme, we’ve identified 10 key wellness horizons and opportunities of tomorrow that brands need to keep an eye on today. Below, we reveal a handful of these themes, highlighting how they are manifesting in consumer behaviour and what brands can do to act on them. To watch the full webinar, click here.
1. Positive Indulgence
Our first wellness horizon, Positive Indulgence, is all about how consumers view treating themselves as a fundamental part of wellbeing.
In fact, 58% of consumers globally say that watching a favourite TV series is the how they maintain their general wellbeing – even higher than getting enough sleep, exercising, or spending time in nature or with friends.
How to act: Reframe indulgence as healthy.
If your product or service is traditionally indulgent, promote the occasional treat as an integral element of overall wellbeing. Even when there isn’t an obvious reason, consumers are keen to find opportunities to indulge – both with others and by themselves. By creating messaging that justifies celebration for even the smallest wins (or losses), you can support consumers in creating space for self-care.
2. Health = Wealth
Wellness horizon number 2, Health = Wealth, explores how wellness has become the new major status symbol.
There’s an intrinsic link between luxury and wellbeing in the minds of consumers. This is especially true in South Korea and the US, where nearly 1 in 5 consumers say that “being able to take care of my health” is their top description of luxury.
Supplements company BRAINLUXURY is one brand that’s taking notice of this connection. They position “optimum performance” as a luxury, offering products that work with natural brain waves to boost sleep. The brand is launching a “natural excitement” supplement beverage in 2022, and they also have a brain concierge who can offer one-to-one, personalised guidance.
How to act: Capitalise on the wellness premium.
There are clear opportunities to create premium wellness offerings – and those which are easily shareable and make people look as well as feel good will be even more favoured.
3. One World Wellness
The third wellness horizon to bear in mind, One World Wellness, looks at how consumers are connecting their own wellbeing to the health of the planet.
Our data shows us that there is a strong correlation between happiness and living sustainably. Among the 48% of global consumers who are overall happy, 59% have adopted a more sustainable lifestyle.
And, when we look at the changes consumers make to their lives in order to be happier, adopting a more sustainable lifestyle is the top one made by consumers who are happy.
How to act: Broaden your positioning, linking sustainability and health.
Show how your brand’s sustainability actions not only help to mitigate climate change (and safeguard natural ecosystems and biodiversity) but how you therefore also safeguard and improve human wellbeing in the face of eco-flux.
4. Progressive Prescriptions
The fourth wellness horizon is Progressive Prescriptions, which is all about how healthcare and preventative interventions are expanding beyond pharma. Consumers are welcoming alternative solutions for health and healing, countries are decriminalising certain drugs, and experts are prescribing novel forms of therapy such as spending time in nature, visiting museums, and watching comedy.
Tapping into the rise of alternative wellness solutions, Psychedelic Water is a psychoactive beverage that claims to enhance mood, creativity, mental clarity and bliss.
How to act: Explore how your brand could position as a wellness prescription partner to the formal healthcare sector.
For example, if your offerings are associated with stress relief, general wellbeing or outdoor leisure, then explore how to communicate these benefits and create formal links with the healthcare sector. Could you foresee a future where medical professionals prescribe your offering as a treatment or preventative activity?
What else can we expect from wellness in the future?
From Ingestible Wellness to Financial Wellness, Mindset Magic to Wellness on the Move, there are many more aspects of consumers’ lives and commercial decisions that are being impacted by wellness. To see beyond the noise of today and understand how to plan for tomorrow, watch our full webinar here.
