Health

Implications - Brands within the cannabis industry are offering strains and other cannabis products that highlight mental clarity and focus in their purported benefits. This shift comes as brands within this space look to counter negative perceptions of cannabis, which include the belief that it impairs concentration.

Homework Question - How could your brand counter some of the negative perceptions associated with its product/service? [More]

Implications - Rather than guiding consumers through meditation, some brands are putting their focus on creating or finding environments that are suitable for meditative practices—namely those that prioritize silence. By curating specific instances of peace and quiet for consumers, these brands approach meditation in its most simple form for wellness-minded consumers.

Homework Question - In what ways could your brand better prioritize wellness for its customers or employees? [More]

Implications - Providing consumers with additional value and benefiting from an angle of self-care, brands are launching typically single-purpose products and bolstering them with aromatherapy diffusion functionality as well. As consumers become increasingly interested in reducing the amount of products they own, this hybridized approach to product design is well-aligned with the modern consumer.

Homework Question - How could you integrate an element of self-care to your existing offering? [More]

Implications - As consumers become increasingly invested and self-directed when it comes to their wellness, supplements have grown in popularity. Catering to this growing interest in betterment as well as satisfying a craving for novelty, companies in the vitamin space are releasing supplement products in inventive new formats.

Homework Question - Think of a tried-and-true offering in your space. How could you completely reinvent the way that product is packaged? [More]

Implications - Capitalizing on the popularity of small-format beverages, brands within the wellness space are producing shooters that offer consumers stress-relief. Inspired by the energy-boosting wellness shots that consumers have long been accustomed to, this reversal within the relaxation space offers a novel product in a familiar format.

Homework Question - Consider unique product presentations in adjacent spaces that your brand could take inspiration from. [More]

Implications - The process of consuming supplements is being made easier by health brands, with the integration of beneficial ingredients into consumers' daily rituals. With supplement-taking now being as simple as having a morning coffee or drinking water, brands are directly appealing to the consumer desire for simplicity and convenience.

Homework Question - How could your brand integrate its product/service into consumers' daily rituals? [More]

Implications - The enhanced focus on the flavor and aromas of cannabis strains comes as the plant continues to be legalized across North America, and one of the observable shifts in this space is the prioritization of "dessert-like" cannabis strains. With everything from cake to ice cream being used as inspiration, these items come as consumers become increasingly comfortable with experimenting with recreational cannabis.

Homework Question - How could your brand experiment with playful flavors or branding in its products/services? [More]

Implications - Meditation and fitness exercises like yoga are taking on more adventurous, outside-the box elements for an experiential twist. While it might sound counter intuitive to combine interactive features with activities meant to be calm and relaxing, the experience economy is prompting more traditional, low key categories like this to adapt and appeal to a larger audience. These examples of more interactive elements of relaxation not only speak to the evolution of health and wellness, but also to how consumers are looking for alternative, one-of-a-kind options even among the most traditional of activities.

Homework Question - How can you appeal to a growing consumer desire for both relaxation and experience? [More]

Implications - The continued popularity of quinoa has resulted in brands releasing confectionery products infused with the seed, items that include everything from waffles to baking mixes. This shift comes as the health and wellness space continues to emerge in unlikely areas due to the high consumer demand for natural living.

Homework Question - How could your brand cater to demand in the wellness space. [More]

Implications - Spirulina, algae now known for its many health benefits and potent color, is being incorporated into confectionary items. The inclusion of this nutritious ingredient serves two functions–an automatic association of health in items that are typically not considered to be so, as well as natural intense coloring that avoids the pitfalls of artificial labeling.

Homework Question - How could your brand better incorporate natural elements into its products/services? [More]