Blog

If there is one silver lining in this pandemic, it is that holistic health and wellness has taken centre stage. The pandemic has shaken people to their core and raised an alarm, which has led to an increased consciousness of physical and mental well-being.

Even before the pandemic, an emerging trend had been seen: consumers were moving towards health and wellness-conscious choices. While COVID-19 increased the focus on health and wellness, the industry worth $4.5 trillion was not devoid of the negative impact caused due to this ongoing global health crisis.

As fitness centres and gyms shut down in the backdrop of pandemic-induced lockdown, consumers quickly moved to online alternatives for the same. People found new ways of taking care of themselves, indicating that the industry needs to be prepared to adapt to these changes and offer consumers what they need in the new circumstances.

The unanticipated crisis has transformed every facet of the global supply chain across different industries. Health and wellness was no different. To overcome this crisis and address changing consumer behaviour, it became imperative for the industry to adapt to the following changes:

Paying close attention to consumer behaviour and trends

If they want to remain relevant in the long run, it is important to pay attention to the current consumer behaviour and trends. Paying close attention to consumer behaviour is the key to make necessary adjustments.

For example, amid the pandemic, there has been a rise in adoption of telehealth among consumers. In fact, some companies are also offering health and wellness solutions online and are doing well. This shift is notable and a unique step that brands in the health and wellness space can take going forward.

Emphasis on online business/ecommerce especially after a pandemic

With social distancing becoming the norm and fewer people stepping out to shop and eat, ecommerce has emerged as an alternative in every industry. This makes it important for brands and companies to use the online space for selling their products and promoting them on social media platforms.

One way to go about building trust with consumers while selling wellness commerce online is by providing the facility of consultations with doctors or experts. Free trials, personalisation, and building an online community are some ways to build a connection with consumers via ecommerce.

Emphasis on innovation and differentiation

To stay ahead in the competition, companies must focus on innovation and differentiation. From building solutions that catch consumer interest immediately to selling them, brands have to step up their innovation game. For example, brands can bring in differentiation with sustainable packaging, especially in the times when people are scared of the spread of coronavirus.

More proactive marketing and public relations

Once the brand is aware of what it has to offer to the consumers and how, the next step is to focus on marketing efforts, which are essential for any product to see success. Brands can begin with a PR campaign focusing on getting attention through online articles and features.

In marketing efforts in the present day, it is even vital to make collaborations with social media influencers as it’s a great way to get attention for your brand.

Increasing branding and visibility on offline channels like retail stores

It is never enough when it comes to promoting your brand. Hence, after following the online course of action in increasing the product popularity, it is time to resort to offline marketing. It is equally important to create a buzz offline for the brand. For that, offline branding measures and collaborations with retail stores make for a good deal. Identify places where the branding will immediately catch the potential consumer’s attention.

Creating a strong supply chain, backend

If there has to be one lesson that every company is going to remember from the pandemic is the importance of creating a strong supply chain. Even with popularity and visibility, brands were not able to fill demand as supply chains were cut off. Therefore, companies must invest in building logistics and backend support that will not be majorly disrupted in case of any crisis.

In a nutshell, these efforts play a major role in helping health and wellness brands grow their businesses. To be able to not just survive but thrive in the ‘new normal’ era, brands have to continue to pay close attention to emerging trends and be flexible to adapt to changes while tapping the need-based market gap.

It is equally important to keep investing in understanding consumers and their choices. Thus, brands can be successful only when they are ever-evolving in all spheres of selling a product.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)