Resolve to Be Healthy…Really!

Makovsky

While many are thinking about their plans for the holidays; a bit of advice is to begin planning for the New Year and a healthier you.  In fact, millions will plan to ring in 2015 with a commitment to good health.  This gift can’t go under the Christmas Tree, but could pay big dividends in the long run.

However, New Year’s Resolutions mean empty pledges to good health.  Why is that?

The truth is consumers do want to get healthy and live a life of wellness, but their resolutions are merely based on good intentions and little follow through.  Until now when 2016 will be the year of good health.

According to IconoCulture, the way consumers think about their health will be a major topic in 2016. This rising trend of personal health derives from the continuing woes of the economy, which is not so surprisingly affecting more than bank accounts, mortgages and job security. Consumers will continue to be in a worrisome state of mind and weary about their finances, namely social security, as they plan their futures.  Specific to health and wellness, knowing that healthcare costs are unaffordable to most and health insurance is not an option for many, consumers are in the mindset to get healthy now to save them from spending unnecessary funds later.  The costs alone for being overweight are staggering. The Obesity Alliance sites the cost upwards of $24,000 for a five year period. Consumers can now see the long term financial benefits to taking care of themselves before they encounter very costly health problems.

Since they don’t have the money to spend on healthcare costs, they are making serious and sophisticated plans to better health. They are more open-minded when it comes supplements, food and nutrition. In fact, there has been a rise in consumers taking a daily multi-vitamin in the last few years.  Wellness Centers and Spas are taking over for yearly visits to the doctor’s office.  Consumers are becoming their own MDs.  The undeniable access to the internet has empowered them to find quick, easy and often preventative solutions.  They look to their friends, family and strangers with influence for ideas.  WebMD continues to lead the pack in providing health and wellness advice while thousands of new sites and experts are popping up daily.  On Guidewell.com the site will provide you with all the little personalized steps someone needs to better health.

It is not just about health anymore. Getting healthy spans multiple categories: nutrition, mental, physical, emotional and even financial.  With the expansion of the health and wellness space, retailers and brands are entering the category with solutions.  You name it brand has now become an expert in telling consumers how much exercise they should get in a day or how many glasses of water to drink.  We will begin to see a lot of activity from players not typically in the health and wellness space.  Smart companies have already seen this trend emerging and are coming up with inventive ways to take a piece of the real estate. Power Balance, a company that sells rubber wrist bands that tout superior athletic performance, has made money off of the notion that wellness can be achieved by wearing a bracelet. Moreover, CVS’s Minute Clinic is taking over for the Doctor’s office.

With relevance across all industries whether food, banking, automotive, technology or beauty, consumers will look through a lens of how this product or service impacts my overall wellbeing and gives me peace of mind, and makes my life just a little bit better.  It’s simply astounding how much this topic will impact choices the consumer makes in the New Year, which makes it an unavoidable topic for marketers.  If the connection can be made between health and wellness and value and financial savings, consumers will listen and ultimately engage.