Beyond Back To Normal: The Rise Of Community-Empowered Health On Reddit

Beyond BackToNormal:
Community-Empowered Health
On Reddit
Will Cady
Head of Brand Strategy

Personal Health
is radically
democratizing…
…now any Brand
from any space can
make a meaningful
contribution to
Human Wellbeing.
WHY?
More people are looking beyond their doctors for health solutions than ever - They
prefer to identify less as Patients and more as Performers in the social media age
WHY?
They feel empowered to self-inform, prescribe and regiment their health - The
information age provides near limitless exposure to new & old models of healthcare
WHY?
They’re finding more health options from a wider array of sources than their
doctors - Consumer purchasing & innovation of supplements, health tech, and diet/
exercise services continues to trend upward, rapidly spawning new trends
WHY?
Public interest in Performance-Minded Health has not been matched at scale with
solutions from standard healthcare providers - Insurance policies and inefficiencies
in the American healthcare system have limited the scope of affordable care for
patients and the adaptability to new trends for providers
WHY?
Standard healthcare has largely limited its scope to Wellness-Minded Health -
Though people trust the expertise of the medical field, patient-doctor relationships
have been largely limited to only visits for preventative care or the treatment of illness
WHOLE HE ALTH SPECTRUM

WHOLE HE ALTH SPECTRUM
We’re all on the same road to self-improvement - and on
Reddit, we find encouraging communities along the way
Seeking Wellness Achieving Equilibrium Peak Performance
r/Lonely
r/DiagnoseMe
r/AnxietyHelp
r/LoseIt
r/ProgressPics
r/TheXEffect
r/EatingDisorders
r/Depression
r/Bodybuilding
r/Nootropics
r/LucidDreaming
r/Meditation
r/Conﬁdence
r/PTSD
r/Triathalon
r/GetOutOfBed
r/GetMotivated
r/SocialAnxiety
r/Biohackers
r/Transhuman
MIND BODY SPIRIT
MEDICALBRAND
r/Paleo
r/90DaysGoal
r/AskDocs
r/PanicAttack
r/Lyme
r/Longevity
r/Psychology
r/Nursing
r/Pharmacy
r/Neuroscience
r/Fitbit
r/AppleWatch
r/Soylent
r/OrangeTheory
r/ADHD

Everyone has a home on Reddit. However you experience
life, there is a community on Reddit to help you live it more
vividly - and on your terms. Whether you are afflicted or
excelling, there are designated spaces to share & receive
information on your path of self-realization.
People & Patient Experiences
PHOTO: Reddit Community r/analog
+
WHOLE HEALTH SPECTRUM
Millions of Helping Hands.

Wellness Communities
Getting back to wellness is a journey that we all take at some point or
another - these are the communities where that difficult moment of
truth which leads to turnaround begins with the support of others.
Users come here to share stories of and seek solutions for
anxiety, stress, panic, and negative emotions in social situations.
Fitness, body image issues, and struggles with diet lead the conversation in
these subreddits as well as the ﬁrst stages of coping with physical illnesses.
Users come to these communities seeking a replenished sense of
motivation and purpose when they need it most.
3
2
1 MIND - Mental Health Communities
BODY - Physical Health Communities
SPIRIT - Motivational Health Communities
r/DiagnoseMe r/Depression r/Anxiety r/NeedAFriendr/Sad r/SocialAnxiety r/StopSmoking
WHOLE HE ALTH SPECTRUM / / EXPERIENCES

Equilibrium Communities
Users in these communities trade tips around goal-setting and
focus-building to find better ways to win the day, every day.
These communities are dedicated to thriving through affliction or finding
empowerment with our bodies through sustained nutrition & fitness regiments.
A sense of purpose and the motivation to go beyond takes on
an even greater momentum when fostered in a community.
3
2
r/LoseIt r/MakeNewFriendsHere r/Acne r/BodyAcceptancer/ADHD r/progresspics r/GetMotivated
Equilibrium is our own state of Normal, as we each define it - whatever
state we are living with, being here means being empowered with
discovering our best self through a measured, deliberate approach.

Performance Communities
“Flow State” is the chief phrase amongst these communities that
explore the outer limits of our mental capacity & focus.
Users come here to revel in each other’s achievements in body
conditioning, sport, and longevity that rethink human potential.
For users here, motivation flowers into the exploration of expanded
consciousness through the doors of imagination & beyond.
3
2
r/90DaysGoals r/Manprovement r/StreamEntry r/Alpinismr/Judo r/Kundalini r/UltraRunning
They’re climbing unimaginable mountains in these communities - built
around becoming the most realized versions of our selves, pushing our
sense of personal normal beyond what we thought was possible.
Yep! Arnold is one
of these Redditors.

When it comes to health, it’s especially vital to people that
they know who or what they can trust. When Trust is in
place, evolution can follow. Remarkably, on Reddit we see
that the schooled knowledge of medical professionals and
the proven products, services, and systems of brands
perform a similar function of inspiring conﬁdence in users.
+
Provider & Resource Lighthouses
WHOLE HEALTH SPECTRUM
Illuminating paths we can trust.

Medical Communities
Doctors and nurses gather here for camaraderie and info-sharing,
providing an outlet for them and a readable resource for patients.
These communities are Reddit’s evergreen pipeline of future
healthcare professionals pursuing their doctorates or licenses.
Designated for credentialed doctors and nurses, veriﬁed by
moderators, to provide direct advice to patient questions.
WHOLE HE ALTH SPECTRUM / / LIGHTHOUSES
DOCTORS - Working Professional Communities
STUDENTS - Student Resource Communities
ADVICE - Doctor-to-Patient Communities3
2
1
r/AskDocs r/MedicalSchool r/Nurses r/Pharmacologyr/EMS r/Dentistry r/StudentNurse
Healthcare workers of all stripes gather here to share professional
advice, discuss news, destress, and in some communities even provide
direct feedback to anxious patients looking for further advice.

Brand Communities
Community cultures form around speciﬁc gyms or workout
methods that inspire users to share tips & results
Many Redditors are hackers at their core and love to exchange
tips & tricks about getting the most out of health tech tools
Brand trust & user advocacy in these communities helps
Redditors choose & sustain major lifestyle changes in diet.
FITNESS - Gym & Regiment Communities
TECH - Apps & Hardware Communities
NUTRITION - Product & Program Communities3
2
1
r/Headspace r/OrangeTheory r/Fitbit r/AppleWatchr/Soylent r/WeightWatchers r/P90X
People come together and form communities around shared
experiences - when those experiences are as intimately important as
their personal health, their sense of connection is even more profound.
WHOLE HE ALTH SPECTRUM / / LIGHTHOUSES

Community Analysis

WELLNE SS & PE RFORMANCE / / ANALYSIS
SOURCE: Reddit First Party Data, 2019
46%Avg y/y
growth
30%
Avg y/y
growth
56%
Avg y/y
growth
WELLNESS EQUILIBRIUM PERFORMANCE
Traffic to all Reddit health-experience communities is
growing quickly, signaling a rise in self-informed health
A V G M O N T H LY S U B R E D D I T S C R E E N V I E W S B Y T Y P E 2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8

56%
Avg y/y
growth
MIND
51%
Avg y/y
growth
BODY
40%
Avg y/y
growth
SPIRIT
53%
Avg y/y
growth
DOCTORBRAND
112%Avg y/y
growth
Amongst differing community types, Brand subreddit
traffic growth is notably most rapid above all others
A V G M O N T H LY S U B R E D D I T S C R E E N V I E W S B Y T Y P E 2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8

0
41,667
83,333
125,000
166,667
208,333
250,000
WELLNESS EQUILIBRIUM PERFORMANCE
100,437212,08478,890
A V E R A G E S U B R E D D I T S U B S C R I B E R S - J A N 2 0 1 9
The largest gatherings of users happen in communities
focused on staying motivated and achieving balance
0
58,333
116,667
175,000
233,333
291,667
350,000
MIND BODY SPIRIT BRAND MEDICAL
67,86428,655337,059149,41951,596
Brand subreddits
are young and
growing

Users identifying
with challenges in
Wellness subs are
also looking for
solutions in
Performance subs
r/SELFIMPROVEMENT
r/DEPRESSION OVLERAP
19%
r / S e l f I m p r o v e m e n t
&
r / D e p r e s s i o n
r/MENTALHEALTH
r/ANXIETY OVLERAP
24%
r / M e n t a l H e a l t h
&
r / A n x i e t y
Traffic overlap data gives us a picture of the
shared audiences between distinct subreddits.
When we look at the overlaps of subreddits
tagged as Performance, we find large pockets of
shared audiences also visiting subreddits tagged
as Wellness in corresponding health interests.
r/RUNNING
r/LOSEIT OVLERAP
17%
r / R u n n i n g
&
r / L o s e I t

Conversation Analysis

Supplement
5%
Medication
19%
Therapy
37%
Exercise
33%
Meditation
6%
Meditation
Exercise
Therapy
Medication
Supplement
2M 4M 6M 8M 10M
Mentions Upvotes
Total Views for
Mentions
2018
T O T A L M E N T I O N S & U P V O T E S I N 2 0 1 8
2.5 : 1
3.5 : 1
4.5 : 1
3 : 1
1.2 : 1
Beyond the subreddit framework, we see traditional,
active health care solutions discussed most of all

So then…why is everyone talking about CBD?
0K
10K
20K
30K
40K
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Xanax Prozac AnitdepressantCBD
P O S T S & C O M M E N T S W I T H K E Y W O R D M E N T I O N S
I N 2 0 1 8
Because everyone
is talking about
CBD.

WELLNESS
BEYOND
WELLNESS
0
667
1,333
2,000
2,667
3,333
4,000
CBD XANAX PROZAC
1,0402,6703,800
N U M B E R O F S U B R E D D I T S W I T H K E Y W O R D
M E N T I O N S I N 2 0 1 8
HEALTHY LIVING
MEDICAL
FAMILY
TRAVEL
NEWS & EDU
BIZ & FINANCE
GAMING
1M 2M 2M 3M 4M
CBD
Xanax
Prozac
V I E W S O F P O S T S W I T H K E Y W O R D M E N T I O N S
B Y I N T E R E S T I N 2 0 1 8
Unlike traditional Pharma & Healthcare messaging, CBD
conversation lives across the whole health spectrum

An effective strategy will consider all categories of the
whole health spectrum to reach full scale potential
Seeking Wellness Achieving Equilibrium Peak Performance
0
166,667
333,333
500,000
666,667
833,333
1,000,000
794,213814,735980,555
A V G M O N T H LY S U B R E D D I T S C R E E N V I E W S B Y T Y P E 2 0 1 8
* S E L E C T E D S A M P L I N G A B O V E A C T I V I T Y M I N I M U M *
38% 32% 31%
Many traditional Health & Wellness
campaigns are only focused here

Brand Strategy & Opportunity

How can Your Brand
make a meaningful
contribution to
Human Wellbeing?
Can you offer something that
improves people’s sense of
personal Wellness or
Performance?
CHALLENGE
The ways in which people care for themselves is in upheaval. Old systems don’t
fit the new paradigm and people aren’t certain which of the new emerging
options they can trust.
OPPORTUNITY
People do trust Brands. Established Brands have a standard they must adhere to.
Leverage and lean into that standard to deliver a Wellness or Performance-
oriented offering through your product/service. Brands that act as lighthouses
for Human Wellbeing will gain more Trust & thrive in this new economy.
RECOMMENDATION
Focus on the untapped opportunities on the Whole Health Spectrum, delivering
an offering that carries an empowering message highlighting in concrete terms
what your Brand can do or is actively doing to empower people’s health. Build
Trust by offering a helping hand with resources only your Brand can provide
and enable a lighthouse community to form around it.
WELLNE SS & PE RFORMANCE / / STRATEGY

A Note on
Reddit’s
Ads Policies
TARGETING SOME WELLNESS SUBREDDITS
Out of respect to our users, Reddit does not allow the dedicated targeting of certain subreddits related
to highly vulnerable health issues. As such, Reddit’s Ads Policy notes:
Reddit does not allow ads whose targeting illegally discriminates or is likely to provoke or cause outrage. 
CBD AND SOME SUPPLEMENT ADVERTISERS
Reddit restricts the promotion of certain health and wellness products and services. In addition to our own
policies, all advertisements must comply with applicable laws, rules, regulations, licensing requirements,
and industry standards. Advertisers are responsible for geo-targeting in compliance with country-specific
laws and regulations.
Further, advertisements may not make false, misleading, or exaggerated health claims; promote products
that are subject to any regulatory action or warning; or promote a non-government-approved product in a
manner that implies safety or efficacy in diagnosing, mitigating, treating, curing, or preventing a particular
disease or ailment.
WELLNE SS & PE RFORMANCE / / STRATEGY
Full Reddit Ads Policy

Proving that today’s Health & Wellness space is ripe for
activation for any brand from any category, Chipotle
activated a movement on Reddit around the addition of
diet-friendly Lifestyle Bowls to their menus - speciﬁcally
tailored to the Paleo, Whole30, and Keto communities.
+
Brands That Got This Right
WELLNESS & PERFORMANCE

Chipotle x Reddit:
“For Real” Lifestyle Bowls Movement
Chipotle teamed with Reddit to spark a transparent dialogue with
customers about their long-standing commitment to preparing real food
made with real ingredients.
The effort mobilized loyalists to partner with the brand to champion real,
diet-based healthy ingredients and create both a groundswell of positive
sentiment and store visitation/sales outcomes.
CASE STUDY

CASE STUDY
Chipotle x Reddit:
“For Real” Movement
1
1 Well Aligned Brand Truth
51 easy to pronounce & recognizable menu ingredients
+ transparent access to Chipotle’s menu + R&D process.
2
2 Communities & Active Discussion
Tapping into active loyalty, healthy living + food
communities across Reddit to foster an active
discussion and action.
3
3 Brand As Benefactor
Access to Chipotle’s R&D Chef via AMA // Ability for
communities to suggest and impact Chipotle’s menu
u/Chipotle: Hey Reddit, we
need you. Help us build the
perfect meals for Keto,
Paleo, Whole30, and High-
protein diets. Post your go-to
order in the comments below to
help create the ultimate
Chipotle meal for your
community. We've got Reddit
gold for the best submissions!
4
4 Media & Ampliﬁcation
Encouraging participation and feedback via
engagement prompts + AMAs, + promoted posts +
social listening & response
5
5 Co-Creation + Credit
An all new menu item that Reddit weighed in on.

SNAPSHOT: Ste e ri n g
Action + Pos i ti ve
Communi ty Respo ns e
Chipotle x Reddit:
“For Real” Movement
CASE STUDY

L’Oreal brings science to skincare in their products, and
that’s precisely what they did with their voice on Reddit.
Bringing in experts to mirror the Lighthouse Effect of
Providers on Reddit, L’Oreal inspired Redditors who are
conscious about their skin to learn more about their
choices for skin care.
+
Brands That Got This Right
WELLNESS & PERFORMANCE

L’Oreal builds love in Reddit communities
L’Oreal patterned with Reddit to promote their La Roche-Posay Effaclar product line among the
most passionate skincare and beauty enthusiasts on the web
L’Oreal tapped into our robust beauty and skincare
communities by asking Redditors to share their best
skincare advice. They also gave users the chance to ask their
questions through an AMA with a board-certiﬁed
dermatologist. By engaging with these beauty enthusiasts
and bringing value to their communities, L’Oreal saw
signiﬁcant lift for their La Roche-Posay Effaclar product line.
9%
10%
Brand awareness lift
6x higher than industry norms
Brand  
favorability lift
Purchase intent lift
20%
Success with Reddit
SOURCE: Kantar Millward Brown 2017
CASE STUDY

More Data & Insights

2 0 1 7
2 0 1 8
Health & fitness communities are massive, engaged & growing
Health & fitness on Reddit
Top Communities
SOURCE: Internal Data, Q3 2018; Comscore, 2018 ENGAGEMENT: Vote, post, comment
r/fitness r/skincareaddiction r/keto r/bodybuildingr/loseit r/progresspics r/getmotivated r/vegan
161MM O N T H LY
V I E W S
E N G A G E M E N T S
are health conscious
REDDITORS
125M
to health & fitness communities
VISITORS
14M
to health & fitness communities
SUBSCRIBERS
10M
In the top 50 health & fitness communities
+43%
Y E A R - O V E R -  
Y E A R

HEALTH + FI TNE SS
The most driven health & fitness
enthusiasts on the Internet
SOURCE: Comscore, 2018
Reddit has more health conscious visitors than 
Self, Men’s Health, LiveStrong, and Shape combined
R E D D I T H E A L T H + F I T N E S S O T H E R S
Shape
LiveStrong
Fitness
Runner’s World 
Self
Men’s Health
66%
of Redditors regularly 
participate in sports, ﬁtness, 
or other physical activity
of Redditors are  
health-conscious
REDDIT
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
LIVESTRONG
SHAPE
MENS HEALTH
INSTAGRAM
SELF 30
31
32
33
33
33
35
39
39%
% V I S I T O R S W H O A R E H E A L T H - C O N S C I O U S

REDDIT TWITTER SELF SHAPE MENS HEALTH LIVESTRONG
HEALTH + FI TNE SS
Reddit is the place for health- 
conscious discovery & discussion
15x
Our health & fitness enthusiasts 
spend more time monthly with Reddit
than enthusiasts on other health &
fitness-focused destinations
M O N T H LY A V E R A G E M I N U T E S P E R V I S I T O R
SOURCE: Comscore, 2018

HEALTH + FI TNE SS
Reddit self-care enthusiasts 
are spending real-world dollars
SOURCE: Placed, 2018; Comscore, 2018
Z
Redditors are more likely 
to have visited a membership 
gym in the last month
Z
Redditors are more likely 
to have bought health food 
in the past month
+50%
+76%
+33%
+11%
M O R E L I K E LY T O H A V E
V I S I T E D T H E S E G Y M S  
I N T H E L A S T M O N T H

184.1
M I L L I O N +
1 in 4
R E D D I T O R S
30.5%
TARG ET AUDIENCE: PAT IENTS
Redditors are living with
a Health Condition
Such as: Allergies, Arthritis, Asthma, Bipolar
Disorder, Chronic Pain, Crohn’s Disease, Diabetes,
Epilepsy, Gout, High Cholesterol, Migraines,
Schizophrenia, or Stroke, etc.
of Redditors bought a
prescription for their ailment/
condition in the last 30 days
Ailments/Conditions such as: Allergies, Arthritis,
Asthma, Bipolar Disorder, Chronic Pain, Crohn’s Disease,
Diabetes, Epilepsy, Gout, High Cholesterol, Migraines,
Schizophrenia, Stroke, etc
bought an OTC remedy for
their ailment/condition in
the last 30 days
Such as: Allergies, Arthritis, Asthma, Bipolar
Disorder, Chronic Pain, Crohn’s Disease, Diabetes,
Epilepsy, Gout, High Cholesterol, Migraines,
Schizophrenia, or Stroke, etc.
SOURCE: Comscore, December 2018, (1) Cross Platform, (2) Desktop Only

TARG ET AUDIENCE: PAT IENTS
SOURCE: Comscore, December 2018, (1) Cross Platform, (2) Desktop Only
14.5M+
Redditors are
Healthcare Practitioners
Such as Doctors, Nurses, Therapists, Technicians, etc.
7.26M+
Redditors work in
Healthcare Support
Such as Aides and Professional Caregivers
1 in 5
Redditors fall into the
Health & Fitness group*
*Based on their interests, lifestyles, and behaviors (Comscore)
These interests, lifestyles, and behaviors include: Conditions
such as (HIV/AIDS, Allergies, Cancer, Diabetes, Sleep Disorders,
or Thyroid Disease), and Interests such as (Men’s and Women’s
Health, Nutrition, or Sexuality )

Thank You
GRACIAS • DANKE • SPASIBO • MERCI

Beyond Back To Normal: The Rise Of Community-Empowered Health On Reddit

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