In our 2017 Well Economy report, we charted the development of health and wellbeing brands. But now, even this distinction is changing. The concept of wellness is now incorporated into everything, from public space and interior design to transport. The Global Wellness Institute reports that the $4.2 trillion global industry is growing twice as fast.
New brands and platforms are helping to transform luxury products for the mass market as the wellness industry expands. There is still a demand for high-end luxury products (look at Goop as proof), but a number of brands are trying to bring wellness to the mass market by lowering costs.
Inclusive nutrition
Organic, sustainable, and natural groceries are becoming more of a necessity than a luxury. According to SONAR ™, Wunderman’s proprietary tool for market research, nearly half of US millennials expect that all products are GMO-free.
Brandless, a company that launched in 2017, is already disrupting the grocery market with products that are certified organic, non-GMO, and vegan, priced at $3. Public Goods, a direct-to-consumer startup that offers low prices on premium products in exchange for a $59 annual membership, uses a similar business model. In 2015, Morgans launched a range of clean bath products. The company entered the grocery market in March 2019 with an organic line of pantry products, including pasta, olive oil, and granola.
Inclusion nutrition now includes high-quality nutritional products at affordable prices. Bobbi Brown has partnered with Walmart to help bridge the class gap that plagues the wellness industry. Evolution 18, Bobbi Brown’s line of wellness supplements, was launched in more than 1,500 Walmart US stores in April 2019 and online. Products include teas, pills, gummies, and powders. Brown said that the line was “not only about a product but a platform for educating consumers on health and wellbeing.”
Brandless began expanding into wellness supplements in March 2019. Brandless has introduced new products such as gut cleansing kits at $15, essential oils at $4, and organic vitamins at $9. The company stated that “wellness is for everyone, so we have made it easier for you to get high-quality products at a lower price.” Our latest superfoods, vitamins, and supplements are easy additions to the modern lifestyle.
Includes baby care
New brands are democratizing the premium baby product category. Brandless expanded its offering in January 2019 to include organic baby food, premium diapers, and clean and cruelty-free baby care products. Brandless believes that better does not have to be more expensive. The $9-or-less line supports this philosophy. Tina Sharkey, CEO and cofounder of Brandless, said that the collection aims to make it easier for parents to decide between high-quality items and the things they can afford.
Two celebrity-led companies also work to eliminate cost barriers in the baby care category. Hello Bello, a new product by Kristen Bell and Dax Shepherd, was launched in February 2019. The brand is exclusively sold at Walmart and offers organic and plant-based baby care products at an affordable cost. Shepard, cofounder of Hello Bello, said that it’s unfair that many organic and plant-based products are expensive and not available to everyone across the country. Hello Bello products, on the other hand, were designed to eliminate parents’ need to choose between what is best for their children and what fits their budget.
Once Upon A Time was launched in 2017 by Jennifer Garner with the help of cofounders. The company offers organic and healthy “farm to high chair” food for kids starting at $2.99. The company also wants to make its products available to parents on low incomes who receive help through programs such as USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Program and WIC. WIC provides federal grants to the states to supplement nutrition and provide education for women who are pregnant or nursing and have children under five. Garner said, “We are disrupting the category.” Garner said, “We cannot just talk about feeding 50% or 10% of children. We need to discuss how to provide nutrition to the lower half.
Inclusion spas
Around the globe, public spas and baths have made a comeback. They make old-school wellness practices accessible and affordable for local communities.
Bompas & Parr, a multisensory design studio, created Paradise Now in 2018, London’s “wellbeing play area.” The outdoor urban spa was hosted by Eccleston Yards in Belgravia for two weeks in September 2018. It featured a pink-mist waterfall enriched with energizing minerals, a meditation zone that included aromatherapy pebbles to reduce anxiety, and a lighting installation emitting a soothing, warm glow.
A water sommelier served visitors “water cocktails” around the globe at an electrolyte bar. Harry Parr describes the experience as a way to bring spa culture into everyday life. Parr said that the installation not only showcases the latest trends in wellness but also allows access to them on a daily basis.
Studio Puisto has created a “neighborhood Sauna” in Tampere. The sauna’s design is based on a traditional korttelisauna that was made famous by the late 19th century as a place where people would gather to wash and exchange ideas. Tuula Vitie is an interior architect with Studio Puisto. She tells JWT Intelligence that they wanted the Tullin sauna to be a neighborhood space where everyone could enjoy it together. Studio Puisto wants the complex to serve as a ‘communal living room’ and has incorporated this social aspect into every part of it, from the restaurant that serves local delicacies in the coworking area to the specially designed space.
Lighthouse Health Plan held a wellness event in Florida for its members in March 2019. The community-based Medicaid insurance provider provided educational stations for all members of the family. Amanda Bawn is the Community Engagement Manager at Lighthouse. She said, “Our goal is to engage and excite our members about healthy lifestyle choices.” We provide our members with information and tools that empower them to take control of their health, always with Lighthouse’s support.
