2. Foreword
Health and wellness has changed from an individual pursuit to live well to a statement
of one’s own place in the social hierarchy. To successfully engage people with health
and wellness products and messages, communicators need to know what is going to
engage them today – and tomorrow.
Ketchum’s Well-Connected specialty – a communications offering grounded in the
deep knowledge and insights of professionals who work at the intersection of brand,
food and health – is constantly assessing what is going to happen in health and well-
ness and how we can leverage future trends for clients and their business strategies.
This unfettered curiosity compelled us to create our first Well-th: Ketchum’s Health and Wellness Trend Report.
This report is the result of the questions we ask every day that to stay ahead of what people want: What makes
people do what they do to preserve their wellbeing? What changes are going to happen in the next several
months? Next several years? And, where are behaviors headed?
The answers highlighted that the alpha health and wellness influencer is technology; not as an information
resource but as a health management tool. To change behaviors and drive better habits, companies
need to curate content, programs and tools that will reach people where they intersect with technology
and wellbeing.
Ketchum is excited to share the trends that will shape the health and wellness landscape and we look forward
to harnessing these opportunities to connect clients’ health and wellness offerings with target consumers.
Leslie Schrader
Partner, Director, DC Brand Practice and Well-Connected
leslie.schrader@ketchum.com
Who (or What) Sways Health and Wellness
Decisions Today?
Just as in every other aspect of our lives, technology is infiltrating health and wellness and doctors
are now the second opinion. In a virtual flip of the wellbeing decision-making process, people are
looking more to the technology they use for information and personal guidance and then seeking
healthcare providers and advisors to validate their conclusions.
Today’s consumers are using the technology in their lives to
be increasingly health-informed and health-engaged. They’re
proactively participating in the treatment of their own
conditions and those of loved ones, and they’re mastering
Curate Content
the task of finding and disseminating information from and
to Connect
to people like themselves. While people diagnose themselves with
information found online, we know that not all
Each example we lay out within this report ladders content is accurate. Beyond the obvious need
back up to one truism: Technology is the dominant influencer, to understand what is credible, finding ways to
and consumers are using it and adapting it for their personal help them curate content appeals to the quality
dimension on the health and wellness index. This is
wellbeing pursuits. Companies, brands and communicators
where people evaluate the range, depth and level
need to do the same. of sophistication of products and services. Experts,
companies and people who are passionate about
pursuing health and wellness should help them
understand that depth may not equal quality.
1
3. Key Trend One: The Migration Your Health
from Self-Help to Self-Health in Your Hands
Self-help has evolved to self-health, where people seek to improve
their health with proliferating tools and technology. 80%
of U.S. Internet users
Patients are increasingly using information on the Internet to diagnose search the web for
health-related
their conditions and determine their treatment plans, which is chang- information and answers
ing the doctor-patient relationship paradigm. Patients often diagnose
themselves before seeing a physician for the “second opinion.” 27%
of U.S. Internet users have
Many platforms from interactive healthcare kiosks to personal- tracked health data online
ized health sites are allowing consumers to empower themselves.
As consumers increasingly turn to self-service technologies and 18%
have sought to locate others
channels, the entire industry has a tremendous opportunity to with similar health concerns
reach, engage and interact with today’s empowered consumer. via the Internet
And that will yield some powerful results from consumers to doc-
tors to advertisers. 4 out of 5
Internet users search
And while people diagnose themselves with information found online for health
online, we know that not all content is accurate. Beyond the obvi- information. Of these:
ous need to understand what is credible, finding ways to help them
identify information appeals to the quality dimension on the wellbe-
ing index. This is where people evaluate the range, depth and level
6 in 10
say the information found
of sophistication of products and services. Experts, companies and online affected a decision
people who are passionate about pursuing health and wellness about how to treat an
illness or condition
should help them understand that depth many not equal quality.
1 in 2
Communicators need to help people find credible information and say it led them to ask a
support wherever they need it – from the restaurant to the dressing doctor new questions or
to get a second opinion
room to the online health portal – to support the journey to self-health. from another doctor
1 in 2
say it changed the
way they think about
diet, exercise, or
stress management
1 in 3
say it affected a
decision about whether
to see a doctor
(Fox S. Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project.
2011 May 12. The social life of health information 2011)
People in
In Tokyo, Tanita Shokudo provides expert culinary information about
all items on the menu, aiming to help those wanting to eat out with-
out compromising their diet plans. Each table is fitted with a scale to
7 countries
measure healthy portions, while a timer indicates when the optimum including the United States, said that they
primarily go to a health website (48%)
duration of 20 minutes for completing their lunch is over. Profession-
to find information to help them
al dietitians are also on-hand to provide advice on eating regimes.
make decisions about their healthcare
(PricewaterhouseCoopers survey)
2
4. Key Trend Two: It’s Not an Apple a Day Anymore;
It’s an App (or 10) a Day
Self-health is further supported through the creation of thousands of health and wellness apps that allow
users to track their wellbeing at all times. The question isn’t what will these apps do, but what won’t they do:
• Calculate calories during exercise
• Play soundtracks for different daily activities, from
going to sleep to developing a memo
• Quantify pain over time
• Display pictures that can elicit memories in
26%
use a mobile device to search
of U.S. adults
Alzheimer’s patients
• Track vital signs and diet to help manage diabetes
• Manipulate surroundings in an MRI scan to make a
patient feel more comfortable
for health information
(Manhattan Research Report, 2011) And while the number of apps and their functions
expand, questions will arise in terms of credibility and
regulation. For example, just like medications, the U.S.
9,000
Today,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now defining
what apps will require FDA’s clearance, another step
to ensure that people are getting credible information,
health-related apps in the but an additional consideration to plan for when
Apple App Store
building an app.
If a brand or a company has a unique health benefit or
By end of 2012, there will be promise, the world of apps could be the perfect avenue
13,000+ to provide people with the tools they need to achieve
health and wellness goals.
that means at least
10 new
health apps
per day
3
5. Key Trend Three:
Social Health = Wellbeing
Paradoxically, we are relying more on social networks for our social wellness. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
and Pinterest are all places for community members to share information. As we fully own our wellbeing,
it is natural to share our findings, opinions and questions.
Google+ is the newest and simplest example of a social network
asthma sufferers
where wellness is thriving. It is a “closed” environment where
members are sharing their personal health information, questions
emotional support
and advice. Others are more tailored for specific concerns and cancer patients
extend to different audiences, in different spaces.
migraines
• Physicians began with Sermo, and today Voxmed allows Sickness Forecasting
& Mapping
professionals to share opinions, seek advice and connect
with colleagues.
• In the workplace, co-workers use networks to drive h
ealthy behaviors. PleaseCycle encourages healthy cycling
through client-branded online portals where employees
can plan routes, chat with other cyclists and log mileage. Social Health
• Companies are adding a little fun to health and wellness
through interpersonal gaming, providing sophisticated Games make people better
patients; they are more
indulgences for people. In fact, social wellness games can
engaged in treatment,
be good for your health. WiiFit is a well-known example,
more knowledgeable
but others are in this space, like The Life Game, which
about their care
rewards players for taking steps toward achieving goals and adherence can
in their career, lifestyle and health. improve.
(Journal of Pediatrics: A Video Game Im-
To thrive in the health and wellness space and be top of mind, proves Behavioral Outcomes in Adolescents
brands need to communicate their intrinsic health benefits and Young Adults With Cancer: A Random-
ized Trial, 2008)
through messages in concert with engaging interaction – they
need to be part of the social health and self-health ecosphere.
people said they
would be OK
with having their
personal health
data shared
among hospitals,
doctors, insurance companies
and drug companies if that
would improve care.
(PricewaterhouseCoopers Health Research
Institute Survey, 2011)
of surveyed
U.S. adults
use social
media to connect with health
organizations or with other
people with similar health-care
interests.
(PricewaterhouseCoopers Health Research
Institute Survey, 2011)
7. Leslie Schrader
Partner and Director, DC Brand Practice and Well-Connected
leslie.schrader@ketchum.com
202.835.7278
Deirdre Middleton
Vice President/Account Supervisor
deirdre.middleton@ketchum.com
202-835-8829
