Marketing 'Health' In the Age of Additive

This post was
originally published on Kelton
Global's blog.

Looking around at health and wellness messages across
industries, I'm struck by how much our perspective on 'healthy' has shifted.
After all, it wasn't that long ago when Richard Simmons had us Sweatin' to the
Oldies, and The Beverly Hills Diet recommended cutting out nearly all the
major food groups in the crusade for a lean physique.

Fewer consumers are aspiring for the 'ideal body'.

Deprivation and 'no pain, no gain' health messaging is still
out there, but a rising trend is rendering these tried-and-true tactics less
effective. The focus of the conversation around health has gone from
subtraction (minimizing calories, dropping pounds), to addition (benefits,
rewards, and how much one has to gain). In a nod to Positive Psychology, it's
no longer solely about making improvements in terms of better physical health,
but about achieving a more balanced, healthy outlook on diet and fitness. The
shift in thinking is so prevalent that Kelton's Cultural Insights team is
calling it out as a full-blown movement around Additive Health.

As the pursuit of 'healthy' moves away from fixing what's wrong and
toward optimizing health and wellbeing as a lifestyle, brands need to
reposition and speak to these changing perceptions. After a thorough analysis
of emerging trends in Additive Health, Kelton uncovered three impactful brand
messaging principles that brands can use to speak to this new ethos. Every
health-related brand should incorporate the below tenets into their messaging
toolkit in order to stay relevant in the face of this new trend:

Emphasize potential
gains, and avoid highlighting opportunities for 'loss'.

Once an omnipresent message pervading all things health and
fitness, weight loss-centered marketing has lost its luster in recent years.
Sure, people still want to drop some pounds. But at the same time, more
consumers are realizing that a mindset of deprivation and negativity is a
barrier to achieving health-related goals. They're turning instead to proven
techniques like rewards and affirmative statements. Focus your messaging on the
advantageous outcomes of getting fit and healthy'like increased energy,
confidence, and strength, and position physical and superficial benefits as
secondary byproducts. This will inspire shoppers to incorporate your product
into their daily routines.

Double down on social
connectivity.

Think about ways that your product or service can bring
people together in the name of wellness, whether it's offering a traditional exercise course, run club, or something else that caters to
a niche
audience. Offer a means of entertainment, social connectivity, or even a
little indulgence, in order to cultivate a sense of community among your
brand's biggest advocates.

This tactic can work both online and off. Consider
integrating elements of positive reinforcement' including social and personal
payoffs' into the digital consumer experience, to help consumers internalize
progress and transform sense of self. Programs like Vitality and Fitocracy link
elements of gaming, rewards, and digital coaching to engage users and maintain
motivation.

Be inclusive. Recognize the broad-spectrum audience that
aspires to behave and feel healthier.

Instead of using actors and models for your next marketing
campaign, look to incorporate people who resemble and think like your broader
consumer base. Fewer consumers are aspiring for the 'ideal body,' thanks at
least in part to an increase in candid body positive messages from high profile celebrities.
This trend of body acceptance has reached a crescendo, with Barbie now
available in four different body types and the first ever plus size model
featured on the Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover.

Showing unrepresentatively fit or thin individuals is not
nearly as impactful to today's audience as featuring people and situations that
the average person can relate to. Leverage social listening to find out the
broader goals that your audience is striving for, and design your messaging to
speak to those ambitions.

The Additive Health Movement has positive potential
for consumers and brands alike, and is an incredible opportunity for companies
to highlight the role of their products and services within a holistically
healthy lifestyle. While no one can say for sure how long this movement will
last, it's no mistake that the most relevant fitness brands broadcast the
high-level benefits of wellness and downplay the role of aesthetics.