In June 2017 I received the news that I had a brain tumour that would be fatal if not treated. My world stopped in an instant; I struggled to picture my future. The foundations upon which I had built my life seemed to be shifting, everything that mattered to me reshuffling.  

The surgery to remove my brain tumour was a success, but it had devastating complications. It resulted in a long journey of recovery through which I had to reassess and rebuild every part of my life.  

One of the key aspects I had to reassess was health and wellbeing, physical and mental. It was something I had taken for granted until the life I knew changed irrevocably. Now, it takes priority as I structure my day to make time to focus on both.  

I have recognised this process happening around me as we try to adjust to the extreme changes the pandemic has brought into our lives. During lockdown we witnessed a collective shock to the system and period of reassessment unfolding en masse. COVID-19 stripped away everything we knew in an instant as we were placed into lockdown in March and is now resulting in ongoing changes; a ‘new normal’.  

Barry Smith, Founder of Symprove, a gut microbiome supplement business, recognises a shift in emphasis “[With the onset of COVID-19], there was a realisation within the community that individuals are responsible for their own health now.” An increasing focus on health and wellness was already clear pre-2020 with the industry valued at $4.2 trillion. It saw annual growth of 6.4% between 2015 and 2017, double the rate of global economic growth for the same period. COVID-19 has amplified this trend. Malcolm Fogarty, Founder of GSK NEXT observes, “At the moment, given the pandemic, everybody’s senses are heightened around health and wellbeing.”

Brands, even those that do not operate directly within the health and wellness space, will need to recognise this shift in priorities. Those that effectively embrace health and wellness are more likely to win in the ‘new normal’. There are opportunities to pivot propositions, form partnerships and adapt communications.

There are good examples in high growth sectors such as wellness tourism, and increasingly across other sectors.

How you spot a need and enhance your proposition 

Six Senses hotels’ wellness pillars is a holistic offering for travellers covering all aspects of wellness: Eat, Sleep, Spa, Move, Mindfulness, Grow. Qantas’s ‘body clock intervention’ in Perth’s international transit lounge helps travellers adjust to jetlag while Singapore Airlines have created cabins that provide rest and relaxation lighting, sleep strategies, guided stretching and wellness menus.

How you form a convincing partnership

Hotels have worked to establish partnerships, such as Shangri-La and Lululemon offering in-room yoga videos, and Westin and Peleton offering equipped rooms or fitness studios.

In the world of social media, meditation app Headspace has teamed up with Snap to offer two meditations on Headspace Mini, a space on Snapchat where users can practise meditation and mindfulness exercises.

More recently, meditation app Calm sponsored CNN’s coverage of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. 'Key Race Alerts' were accompanied by 30-second spots of rain falling on leaves during the election coverage. Calm confirmed the goal of the sponsorship was to provide viewers with a moment of calm and a reminder to take a deep breath during a stressful night. 

How you adapt your communications to reinforce a more positive, health-based message 

Destination marketing has taken a lead in dialling up the health and wellness attributes that a destination offers. Examples include Boulder, Colorado and Romagna, Italy.

In the food sector, recipe box provider Mindful Chef focuses on nutritionally balanced meals versus convenience.

In fashion, Asics AMEA supported World Mental Health Day 2020 with a brand campaign featuring inspiring stories from people who had discovered the benefits of sport and movement on their mental wellbeing.

The formation of new communities

A key lesson learned from my experience is that recovery involves many small steps to rebuild, and it’s rarely linear. Steps will be taken backwards as well as forwards, something we are experiencing as we contend with another lockdown. To get through, having the right support communities is key. Supportive communities in which I felt able to share both the positive and negative helped me foster resilience and to keep moving forward through adversity.

The pandemic has resulted in new communities being formed around health and wellness. Melanie Stack, President and CEO of Ideal Protein recognises this: “Because losing weight is so difficult, it needs some kind of human-to-human support, recognition, inspiration, confidence, carrying, rewarding. And there is a huge power in community. You see it in Peloton, Fitbit. It’s so important to know ‘there’s someone like me going through the same effort.”

In 2020 new communities were formed through podcasts normalising the mental health challenges faced by so many, and health initiatives such as PE with Joe Wicks and the Couch to 5K created communal spaces for sharing and encouragement.

There are countless examples of health and wellness brands creating communities that home in on personal wellbeing and mental calm.

2020 saw other sectors start to move towards fostering community such as fashion designer and social activist Kenneth Coles’ launch of The Mental Health Coalition which has brought together mental health organisations, platforms and advocates. The coalition is centred around connection and understanding through storytelling. As a digital platform, it enables individuals to share their personal experiences and coping strategies for mental health in a safe and interactive way.

Steps to heal

There is a great deal of opportunity here for brands, outside of the health and wellness space, to tap into this passion point and create a sense of community among their audience.

Once the pandemic subsides, society will still need to heal both in terms of physical and mental wellbeing. Chris Stirk, MD of management consultancy Velanidi places an interesting lens on the future. He predicts that we’ll see “a huge government push to get those who have suffered, health wise, during the pandemic, back to full health.”

And whether it’s by partnering with governmental initiatives or not, brands that help foster open, authentic, approachable and affordable propositions and communities around health and wellness will claim centre stage in a society taking steps to heal itself.