Bright spots in health and wellbeing
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We are quite a way down the road from the Covid-19 pandemic, but the effects are still being felt. The pandemic prompted people around the world to focus more closely on their health and as the link between underlying health conditions and Covid fatalities became clear, interest in preventative health and wellbeing also grew.
Health and fitness rose to be ranked as the #4 personal value in 2020, up substantially from #12 in 2019 but even as the pandemic recedes it has risen further to be ranked as #3 personal value in 2022, according to GFK.
This may have been two years ago, but the latest consumer insights report, “Health, Nutrition and Rising Costs” reveals that despite the increasing prices of health and wellbeing nutritional products, consumers prioritise health and wellbeing, with 67% considering it a top priority.
This interest is driving stronger demand for health-related products and services. Consumers are adapting by budgeting more consciously and focusing on essential nutritional products, effective ingredients and holistic products.
Nutiani’s report emphasises the importance of brands implementing “inflation-resilient strategies and value-based innovations” to meet consumer demands and maintain engagement during these challenging times.
How can products and brands benefit from the growing focus on health?
Health and wellbeing will be a strong driver of growth for brands that are able to tap into the trend. Brands will have to communicate how products and services can help people’s ability to improve their health and prevent disease.
Brands can make high-performance features more appealing by highlighting the additional health benefits they provide. In product development, brands should consider adding features that enable healthier choices, as we have seen with ovens featuring steam functions. Consumers are attracted by the convenience of products that do more than one thing. With health a high priority, these features could elevate a product to premiumisation.
With the shift towards essential and effective nutrition, mindful consumers will recognise essential nutritional products, effective and science-backed ingredients, and the holistic value that the product delivers.
There is a massive opportunity for brands to tap on this demand by staying tuned to rapidly evolving consumer preferences in the current market.
Consumers are now turning to a broad range of channels to find information and inspiration about health and wellness and the effects on their lifestyle. Those brands and marketers that can, should take advantage of the omnichannel approach to sharing research-backed solutions and target the content and strategy to match each channel. This information should be broken down into easy-to-follow steps that are approachable, educational, and, most importantly, attainable.
Understanding the importance of wellness to today’s consumers – and exactly what the concept means to them – is an important opportunity not to be overlooked.
- Rodney Jack, editor, Food & Drink Technology.
Keep in touch via email: rodney@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @foodanddrinktec or LinkedIn: Food & Drink Technology magazine.
