Gen Z wellness is transforming the industry
The Gen Z wellness era is upon us and it is going to really shake things up. According to a report by business intelligence platform PSFK, 500 Gen Zers and millennials were surveyed to uncover the differences in the generations’ values, priorities and behaviours.
When it came to wellness what wasn’t surprising was that 94% participate in health and lifestyle activities – no shock there. The boom of the wellness industry in the last 10 years along with countless public health campaigns have meant that Gen Z has clearly got the message – your health is important.
Most Gen Zers, those born between the mid-1990s and the mid-2000s, cannot remember a time before the internet what this also means is that they have always been exposed to health information overload. Gen Z wellness has been moulded by social media, immersive events, the rise of the athleisure way and the obligatory green juice.
Overall, Gen Z has a strong sense of purpose and can feel particularly connected to important causes. For me, one of the key insights is that 69% think brands should help them achieve their goals. While on the surface this may seem quite self-entitled in provides brands with a unique opportunity. This group expects brands they do business with to not just pay lip service to causes but have a credible and meaningful strategy that reflects a brand’s core values.
According to the PSFK survey, brands that position themselves as educators, curators or collaborators have a strong chance of engaging the Gen Z wellness crowd as they are 10x more likely than millennials to expect brands to provide them with educational content. When it comes to product recommendations, 22% of Gen Z are more influenced by peer recommendations than advertising, compared to 17% of millennials.
What this tells us is that Gen Z consumers are rejecting the notion that wellness is a homogenized, one-size-fits-all ideal. If the wellness industry is to continue to thrive, good quality education needs to be at the forefront of all brands communications and this will become a core differentiator to Gen Z.
