HEALTH + WELLNESS DEEP DIVE

Transcription

1 A BEST PRACTICES REPORT ON WAYS TO ACTIVATE MESSAGING AND COMMUNICATIONS WITHIN THE WORLD OF WELLNESS

2 The Hartman Group series of health and wellness syndicated studies is the longest running consumer-centric study of the U.S. wellness marketplace and provides current, comprehensive insight into underlying motivations and behaviors for how and why consumers live, shop and use brands, products and services in the health and wellness space. Health + Wellness Deep Dive 2011 builds on the rich insights and implications uncovered in rom our 2010 Reimagining Health + Wellness report and is an exploration into the key dimensions of consumption in the World of Wellness. Health + Wellness Deep Dive report provides comprehensive best practices from which to activate health and wellness messaging and communications. Where do consumers place your brand in the World of Wellness? Hartman Group research continues to show that consumer interest in pursuing healthier lifestyles and a higher quality of wellbeing is on the increase: As documented here in our 2011 Health and Wellness Deep Dive, consumers increasingly understand wellness to be a positive proposition rather than a perfunctory one. Thus, observed as a powerful on-going trend, we are witnessing a cultural shift from health toward quality of life. We find that consumers are increasingly thinking and talking about wellness in terms of quality of life where non-physical notions of well-being (mental, emotional, and spiritual) are just as important as physical well-being. Quality of life accommodates variation in individual desires, needs, lifestyles and goals and illuminates the role of indulgence and pleasure as essential components of wellness. Along with concepts linking to quality, other "dimensions of consumption" (a term created by The Hartman Group in the development of the World Model 15 years ago), drive the values that inform consumer behavior in the World of Health and Wellness (H+W) and include Price, Convenience, Brand, Experience, Expert Opinion, Fun/Enjoyment, Knowledge, Authenticity, and Sustainability. With all consumers participating in H+W lifestyles, we see great opportunity ahead for manufacturers, retailers and foodservice providers to strengthen H+W halo's and drive sales growth by effectively executing programs and tailoring messages that relate key H+W Dimensions of Consumption to the type of H+W consumer their brand speaks to.

3 METHODOLOGY Integrated qualitative ethnography and quantitative online survey. Qualitative fielding in two major US markets: Atlanta and Seattle. Methods used: Ethnographic interviews and Social Network Party group interviews. In these interviews we conducted home visits, shop n talk store visits (for one-on-ones), homework, and exercises related to health and wellness in order to clarify and explore survey findings regarding consumer-centric language and meanings around the topic across several categories. Quantitative online survey: nationally representative sample of 1,713 U.S. consumers years of age to quantify and analyze trends, with topics including, but not limited to: Dimensions of consumption The meaning of H+W Information sources used Channels used for wellness products Labeling, claims and call-outs Fielding was completed August TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction and Executive Summary 2. The World of Wellness In this section we introduce the Hartman Group World Model and explain the meaning of Wellness for consumers 3. Communicating Dimensions of Consumption In this section we define and explain the Dimensions of Consumption in the World of H+W and outline Best Practices for executing on each at the product and retail levels, accompanied by best in-class examples Dimensions tend to cluster to form the defining characteristics of H+W consumer segments 4. Communicating H+W in Product Categories In this section we provide the key qualitative and quantitative consumer insights regarding product attributes and messaging (e.g., certifications and labeling) and provide Best Practices for executing on key product and brand elements with best in-class examples. Three product categories are explored: Food & Beverage Personal Care OTC/VMHS 5. Communicating H+W at Retail In this section we provide the key qualitative and quantitative consumer insights regarding health attributes, specialist services, and nutritional programs at retail. Three retail channels are explored: Food stores Drug stores Mass/Discount stores Best Practices for executing on key retail elements are provided with specific recommendations for each one 6. Communicating H+W in Food Service 7. Information Sources and Social Media 8. Conclusion

4 Where Do Consumers Place Your Brand? Results are in. One aspect of the Health + Wellness Deep Dive measures consumer perceptions of select brands and companies in three key areas: Health and Wellness halo, product quality and likelihood to purchase. Perceptual mapping is provided for three segments: food and beverage CPG companies, food services / restaurants, and food retailers. Findings are presented in two complementary ways: charts plots each brand s Purchase Likelihood (represented by marker size and color) against its H+W and Quality ratings, and tables for each of three rating types, compares the distribution of positive ratings across Core, Mid-level and Periphery consumer segments. Marker size/shade indicates Purchase Likelihood: Dark blue (greatest), Medium blue (mid-range), Light blue (least). * H+W Assessment = % of respondents rating company as meeting most (or more) of their health and wellness needs. ** Quality Assessment = % of respondents rating company as high or superior quality.

5 REPORT DELIVERABLE Highly visual presentation of study findings, analysis and insights across 181 pages in PowerPoint format. Report package includes a set of data tables by standard demographic banners in Excel format. A LOOK INSIDE Sample pages from inside the report Report Features One of the more inspiring aspects of the report is best practices sections for each of the categories including in the research that shows how to communicate wellness by leveraging the Dimensions of Consumption within the World of Wellness. Dimensions refer to the values that inform consumer behavior in the World of Wellness (price, convenience, brand, expert opinion and so on). Throughout the highly visual report, charts, images, tables and language maps are used to convey findings, insights and implications as well as provide practical best practices examples. We use our proprietary framework Hartman World Model to look at how consumers differ, from the Core to the Periphery, for each of the dimensions within the World of Wellness.

6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY As we've seen indications of in our earlier studies in health and wellness, consumers increasingly understand wellness to be a positive proposition rather than a perfunctory one. We are witnessing a cultural shift from health toward quality of life. Consumers are increasingly thinking and talking about wellness in terms of quality of life where nonphysical notions of well-being (mental, emotional, and spiritual) are just as important as physical well-being. Quality of life accommodates variation in individual desires, needs, lifestyles and goals and illuminates the role of indulgence and pleasure as essential components of wellness. The World of Health + Wellness (H+W), Wellness Definitions and Wellness Diffusion All consumers participate in the World of Wellness, behaviorally and aspirationally. Consumers orientation toward Health + Wellness (H+W) manifests itself in worlds of activity. How that orientation plays out depends upon the arena of activity that a person is involved in. The intensity of involvement within that world is not dependent upon demographic variables. Core (13%) consumers are the smallest segment and most intensely involved - they are early adopters, trendsetters, evangelists. The Midlevel (62%) is the majority of consumers and not as intensely involved with or committed as Core consumers though they exhibit some attitudinal and behavioral characteristics of the Core. The Periphery (25%) is where consumers least involved in Wellness reside. Core health and wellness consumers are shifting from a more disciplined adherence to wellness principles, to a pragmatic, balanced approach to wellness. Periphery consumers articulation of wellness is becoming more sophisticated and reflective of traditionally Core notions of Wellness, although their actual participation is not nearly as intense. It is the movement from ideal to actual behavior that truly distinguishes the various health and wellness consumer segments from one another, even if their language around the notion of wellness is similar. The fact that the Periphery is coming to possess a more encompassing view of Wellness is evidence of the cultural diffusion from the Core: Core concepts of health and wellness are trickling steadily into the mainstream. H+W Dimensions of Consumption H+W Dimensions of Consumption describe the values that inform consumer behavior in the World of H+W and include price, convenience, brand, experience, expert opinion, fun and enjoyment, knowledge, authenticity, sustainability and quality. The influence of certain dimensions on consumer behavior depends on where they are situated in the World of H+W. Periphery consumers, for example, are far more likely to be price sensitive, while Core consumers more likely to consider sustainability in purchases. Key findings include: Core concepts of health and wellness are trickling steadily into the mainstream Fun and Enjoyment: Fun and enjoyment represent a departure from an overly rational approach to H+W where H+W is less about work and restraint and more about sophisticated indulgence. This dimension is most important when consumer action (e.g., exercise, change in diet) is perceived to be difficult, unpleasant, time consuming or requires self-discipline. Authenticity: Authenticity refers to the truthfulness or sincerity regarding the origins, benefits, commitments, and intentions of H+W products and services.

7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (continued) Sustainability: Relates to the importance given to environmental, social and economic impacts of production, distribution and consumption of consumer goods and services. Core consumers are the most heavily influenced due to the holistic perspective they possess in which personal H+W goals intersect with broader notions of well-being (e.g., in the body, on the body, around the body). Quality: Relates to the range, depth, and level of sophistication with which consumers evaluate H+W products and services. Evaluations of quality often increase as one moves from Periphery to Core. Distinct clusters of Dimension of Consumption values work together in each H+W consumer segment to drive behavior in the World of H+W. In the Core: Authenticity, Sustainability, and Knowledge predominate. Behaviors include intense scrutiny of brands and their claims; pride in possessing the latest H+W information; deep commitment to H+W in terms of time and money; holistic approach to H+W. In the Midlevel: Experience, Expert Opinion, and Fun and Enjoyment predominate. Behaviors include increasing personal knowledge through mainstream information sources; experimentation with H+W products, services and brands; looking for balance between fun and discipline; Mixing traditional and newer H+W-related alternative brands. In the Periphery: Price, Convenience, Brand predominate. Behaviors include prioritizing time and financial resources over H+W results; reluctance to experiment without proof of efficacy. Insights from Best Practices in Communicating H+W in Food and Beverage Overall, consumers are seeking wellness through high quality food (and life) experiences. In today s World of H+W, fresh, real and clean foods and beverages represent the foundation in the treatment and prevention of disease, as well as assuring physical and mental energy. Describing foods and beverages in this way enables consumers to focus more on what is good and less on self-discipline. Although fresh, real and clean translates to healthfulness, consumers increasingly balance health concerns with pleasure, reflecting a more practical approach to H+W in which selfdenial is pointless, and where cheating is good for the soul. Communicating H+W in Food and Beverage Categories: Dimensions of Consumption and Positioning Core: Authenticity, sustainability, knowledge. Position products as simple, authentic, and sustainably sourced, made with integrity and pure ingredients that indulge and inspire Mid-level: Experience, expert opinion, fun and enjoyment. Position products as fresh, less processed and nutritious foods that are familiar and of high quality Distinct clusters of Dimension of Consumption values work together in each H+W consumer segment to drive behavior in the World of H+W Periphery: Price, convenience, brand. Position products on taste and good value, with moderate quantities of sugar, fat and sodium. Insights from Best Practices in Communicating H+W in Personal Care Consumers are increasingly aware of the wellness implications for personal care products. The increasing attention given to personal care is a result of the sustainability trend and the intersection of personal and environmental health. As such, the adoption of natural versions of personal care has grown and is now a distinguishing feature for many Mid-level consumers and is no longer confined to the Core. Migration from conventional to more natural personal care products also signals a growing awareness of physical wellness beyond the realms of eating habits and exercise.

8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (continued) Insights from Best Practices in Communicating H+W in OTC/VMHS Categories In our study we unified the OTC and VMHS categories to reflect the trend toward Complementary Medicine in which consumers combine some mix of allopathic and alternative approaches to achieve personal wellness. In the OTC/VMHS category, Core consumers care more about sustainability while Periphery consumers are more concerned than others about side-effects, unknown ingredients and added chemicals. Insights from Communicating H+W at Retail Consumers often change their channel usage as they evolve within the World of H+W, often moving away from traditional channels toward specialty channels--in some categories much more so than others especially personal care. Thus, executing retail strategies must account for the mobility of consumers as shoppers in the World of H+W. Consumers of all orientations often shop across channels and banners within channels, depending on the occasion or wellness goal. For example, Core consumers may relegate a portion of their purchases to mainstream grocery and drug, while investing the bulk of their household shopping at health and wellness-oriented grocery. The grocery channel is the most important H+W shopping destination. Grocery stores are the most frequently visited and preferred destinations for food, and therefore have the highest overall H+W resonance of any retail channel. This is especially true of specialty grocers that feature extensive, high-quality fresh departments. Retail wellness initiatives like nutritional scoring programs are of little importance to most consumers. Most grocery shopping is perfunctory rather than exploratory, so most shoppers don t take the time to learn about nutritional scoring. The Dimensions of Consumptions are critical to understanding retail channel choice and usage when shopping with H+W in mind: Core: More willing to tolerate inconvenience in order to get the products they seek. H+W is more important than saving money. Mid-level: Exploration and discovery are important considerations in retail channel selection and are willing to go a little further to seek out H+W goods if necessary. They are not discouraged by price perceptions of specialized channels which conditions their overall expectations for H+W retail. Consumers often change their channel usage as they evolve within the World of H+W, often moving away from traditional channels toward specialty channels Periphery: Tend to shop at stores in their immediate environs, near home, work etc. Shopping for H+W goods is mostly a chore. Choice of retailers is often determined by price. Communicating H+W in Food Service Occasions are the most important factor influencing H+W when dining out. Consumers across the Wellness continuum often patronize the same restaurants, depending on the occasion. In the context of H+W, eating out is more about perceived quality differences (e.g., fats, carbs, calories) and the nature of the occasion than it is about making healthier choices. Thus, the relevance of healthy eating to the occasion is greater when in fast food restaurants while consumers rarely consider nutritional information in casual restaurants because they understand that savoring occasions are defined by indulgence, and therefore, mainly irrelevant.