Keeping health and healthy lifestyle branding and marketing simple

As health and healthy lifestyle brand owners, you should be doing what you can to reduce consumers' stress levels. In a marketplace filled with too much choice (both product and media), too much information (often conflicting) and too much similarity, simpler is smarter. Today, complexity requires simplicity.

From a consumer perspective, we tend to shut down when faced with too many choices. We say we want choice, but not too much. Dr. Susan Broniaczyk, from University of Texas states in her paper “the deleterious effects of living in consumer hyperchoice", when consumers face a large selection of items, they have to process a large amount of information, which can cause problems. People worry so much about buying the wrong item that they may opt out of the whole arduous decision-making process by not buying anything at all. Or, when they do buy something, foregone options linger in memory, causing post-purchase regret.

For brand owners, adapting a mantra of simplicity (of being all about your customers) translates to:

• Your brands ability to make people feel better and contribute to making their lives better. Which starts by making it simple for them to choose what they want (e.g. Amazon).

• A simple and delightful experience (in a world where many are not). Making airline reservations and trying to rent a car typically are not. Zappos and Pret A Manger are.

• The ability to put resources behind brands that will generate the strongest results. Which goes back to making it simpler for people to navigate your offerings. By paring back your portfolio to those brands that are most on trend and that represent the lions share of current and potential future revenues and reputation, you're not only taking costs out of the system, but you have more horsepower to put behind those brands.

Sustainability – through lunch box napkins

Actually one of a few different ideas I've seen recently related to lunch boxes - one citing the dangers of the boxes themselves, the other offering ideas for "sustainable" lunch sacks. Interesting idea, but what are the chances your kids will actually come home with the napking? ttp://springwise.com/eco_sustainability/reusable_lunch_box_napkins/

Dr. Dean Ornish: Healing and other natural wonders

Very interesting and engaging talk by Dean Ornish from TED conference http://www.ted.com (bringing together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers) – about simple, low-tech and low-cost ways to take advantage of the body's natural desire to heal itself. Dean Ornish is a clinical professor at UCSF and founder of the Preventative Research Institute. He's a leading expernt on fighting illness – particularly heart disease with dietary and lifestyle changes.

Consumers, social media and health + wellness Brands

I recently returned from a client meeting where we had a great discussion about the future of health and wellness brands, changing consumer lifestyles and the increasing rise in the popularity of social media. Key discussion points included:

1. Health/wellness segments continue to merge – food and beverages, supplements, pharmaceutical, fitness, beauty care.

2. Healthier lifestyle practices and motivations are a key driver. And expectations are evolving to an "ultimate health" benefit beyond the physical to include emotional, spiritual and even environmental.

4. Layer on the ability of consumers to connect, share, and control where, when and how they consume their media – and it's clear that the rules of engagement/balance of power has changed.

5. Consider opportunities to deliver innovate and reciprocal benefits that demonstrate genuine interest in helping improve consumers lives, e.g. imparting knowledge and insight (http://www.johnsonbaby.com">, building community ("http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com">, and self-expression (http://www.youbars.com/makeashake)

Net, the opportunities for leadership and for creating future business by utilizing the power of digital experiences and social media is limited only by our insights and imagination.

Brand experience lessons for healthcare learned from a sandwich shop

Pret A Manger is a sandwich shop in NY. I hadn't been to one since traveling with friends in London years ago. I was so impressed with the company, when I returned from that trip, I called the company to let them know.

Pret offers those who are on-the-go a comfortable, relaxing and kind of surprising experience. It's cozy, with a nice, simple assortment of self-select, fresh (pretty creative) sandwiches, wraps, soups, salads and desserts - all made with natural ingredients. And to top it all off, the people who work there are happy and personable.

I know Pret's only a sandwich shop, but I can't help but think that it often comes down to the basics, 

"warm environments, inviting presentation, friendly faces, the opportunity to engage." 

Whether a sandwich shop, a waiting room in the hospital or a retail shopping experience. Really not to much to ask.

How can health and wellness marketers make the best of the recesson

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going."

Never thought I'd guote Billy Ocean, but his statement is true. The recession's impacted everyone. Both marketer and consumer are re-evaluating their priorities and their next moves. Both are under pressure to control costs, maintain liquidity and protect their bottom lines.

So how can health and wellness marketers make the best of a tough and lingering situation. How can you maintain or actually build momentum, when many others are hunkering down. In our work with clients, we're focusing on these issues:

1. Stay True To Your Story. Who you are, what you stand for, what you believe in and the benefits you provide are what won you their loyalty in the first place. Now, in the midst of all this turmoil, is not the right time to revise your script. Those who know you best will see through you, begin to doubt you and make others aware of same.

2. Tweak The Value Proposition. Value is certainly higher on the consumer's benefit ladder. Which can be defined as comfort, safety, security, etc. – those benefits that are already built into your value proposition. Consider creative ways to deliver more value at the same price (e.g. more utility, more relationship, more knowledge…). As long as you remain true to who you are, you have permission to evolve the proposition to fit with the times.

3. Keep Insiders Engaged And Positive . Your employees are feeling the strain and pain of the economic situation. Either internally or as consumers themselves, they're anxious. It's critical that you continue to work (and that they can continue to drive) your brand from the inside-out. If there's doubt in their minds about your future (their future), if they don't have a positive frame of mind, it will come through in their interactions and actions. Remember that employees are one of the most essential, and cost effective, components of marketing.

4. Sharpen The Experience. Walk the mall, and you can see who'se generating the traffic. And whose not. Particularly today, when dollars are tight, those brands that create an emotional connection – that make people feel good about themselves and their decisions – that make people feel more connected - in more control - smart or frugal - will win the day.

5. Open Up The Conversation. Enable and share in your customer conversations. Listen to what they are saying. Learn and build on the positives as well as the criticism. And don't ignore or cancel out the negatives when they arise. The more transparent you are, the more their trust and loyalty will come out on the other side.

6. Continue Brand-Building Activities. Study after study has demonstrated that companies that continue to spend through recessions come out stronger on the other side. It's actually a good time to build share of mind as others put on the brakes. And it's more efficient as media should be less expensive and opportunities exist to negotiate surrounding opportunities.