As we step into the year 2024, the landscape of health and wellness is undergoing a profound transformation. The quest for physical, mental, and economic well-being has never been more prevalent, as consumers around the world continue to prioritize their health like never before. Trend Hunter has recently released their 2024 Trend Report, focusing on the forecasted opportunities and insights for the “feel good” industry.
Organic Treatment
The growth of the organic food & beverage market is influencing brands that offer medical care for various conditions. Products like organic cold medication and organic acne-treating skincare set an example for how the healthcare space can better prioritize sustainability and ethical production. The wellness industry’s expansion has created more competition for brands in healthcare, as more consumers turn to “natural” treatments for common ailments. However, this shift has created opportunities for small brands to offer consumers the best of both worlds–effective and peer-reviewed treatments with the ingredients they’re familiar with and trust.
Wellness Cleaning
Cleaning brands are noting the growth of the wellness industry and are integrating elements of it into their products to appeal to new demographics. By incorporating popular rituals like aromatherapy and skincare, these brands aim to make cleaning safer and more enjoyable for customers. Millennials and Gen Z have influenced what was once known as the diet industry and pushed this space so that achieving personal well-being includes more than physical appearance or fitness. These demographics believe prioritizing their mental health, self-care rituals, and leisure time are all important components of being healthy, and they seek out brands that have adopted this more inclusive perspective on health and wellness.
Calming Earbuds
MedTech companies are adding mental and physical health-focused features to hearing aids. These features reduce stress, reduce symptoms of tinnitus, and help prevent hearing loss. This transforms hearing aids into multifunctional medical devices, drawing more customer attention to the field. Studies show that nearly 10% of North American adults suffer from hearing loss or tinnitus. Only 5% seek medical attention for these problems, while many suffer without reporting their symptoms. The remaining consumers live with hearing problems, which increases stress and can cause further medical issues. These people do not seek medical attention either due to high costs or time constraints, showing a clear need for everyday products with hearing care and stress relief features.
Headache Tech
Devices dedicated to alleviating headache pain are on the rise. An offshoot of the de-stressing movement within the recent wellness wave, alleviating headaches is a renewed focus in this space. The typical over-the-counter painkiller is not the focus of this new iteration of headache relief. Instead, a technology-fueled approach is seen. Different types of wellness have come into focus for consumers over the past few years. Though there has been an increased focus on mental wellness and de-stressing — and more particularly, improving wellness without the use of medications — these new attitudes will eventually impact more traditional health focuses, such as headaches. This cyclicality calls for new ways to alleviate old issues.
AI Fitness
These are the fitness apps and systems that use AI to help users exercise and assess their health. As more people exercise at home, brands are releasing apps and fitness systems that are based in smart technology. These systems assess everything from an individual’s health to their workouts and guide them through personalized workouts that adjust based on needs, form, and changing goals. Fitness-conscious consumers are often willing to invest in their health, with a focus on customizing their routines to align with their personal goals. Smart technology is particularly helpful in this realm, as it makes tracking progress by various metrics much simpler for people who are passionate about their health.
Experiential Cleaning
Bathroom cleaning products, or products that feature additional cleaning functions, are being adapted with experiential and sensory elements. Items like smart mirrors with sterilization lights and perfume-scented rim blocks make maintaining bathroom cleanliness more pleasant and convenient. Busy consumers who are juggling professional, family, and social responsibilities on top of their personal hobbies seek out ways they can streamline their routines and make time-consuming chores easier and/or more gratifying. In industries with major competitors, brands that prioritize product experience have appeal in a consumer landscape that’s evolved significantly because of the pandemic, social media, and more dynamic family structures.
Wondering how your health and wellness brand can leverage these current trends? Contact our team to discuss a personalized PR & marketing strategy!
The 2024 Trend Report was conducted by Trend Hunter based on their study of 12,000,000 people. All the above information is a result of their findings.