There’s one constant theme through recent uncertainty. It’s that consumers are prioritizing what really matters: their health and wellness. They are purposefully seeking brands that empower their efforts towards better living.
What motivates these consumers? A powerful trio of positive emotions: Resilience, Empowerment, and Gratitude. It’s not just a reaction to the pandemic, but a long-term effort to live aligned with personal values and engage with brands that support those values.
Wellness is about deliberate lifestyle choices that help us thrive in mind, body, and soul. How can brands capture new wellness priorities? From storytelling to services, brands today have options to reshape how and what they can offer consumers.
Convert the motivations to motivators. Put your customers in control, help customers rediscover and reset lost routines, and support meaningful connections.
Control – Empower the self
Consumers today want control. They believe wellness happens on their terms via their choices, and they’re far more willing to take action for positive societal effects.
It starts with reclaiming beauty as confidence. Beauty routines need to empower people, not keep them down. Beyond body positivity and inclusivity, progressive brands are flipping the script and helping consumers reclaim and celebrate their (simply human) flaws. It makes beauty products and treatments into an “upper” instead of a “downer.”
For example, Starface makes fun, colorful medicated stickers to paste over acne pimples. Their branding encourages teens to destigmatise breakouts and accept these imperfect spots as a perfect celebration of their growth. Megababe uses campaigns featuring real women of all body types to promote their solutions to real problems like sweat and chafing that the beauty industry rarely talks about.
Reset – Mind, body, and soul
Healthy living is all about balance. Do too much or get too little, and the equilibrium goes off. Brands are helping consumers to reset while reflecting lifestyle rhythms, and tuning into immersive auditory experiences.
Remote working has increased the need to take micro-breaks throughout the day to stay active. The rise of short-form videos on social media (like TikTok and all the others) has democratised discussion of many complex mental health topics. These mini-breaks—produced by mental health professionals and everyday people—are increasing awareness and creating safe spaces to learn about difficult conditions.
Health isn’t just about what you see or do, it’s also what you hear. Brands like Quiet Parks use music as medicine, with immersive auditory experiences that enhance emotional well-being. Focusing on an often-neglected part of the human experience—sound—lets consumers rediscover peace and quiet.
Connect – Build meaningful relationships
Connection is an expression of self-identity. Wellness crosses boundaries, becoming a common denominator that connects people with themselves, with others, and with nature.
Festivals like True North offer multidisciplinary immersive experiences that let people explore mindful transformations while making new friends. On the other hand, brands like Arc'teryx paired up with nature adventure collective Usal, creating a series of community events to help people cultivate a connection with the natural world.
Brands that offer the chance for people to connect can reap dividends in deeper engagement and amplified awareness.
Taking Action as a Brand
To tap into consumers’ need for better health and wellness, consider these 5 steps to reframe your brand and marketing.
- Take a stance: Remember many health issues are isolating and intimidating. Shine a light, and advocate for hidden and unmet needs.
- Content and activation: Reframe your brand in terms of achieving better health so consumers are more open to your message in the first place. This message is much deeper than simple choices about what to buy and use.
- Design and comms: Make it easier for consumers to act on their better impulses for health. Your brand can shift them from "I know I should be healthier" to being able to act. Make your design, copy, and tone of voice friendly and accessible to all.
- Partnerships: Align with like-minded partners in their health and wellness offerings: this associates your brand with theirs and introduces you to their clientele. That way, you can find people who are already receptive to you.
- Experience: Consider ways the experience of your brand can give consumers control over their own health and well-being. It might be your own product or service, or it may be participating in experiences in the community. Be a positive part of your consumers’ daily life.
About Noorul Malik
Noorul is the Marketing Manager of APAC. With 5 years of experience she is responsible for the increasing brand awareness and supporting growth of SGK across Asia Pacific region. From healthcare to consumer marketing, she has the experience of working with clients from across various verticals throughout her career.
