Linking Wellness And Brand

According to a new study conducted by Edelman Wellness 360 in partnership with Edelman Berland, attitudes to health and well-being are changing with some ironic twists. Modern wellness goes beyond doctor’s visits, clinics, and gym memberships. A growing sense of mindfulness is bringing the mind and mind-body aspects of health into the norm, versus looking at health in terms of muscle and organ “mechanics”. What it means is: Well-being is no longer a health measure; it’s a life measure. And that holds great potential for marketers.

At work here is a trend called The “Now” Movement – which brings together the ‘in the moment’ aspects of the mindfulness movement with remixing traditions. Edelman’s study reveals there is ample opportunity to connect with consumers who attach great personal meaning to their health and potential. But there are curiosities in the data that hints there is much more that lurks behind the behavior.

• From the PEW study, 89% feel they are responsible for their own health and well-being.
• Despite an overwhelming majority mentioning the benefits of having a social support system, 43% didn’t ask anyone for help.

Clearly well-being is still perceived as mostly a private or personal experience which is ironic given the amount of everything else in modern life which is not private. Why would 43% not ask for help? Whatever the reason, it boils down to the fact that the individual did not have enough belief to drive action. When we look at this study in the full context of The “Now” Movement trend, it offers a possible explanation for the lack of belief.

Consider SoulCycle (Founder Julie Rice Pictured Above): This brand weds traditional fitness with elements of eastern spirituality (think Deepak). The addition of a spirituality layer is finding great appeal in our modern and increasingly agnostic society. 37% of the population acknowledges a higher power of some sort, and because they are not pursuing normal avenues to find that meaning, they are looking in many other directions. Micro-congregations happen every day at SoulCycle, Equinox, etc. While they are not religious, the communal value of celebrating each other’s desire to be healthier and happier is absolutely a spiritual win.

• 65% believe companies can do more.

The key word is “believe”. Many companies offer programs promoting fitness and wellness. In some cases, mentioning these amenities happens as HR is walking you to your cubicle on your first day, or it is deep inside the company SharePoint.

• 85% said they would more likely purchase from brands that are engaged in well-being pursuits.

Beyond event sponsorship or printed packaging, how can we know what a brand does to help employees’ wellness? Here are five ideas being implemented in varying degrees, and each one better tuned for some social amplification from employees’ networks.

1. Make sure your employees know what is available to them. Remind them with company internal newsletters, mentions at departmental meetings, even provide incentive – badge value or tangible, if this is something you want to drive.
2. Sustain interest by facilitating employee groups. 43% did not reach out for help in wellness, this is something companies can do without adding overhead.
3. Use competitions/challenges. If people see progress alongside those they compete with, you will trigger powerful primitive motivations.
4. Wellness in an hour. A masseuse in for afternoon, a yoga class during the lunch hour – something special, but not ridiculously expensive.
5. Serious wellness: At this level, you bring in a guru for a ½ day, full day, multi-day wellness training in pursuit of a better brand inside.

This type of news, and encouraging employees to share what they’re learning has tremendous potential. We are not trying to create any action with this strategy, only to generate some ripples with a little velocity. The social layer is the amplification layer, and while these types of pursuits don’t necessarily align with a specific campaign or a marketing objective, at some point in the future, a purchasing decision may only need a little lift from a social ripple to bring them into the brand.

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