In pursuit of happiness: Traditional herbs and mental health rituals
HMT's recently published Mental Wellbeing category report says “we have now entered the 3rd phase of health” as consumers’ interest in health shifts from their physical, to their mental health.
Wennstrom says this is “the gamechanger” for anyone working with food and health products as consumers' end goal has evolved - from health, to wellness, to happiness.
In this podcast, the marketing guru explains the macro economic and social factors contributing to this new mindset and discusses how brands can develop connections with consumers through storytelling, traditions and health rituals.
"You're going beyond the claims of the product attributes and instead you are delivering on consumer beliefs and emotional values and we see a lot of that with the young generation of brands - the disruptive brands - brands that almost behave like a political party."
He added: "Roots and traditions give you comfort and a sense of security. It could be the sort of food that reminds you of what your mother or grandmother used to serve you."
He explains brands can leverage the traditions or roots of ingredients to sell their product and this is proving effective in the world of botanical supplements.
And rituals are another way that brands can think beyond simply selling the product and instead sell the consumer a ritual which helps to support their mental health in a more holistic way. This also aids in compliance - something that is often an issue with supplements.
