New Edelman Study Reveals Americans Face a Dilemma in their Pursuit of Well-Being

NEW YORK, April 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the Edelman American Well-Being Study released today by Edelman Wellness 360 in partnership with Edelman Berland, consumers prioritize emotional health over physical, yet 63 percent lack clarity on how to achieve emotional well-being, like relieving stress and increasing self-esteem.  While consumers say they need more support to reach both their physical and emotional health goals, the study also revealed that nearly half don't turn to others for help and 89 percent say they are solely responsible for their well-being. This leaves consumers facing a dilemma: The well-being measures people need the most simply can't be achieved alone.

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The good news for business is many consumers believe that companies and brands play a role in supporting personal well-being, and 65 percent say they could be doing even more.

"People today are facing a modern well-being dilemma. We are isolating ourselves when it comes to achieving well-being, putting all the pressure on ourselves and not turning to others for support. In today's hyper-social world, we don't go about anything alone, so why are we going at it alone when it comes to our personal well-being?" said Jennifer Hauser, director of Edelman Wellness 360. "Companies should take note because we heard loud and clear that companies and brands have a role in supporting consumers to reach their well-being goals."  

The study showed respondents a series of attributes in which brands across industries could help people achieve well-being. Respondents rated each attribute on its importance in enabling them to achieve a better state of well-being and brands' performance in delivering the attributes. The attributes were grouped in the following categories: 1) Takes an active interest in my health and well-being; 2) Personalizes the experience; 3) Connects me to others; 4) Aspires to make a societal impact; and 5) Cares about me today and tomorrow.

Consumers said companies and brands are performing well in some areas, but have deficits in others.  Brands are doing a good job "taking an active interest in consumer well-being" and "making a societal impact." The attribute "cares about me today and tomorrow" received mixed reviews, with consumers saying brands are doing a good job "adapting their products/services to me as I change and evolve," but saying that brands don't do a good job sustaining relationships with customers after products are purchased. The biggest performance deficits lie in the areas where brands "connect consumers to others" and "personalize the experience" for its customers.   

The study concluded there is tremendous benefit for brands if they deliver on well-being attributes, with 85 percent of consumers saying they are likely to buy products and services from companies that actively engage in their well-being. Eighty-four percent of consumers say they would recommend brands and services, and 82 percent say they would share positive opinions and experiences about brands who are performing against the attributes.  

"Consumers today feel very passionately about well-being to the degree that people said if companies deliver on well-being attributes, 66 percent of people would want to work for that company and 58 percent would invest in it," Hauser said.  

Edelman Wellness 360 developed five strategies for brands to effectively engage their customers on well-being:

• Take an active interest in your customers' well-being – physically, mentally and emotionally.
  • ­Help customers navigate well-being by providing expertise, experiences and products that make people feel healthier.
  • ­Share product ingredients and their sources that contribute to health and well-being.
  • ­Encourage your consumers to live both physically healthy as well as mentally and emotionally.
  • ­Eliminate components or services that are a detriment to health.
  • ­Be transparent about products and services when it comes to health.

• Connect customers to others like themselves.
  • Encourage your consumers to get support and encouragement from like-minded friends, family and loved ones.
  • ­Share inspiring stories that instill confidence of how others have achieved their health and life goals.
  • ­Create communities that provide emotional support for your consumers to feel like they are not alone.

• Personalize the well-being experience.
  • Engage personally with your consumers to show that the brand understands and supports their personal well-being.
  • ­Provide recommendations that impact the physical, emotional and mental factors of well-being.
  • ­Partner with your consumers when they encounter challenges and barriers.
  • ­Demonstrate that the brand understands your consumer's unique needs.

• Impact the well-being of others.
  • Take a positive action(s) that affects the well-being of your consumers and society.
  • ­Make an effort to educate and engage broader segments on healthy behaviors.
  • ­Put well-being at the center of your brand mission.
  • ­Engage around the positive actions your brand is taking to impact well-being.

• Care about your customer today and tomorrow.
  • Innovate to help your consumers get and stay on a healthy path.
  • ­Reward your consumer when he/she reaches his/her goal(s).
  • ­Show that you're interested in both the immediate and long-term well-being of your consumer.
  • ­Continue to engage consumers on their well-being after they purchase your product.

To learn more about Edelman's American Well-Being Study, please view our infographic and visit our YouTube page.

About the American Well-Being Study
Edelman Wellness 360 partnered with Edelman Berland to conduct a multi-generational study aimed at uncovering how people define well-being, what they need to achieve well-being, the barriers they face in their well-being pursuits and the role brands play in helping consumers achieve their well-being goals.

Interviews were conducted among 1,053 respondents representative of the United States general population ages 18 years old and older. The survey was conducted from November 11 – November 26, 2014, with a margin of error of +/- 3.02%.

About Edelman Wellness 360:
Edelman Wellness 360 is a part of Edelman's Health sector, with deep expertise in consumer marketing/communications on personal and community health and wellness. Wellness 360 clients span over-the-counter medicines, consumer packaged goods, personal care products, food and nutrition, retail, technology, and public health offering multi-stakeholder communications counsel, planning and strategy, creative services, and integrated activation and engagement for companies, organizations and brands.

About Edelman Berland:
Edelman Berland is a global, full-service market insights and analytics firm that provides corporate, non-profit and government clients with strategic intelligence to make their communications and engagements with stakeholders the smartest they can be. The firm specializes in measurement, tracking and analysis in reputation, branding and communications. Edelman Berland is part of Edelman, the world's largest public relations company. Edelman Berland has more than 130 employees in offices around the world. Edelman Berland: Intelligent Engagement.

SOURCE Edelman