Key health and wellness trends observed in 2021 – Marketing Interactive
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The global health plus wellness industry is booming. Already a top priority for many consumers pre-COVID, health and wellness has come into even sharper focus as a result of the pandemic. Research from McKinsey estimates the global wellness market is worth $1. 5 trillion and is growing fast – at a rate of 5%-10% per year.
But what are the particular big health and wellbeing trends that are becoming apparent for 2021, which brands need to watch out for, as 2022 becomes clearer in the marketing horizon? We have observed four key styles.
- My wellness on my terms. Advances in tracking and testing are facilitating personalised health and nutrition recommendations on demand.
- Mental fitness. Consumers will take a more proactive plus preventative approach to mental wellness.
- The science associated with sleep. A global sleep economy shows no signs of slowing down, but innovation in the category will be driven simply by a new focus upon circadian health.
- Function at the fore. No longer limited to just physical wellness, brands are focusing on products in order to better the body and the mind.
My health upon my terms
One of the particular most significant developments within health and wellness has been the rapid advances in tracking plus testing, which are facilitating personalised health and wellness recommendations on demand.
Wearables are becoming even more sophisticated. The particular models on the market now allow consumers to track a lot more granular metrics than ever before, with Mind Body Green hailing this a brand new era associated with “micro-tracking” .
Not only are wearables collecting the wider range of data, they’re using this to better empower their users. Oura, for instance, the world’s first wearable ring, provides a “readiness score” in order to help users understand when they are at their best – both mentally plus physically – as well as when they should focus on recovery.
Similar developments are usually happening in the world of testing, along with companies allowing users to complete a series of tests at home, and then personalise their recommendations based on this. In the past, in-home testing has been a barrier to customised health and nourishment, but now with greater familiarity with the concept as a result of the outbreak, it could open the door to new services which combine tracking along with testing in order to create hyper-personalised recommendations at speed.
Mental health and fitness
Mental health has become an increasingly important part of the particular conversation when it comes to health and wellness. This has come into still sharper concentrate as a result of the pandemic.
The impact associated with the virus and the particular resulting lockdowns have seen anxiety and depression skyrocket and, in line with this particular, mental health has become a key focus. In China, with regard to instance, 87% of consumers are focused on taking care of their mental health, according to research by PWC conducted after the onset of the pandemic .
Research we conducted to determine which of the behaviours adopted during the particular pandemic will certainly persist within the long-term found that undertaking activities to support mental health is one of the areas with greatest sticking power.
Businesses are also increasingly prioritising mental wellness. Recent research we carried out in partnership with Bloomberg found that will 66% associated with companies are engaging an external vendor to provide healthcare/wellbeing training for their own employees plus half are looking to support employees with mental health insurance and stress management.
The particular science of sleep
Sleep is big business, with the industry set to be worth the massive $585 billion simply by 2024 based on Statista. The impact from the pandemic will be fuelling growth in this sector along with consumers placing an increasing emphasis on quality sleep against a backdrop of anxiety and stress.
This is usually leading to a more scientific approach to sleep. The particular Global Wellness Summit predicts that the new focus on circadian health may shape the products and solutions we see in the particular category. Circadian health relates to aligning behaviours with our natural circadian rhythms – 24-hour cycles such because the sleep-wake cycle, that are influenced by external factors like natural light and temperature.
Shifting the way we think about sleep to place a greater emphasis on circadian rhythms could possess broader implications when it comes to other behaviours, regarding instance, disconnecting from devices before bed, or the way all of us care for our skin, making this an interesting space in order to watch.
Function in the fore
The fourth and final big trend we see is a growing interest in functional food and beverages that assistance better physical and psychological health. The most evident application associated with this is inside the field of immunity boosting food and drink.
According to research through Innova Market Insights, 60% of consumers globally are seeking away as well as beverage products that support immune health . Increasingly, we’re seeing innovation extending beyond this in order to food and drink products that will support the particular mind.
For brands looking to tap into this particular trend, this is the relatively nascent category so there’s real potential here, as well as for cross-over products in order to improve each physical and mental health.