HEALTH AND WELLNESS A VIRTUOUS CYCLE
It now sits at the confluence of two blurring lines; nature and science; physical and emotional.
Data and tech have become an intrinsic part of wellness against a backdrop of a rising ‘anxiety economy’. The ability to measure everything places us in a difficult position – are we measuring our health metrics to such a degree that it’s negatively impacting our mental health?
Self-awareness to the next level
Driven by greater education and personalisation demands, data and tech have made self-awareness in the sphere of wellness accessible and integrated.
A deeper understanding of not just physical activity, but also sleep patterns, heart rhythms, supported mindfulness and macro-nutrient monitoring, means we understand more about ourselves than ever before. The connection between physical and mental health has never been more important (or obvious) to consumers as they constantly track their own lifestyles.
Health and wellness brands need to be able to play across the entire mind-body spectrum, understanding the connection between brain function and emotional health in addition to physical improvement and gut health. Product extensions that aim for a balance of ‘work, rest and play’ to inspire aspirational health routines. See how our work with Bio-Kult helped consumers navigate this spectrum of mind-body and lifestyle products here.
Self-care beyond the physical
Healthy-living is no longer polluted by the language of weight-loss, diet and body image. The focus of self-care, particularly in nutrition/supplements/beauty, is instead moving towards making the healthy choice, but also the ethical and sustainable one.
These ‘healthy’ decisions are also ‘mindful’ decisions. Aiding both personal physical wellbeing and the mental wellbeing of knowing you’re doing something that’s right for people and the planet. The pursuit of healthier options sits closely in tandem with ethical values as consumers become increasingly aware of animal welfare, natural resources, energy use and environmental impact.
Self-creation with purpose
As physical and emotional wellness lines blur, we see a metric that can’t truly be measured becoming increasingly important. Happiness as the ultimate form of both status and healthy self-expression.
As consumers begin to understand and make choices based on what brings them happiness in the most rounded sense, they also begin to understand what’s most important to ‘measure’ for themselves. ‘Self-awareness’ is re-defined, not by data, but by purpose. Consumers refine their own Self-awareness and Self-care rituals by connecting with brands that share their own values and beliefs.
Wellness brands must clearly define their own purpose and tangibly demonstrate it in their actions for people to feel that they can be part of their own wellness ecosystem – fulfilling both physical and emotional needs. We worked with beauty brand Scence to bring their purpose to life in brand identity and innovative, plastic-free packaging to clearly live their sustainable purpose – see the case study here.
