Consumer Health

We all know it – mobile is where to be and that
goes for health and wellbeing. In fact, there are about 9,000 health apps in the iTunes store and that number was projected to increase to 13,000 in the past year.

But what does the demand and growth mean – is it going to go beyond cardio, fitness, stress relief and diet monitoring? All signs point to yes. People are using not just one app but several to help manage, maintain and elevate their personal well-being as well as that of their families. And the expanding usage of these apps provides opportunities for brands and marketers to shape the next great health app. Read full post »

To prevent or to treat? That is the new question
in the obesity discussion that focuses on an area of the debate that has remained largely off the table: Treatment. Today’s ubiquitous discussion on obesity is hard to miss for good reason – 60 million adults age 20 and older are overweight and if the rates continue, by 2030, half of U.S. adults will be obese. It is a small wonder that a Google search on obesity yields more than 90 million hits or that each day we read about a new initiative to get people moving, provide health and nutritional information for consumers or exalt the latest way to eat from a generally more svelte country or region. Read full post »

As I write this to you, I am surrounded by fellow
commuters – stressed, squashed and sweaty as we are herded through the 150 year old London Underground system. London transport struggles with an ever increasing commuter population, and, with the London 2012 Olympic Games now underway, the question on everyone’s lips for the months leading up to the Games was ‘how will we cope?’

The most prestigious sporting event known to man-kind is gracing my home town and boy don’t we know it…everything is Olympic-themed. The games consume daily news updates and the advertising market is saturated with athlete-endorsed products, plans and provisions. Colleagues gather at the start of each day to discuss the latest Olympics buzz and even pause from the work day to catch a glimpse of the highest contested event, particularly when a Brit is in the running for a medal.

But amongst all of the excitement and festivities, little is being mentioned about the health issues a mass gathering may bestow on our little Island. Read full post »

Yes, that’s right. We are in the midst of a Well-th: Ketchum's Health and Wellness Trend Report
paradigm shift and consumers are now looking to technology for information and personal health and wellness and then looking to physicians and healthcare providers for “second opinions” to validate their personal conclusions.

As the wellbeing movement expands and changes, it presents marketers with more opportunities, and challenges, to reach consumers with health and wellness messages. From what to eat and what to wear, to what to do and what one should do, leading a healthy lifestyle means different things to different populations. And, there are more and more sources and channels where consumers can access information to help them achieve the level of health and wellness they want in their lives. Marketers can be the ultimate resource and work with the latest technology and tools to curate content and intersect with consumers where they are. Read full post »

With a heavy cloud surrounding the safety of
cosmetic procedures, and many feeling uncomfortable with the perceived risks of surgery, women are increasingly turning to the next hero anti-ageing product within their budget. As a result the beauty industry will continue to invest heavily in delivering the latest breakthrough science that does not just claim, but proves to women, that this is the ‘must have’ product worth spending their hard earned cash on.  As a result we are seeing the paths of beauty and science converging more closely than ever before with a trend towards beauty companies using technologies and methods that have previously only been used at the cutting edge of pharmaceutical research, for example the use of NASA atomic force microscopes to observe molecular structures in hair. Read full post »