The global wellness industry is, well, healthy as can be.
According to the Global Wellness Institute, the sector is now worth $4.2 trillion thanks to heightened worldwide consumer interest that is equal parts emotional and physical, driven by our need to feel better about all aspects of life.
Naturally, that robust growth has garnered the attention of many mainstream brands who are trying to wedge their way into this popular space or outright disguise themselves as wellness brands.
Here’s an example we noticed in a certain consumer magazine lately: a full-page ad that, frankly, startled us.
The product being touted is one we all know, a legacy brand that for decades has helped treat and prevent a minor skin condition. But what is startling was this: new all-natural ingredients have been added to an age-old formula that has worked just fine, thank you, for generations.
Looks like another brand has hopped on the wellness bandwagon — whether it belongs there or not!
Consumers are intentionally pursuing the virtues of wellness, via products and services designed to minimize stress and optimize happiness. And that, of course, is a very good thing for all of us eager to find peace and satisfaction as we traverse our hectic lives.
But, as that aforementioned brief encounter with one evolving brand illustrates, wellness is becoming a crowded and complicated field. How do longtime wellness brands keep from being overrun by the numerous disrupters desperate to cut their own slice of the wellness pie? And how can the newbies be sure that what they are offering differentiates itself from dozens of established brands?
They need to define, pursue and capitalize on white space in the industry. And starting today, with the launch of Ketchum’s Wellness White Space offering, we can help guide you there.
A collaboration between Wellness, Ketchum’s lifestyle and influencer marketing specialty focused on the highly-discerning wellness consumer, and our Analytics specialty, the largest research, analytics and measurement group in the communications industry, our Wellness White Space offering is a data- and research-driven competitive analysis that helps brands define their unique wellness story – and provides the insights and tools to articulate it.
With communications teams retooling and optimizing their 2019 programs for the holiday season, or knee-deep in 2020 planning, now is the perfect time to shine light on the Wellness White Space topic for your brand.
Easy as one, two…
Here are the mechanics of a Ketchum Wellness White Space project, which consists of two simple-to-understand stages customized to fit your challenge:
- Understanding the Conversation
- Finding Your White Space
First, we use artificial intelligence to unearth and synthesize thousands of online news stories, segmenting them into subtopics that are analyzed to determine which have the greatest social media traction – and impact — with your audiences. Next, a thorough analysis of results, using our team of analysts and our proprietary White Space Algorithm based on consumer and media interest.
By zeroing in on the most differentiating storylines, themes and topics, we will paint a picture of what the best approach might be for a brand’s near- and long-term marketing and communications initiatives – endeavors designed explicitly to drive desired business outcomes.
Through our White Space analysis, you can identify the best wellness-specific opportunities to cut through competitive noise and engage with target audiences — increasing your brand’s share of voice and sales potential.
Wellness isn’t a fad or trend. It’s here to stay. Don’t get caught up in the backlash from so-called “wellness washing,” which occurs when brands lacking authenticity in the wellness arena began to attain a toehold through unproven “facts” or wild claims.
Wellness marketing works when you have a powerful and verifiable story to tell. Let’s find your meaningful, impactful and unique wellness story together.
Christy Salcido is Managing Director, Wellness, for Ketchum. Nicole Moreo is Senior Vice President, Analytics, for Ketchum.
