Founder and CEO of Schieber Research, LLC, with offices in New York and Tel Aviv. Trends and innovation expert and keynote speaker.
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Poet Emily Dickinson once said, “If you take care of the small things, the big things take care of themselves.” This is indeed the approach consumers are utilizing in the battle against stress, “The Health Epidemic of the 21st Century,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Recognizing the importance of mental wellness, consumers are coping with stress and anxiety in myriad ways, many times referred to as “self-care.” Google searches for “self-care” have been experiencing a steady climb worldwide in the last five years but have reached an all-time high during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the past, joy and escapism were a big part of self-care routines, including “Insta-worthy” experiences, boxes, kits and surprises, travel and indulgence. However, as consumers are adopting mindfulness — not escapism — when dealing with the everyday struggle with stress, brands can build loyalty by helping consumers help themselves.
Mindful Rituals
Consumers are adopting a strategy of mindfulness, redefining their day-to-day activities. Consumption opportunities — often hurried and requiring convenience for the multitasking, time-starved consumer — can also become a chance for relaxation and assurance. Unlike routines, rituals are reflective by nature, and consumers assign meaning to them. One example of reflective behavior is journaling — regularly writing down thoughts and goals, especially in the morning and prior to bedtime. Searches related to “bullet journaling” have experienced a breakout over the last five years, though the practice has been around for many years.
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The beauty industry highlights the polarization in stress reduction: the rise of multifunctional products versus the adoption of “beauty rituals,” taking time to pamper and rejuvenate. Take, for example, the Jade Roller, a best-selling beauty product described on the Sephora product page as “relaxing and de-stressing,” moving beyond the functional attributes to a metaphysical, experiential proposition.
Brands can make any product more mindful by connecting it to a ritual — for instance, offering a notebook for journaling morning thoughts as you sip your coffee, or offering aromatherapy or functional add-on kits to give consumers a chance to reflect on how they are feeling and what they might be needing.
Nespresso, made famous for offering a quick and convenient cup of quality coffee, has seen young consumers opting for slow, mindful coffee moments and has recently launched a response in the U.S.: a pour-over-style carafe asking consumers to “slow down and savor the moment.”
Rituals can also be found on a periodical basis — for example, “Veganuary” and “RED January” prompt consumers to reexamine their lifestyle choices and consider making permanent changes. Brands can take part in these efforts.
Mindful Consumption
Consumers are reconsidering what a “good” brand means for them. They are hoping brands will help them feel like they are “better people” and considering the environment, society, farming practices and ethical issues as well as their own health when making purchase decisions. An IBM 2020 global study of nearly 19,000 consumers even found that brand purpose is more important to today’s shoppers than cost and convenience.
According to Ingredion’s CAGNY 2020 presentation, the mindful consumer sees plant-based nutrition as promoting long-term health, as well as supporting sustainability and animal welfare.
Snack company Mondelez, manufacturer of Oreo and other famous brands, demonstrates how permissible indulgence is a huge part of these mindful choices. The company promotes “mindful snacking” and plans to include mindfulness tips on all its packaging worldwide by 2025, such as: minimizing distractions, focusing on the smell and taste, and noticing the textures.
Consumers look to digital apps and wearables to help them make better choices and to remind them to breathe and calm down. The leading health and fitness app in the Google Play Store in the U.S. as of September 2020 is Calm, a meditation, sleep and relaxation app with over 675,000 downloads in 2020, according to Statista. The Apple Watch even has a built-in “Breathe” app, aimed at promoting relaxation and calm.
Whoop, an athlete-oriented smart band, helps consumers track not only their training but also their sleep and recovery. The app requires the consumer’s regular feedback — journaling in the morning to gain insights into recovery data and to understand the mental and physical consequences of a workout.
Family And Friends
The need to belong to a family or a community, amplified by long periods of social distancing, is acute to people’s well-being. Social networks, online groups and video-conferencing technology are blooming, and marketing efforts are focused on the story of connecting to loved ones, including Facebook’s Portal and Amazon’s Alexa.
Discord, a social platform built around gaming that has expanded to other shared interests, “from local hiking clubs, to art communities, to study groups,” has garnered 100 million monthly active users with people talking for upwards of four hours per day on the platform.
Consumer-to-consumer e-commerce is a growing part of this trend: By reselling or creating, consumers are connecting to their peers through selling and shopping.
Flaviar, a spirits discovery club, offers samples of tasting-size whiskey bottles. When gifting someone, users are prompted to add a subscription for themselves for a lower price, thus making the brand a platform for connection between people.
Peloton, a leading digital fitness company today, has community at its core. Aside from launching tags for people to discover like-minded fitness enthusiasts, the company strongly encourages participation in cause-driven events — virtually and physically — thus creating a sense of belonging and shared purpose.
How Can You Support The Mindful Self-Care Consumer?
Helping consumers in their journey to become healthier and happier provides a great opportunity for brands to create real value, be more helpful and gain consumer loyalty at a time when they need help more than ever before. Brands should take a look at the product/service and ask: What are the things that get in the consumer’s way, and what are the things that the consumer would actually want to get in their way?
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Author: Hamutal Schieber, Forbes Councils Member
