.png?width=100&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale "Picture of Shelley Balanko"){kind=avatar}
.png?width=400&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale "Shelley Balanko"){kind=avatar}
Subscribe for the latest consumer trends, trade news, nutrition science and regulatory updates in the supplement industry!
Join 37,000+ members. Yes, it's completely free.
What Drives Behavior in Womens Wellness
Shelley Balanko
January 18, 2012
5 Min Read
In the 1990s, wellness was a hot trend. More than a decade later, wellness is a cultural obligation. Its no longer socially acceptable in North America to be unconscious of ones personal health and well-being. One must be well to be happy, fulfilled, fun, engaged, self-expressed and vibrant. This responsibility to be well is felt most acutely by women, the wellness keepers of our culture and the gateway to the one-fifth of household spending directed to wellness products.
Consumer understanding of wellness has moved away from traditional notions of condition treatment and disease prevention toward attaining a better quality of life. After years of ascetic self-denial, eating practices and non-enjoyable exercise regimens, consumers are experimenting with a more relaxed approach to wellness and, by extension, balance. This is not due to laziness or selfishness; it is a growing recognition of the importance of emotional health, happiness and general well-being.
Manufacturers and retailers have responded to the wellness demand by providing an overabundance of better-foryou, and health and wellness products. The explosion of wellness solutions in the marketplace has created serious competition for the attention of women.
Understanding that womens wellness behaviors are driven not only by conditions of her lifestage but by her lifestyle will paint a more complete picture for manufacturers in identifying new ways to communicate, offer solutions and create relationships with todays womens wellness consumer.
'Centuality'
Centuality" is a play on words summarizing the three key criteria that women use when choosing wellness products and services: fiscal responsibility (i.e., dollars and cents), the five senses, and common sense or logic.
Dollars and Cents
Women express tremendous concern over responsibly managing finances. In todays economy, every penny counts, so women are discerning about the value they receive from each wellness purchase. This is not to say that women are penny pinching. To the contrary, women will spend more on quality wellness products because they view them as wise investments. Women prefer to spend money on quality foods, supplements, exercise classes, massage therapy, etc., because they believe preventive wellness actions will cost less in the long run when compared to medical bills that could result from inattention to prevention. Value is not determined by price alone, but by the quality/price ratio. Indicators of quality typically included freshness, authenticity, organic, artisanal and local.
Financial stability is integral to wellness, because worrying about money can be a major stressor. Women, especially those who are not partnered, worry about whether they have enough money to adequately care for themselves and their children today, and certainly in the future. College funds and retirement savings are chronic concerns, and women invest in wellness now out of fears that they cannot afford to be unwell. Financially, women today often do not have the option of not working due to illness. The ability to relax and have emotional wellness really hinges on a womans financial stability.
Take away: Communicate the value of personal health benefits, especially when prices are a bit high.
Five Senses
Quality is not always objective, but often resides in subjective perceptions. Women are especially attuned to how products smell, look, feel, taste and sound. Product packaging and retail environments are strong contributors to wellness product and service perceptions. Women enjoy aesthetics. They delight in attractive wrappers, boxes or bottles, aromas that stir the appetite or imagination, textures that beg a lingering touch and, of course, taste that delivers on expectations. Women comment that sound is an important part of their wellness. This is often overlooked in product packaging and retail environments. The sound of silence, water, laughter and music contribute to feelings of well-being.
Women report farmers markets are increasingly desirable places to purchase wellness products. These environments and the products therein deliver rich sensory experiences. Packaging tends to be simple yet attractive, sampling is encouraged, and the physical space is an enchanting explosion of color, aroma and sound (e.g., conversation, laughter and music).
Take away: Deliver more than words can say to speak to the female consumer.
Common Sense
When it comes to wellness, women are pragmatic and intuitive. If a solution (e.g., product or service) resonates on a gut level, they will be inclined to try it. For example, high-fiber cereal for weight management will make more sense to women than a high-fiber ice cream. Solutions need to be logical as women do not have the time to extensively consider the plethora of choices available to them.
Take away: Keep solutions and messaging simple and logical.
Adding it Up
Wellness is a holistic pursuit for women involving mind, body and spirit. Accordingly, women want products that speak to them at all of these points of connection. Centuality is the guiding principle that manufacturers can use to appeal to the woman wellness consumer.
Acknowledge womens care giving obligations and their keen sense of financial responsibility. The woman wellness consumer is savvy, not miserly. Communicate value as quality rather than price. Quality is conveyed by retail environment aesthetics and knowledgeable service, product ingredients, packaging, messaging and communications. Cues should be in overall alignment since disjointed themes will undermine quality perceptions. It is important to note the retail environment and the product have a mutual role in defining the others quality halo. Manufacturers and retailers should consider working in close partnership as each pursues innovation, because female consumers do not consider company merits independently. Simplicity cues quality, and women will pay more for high-quality wellness products that intuitively work with their holistic wellness perspective.
With Centuality as a guiding principle, manufacturers and marketers can proceed with confidence that they are capturing the attention of the primary wellness consumerwomen.
Shelley Balanko, Ph.D., is senior director of subscription programs at the Hartman Group where she guides the delivery of research insights, tactical recommendations and strategic implications for clients. [email protected].
About the Author
You May Also Like