Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market overview
- Canadian physical health status isn’t great
- Rising food costs will take a bite out of healthy food choices
- Demographic shifts run more than skin deep: health priorities will need to shift accordingly
- Impact of COVID-19 on living a healthy lifestyle
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- Figure 1: Short-, medium- and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on living a healthy lifestyle, February 2021
- Opportunities
- Resources and products for managing wellness need to do some multitasking
- Consider ways to validate choices
- Shine the light on micro-moments
- Challenges
- There’s a push-pull dynamic when talking about mental health
- Take a pause and listen: entrance into the wellness conversation must be authentic
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- Aspirations to eat healthy all/most of the time aren’t helping waistlines
- Younger consumers are image-heavy, nutritional knowledge ‘lite’
- Rising food costs will take a bite out of consumer budgets
- Hurdling through the economic conditions weighs on Gen Z mental health
- More than skin deep: shifting demographics mean shifting health priorities
Market Factors and Opportunities
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- The state of Canadian physical wellness isn’t great
- Healthy eating habits need to start young as the bulk of Canadians are overweight or obese
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- Figure 2: Distribution of underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese, by age, 2018
- Younger consumers: being image heavy leaves them nutritional knowledge ‘lite’
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- Figure 3: Canada Food Guide Instagram post, January 2019
- Rising food costs will make eating healthy more challenging
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- Figure 4: Monthly movement in selected components of the Canadian Consumer Price Index, not seasonally adjusted, January 2018-January 2021
- Figure 5: Oxford Wild Blueberries – Little Ones & Better Price, Jan 2018
- Economic factors weigh heavily on the mental health of Gen Zs
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- Figure 6: Canadian unemployment rate, monthly, seasonally adjusted, January 2020-February 2021
- Changing demographics mean health priorities must shift accordingly
- A shakeup in the ethnic makeup changes the prominence of some health conditions
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- Figure 7: Immigrants as a proportion of the Canadian population, 1871-2036
- Gen Z: addressing diversity is personal and important for their mental health
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- Figure 8: Self-identification of ethnicity, by generation, June 2020
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- Figure 9: I am part of mainstream Canada (% agree), by generation, January 2018
- An aging population demands an eye on addressing physical wellness
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- Figure 10: Satisfaction with and control over wellbeing, under-65s vs over-65s, March 2019
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- Figure 11: Population aged 0-14 and over 65, 1995-2035*
Competitive Strategies – What’s Now? What’s Next?
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- The pandemic shines a new light on wellness
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- Figure 12: Impact of COVID-19 on approach to health management, December 2020
- Meeting consumer needs through the lens of the Rights Trend Driver
- What’s now? Brand actions are in the spotlight
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- Figure 13: Tested to be trusted, June 2019
- What’s next? CSR will become a measure of performance for consumers
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- Figure 14: Change in control over my health since January 2020, by perception of financial health, December 2020
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- Figure 15: Dole Packaged Foods Instagram post, February 2021
- Meeting consumer needs through the lens of the Technology Trend Driver
- Now and next: gaming takes centre stage as a platform for managing mental and physical health
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- Figure 16: Minecraft Facebook post, April 2020
- Figure 17: Blockdown | Minecraft, April 2020
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- Figure 18: Kostministeriet Facebook posts, June 2020
- Meeting consumer needs through the lens of the Wellbeing Trend Driver
- The rules around health management are changing
- What’s now? Supporting consumers in everyday tasks
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- Figure 19: Davide Esposti Instagram post, October 2020
- What’s next? Mix and matching: blurring definitions calls for more blending to health management
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- Figure 20: LEGO Instagram post, January 2021
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- Figure 21: A World of Calm HBO Max Facebook post, July 2020
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Managing their ‘hearts’ through their stomachs: it’s a holistic endeavour
- Managing wellness is a balancing act so validate choices – healthy or otherwise
- Mental health wellness is a mainstream topic so guidance is in demand
- Help them get a better grip on mental status by building social support
- There’s mental weight due to the pandemic; help them recuperate
Health Priorities
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- A focus on physical areas blurs with attention to mental wellness
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- Figure 22: Health priorities (any rank), December 2020
- Resources to manage wellness need to do some multitasking
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- Figure 23: Apple Fitness+ Instagram post, February 2020
- Consider positioning nutrition as self-care
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- Figure 24: Cheribundi 100% Natural Tart Cherry Juice (US), April 2020
- Gen Zs are most likely to be taking a blended approach
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- Figure 25: Health priorities (any rank), Gen Z vs Millennials or older, December 2020
- Seniors are keen to protect their current state of wellness
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- Figure 26: Select health priorities (any rank), seniors 65+ vs overall, December 2020
- Don’t be afraid to leverage tech to help preserve independence and protect health
- Keep the spotlight bright on seniors and build in more ‘room’ for virtual connections
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- Figure 27: Gardening with Edibles Facebook Live | Episode 4, November 2020
- Figure 28: National Parks Board Instagram post, September 2020
Change in Control Over Health
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- Canadians are split on the pandemic’s impact on control over health
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- Figure 29: Perceived healthiness of lifestyle, December 2020 vs March 2019
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- Figure 30: Change in control over my health since January 2020, December 2020
- The push-pull of motivations for healthy vs unhealthy choices has intensified
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- Figure 31: Reasons for feeling more or less in control of their health, December 2020
- Healthy or not, consider ways to validate their choices
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- Figure 32: Brooks Running Instagram post, February 2021
- Functional claims will go a long way to taking the guilt out of choosing treats
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- Figure 33: NightFood Instagram post, July 2020
- Four in 10 Gen Zs feel less in control of their health
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- Figure 34: Change in control over my health since January 2020, Gen Z vs overall, December 2020
- Think micro-moments of control to help Gen Zs
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- Figure 35: Headspace Facebook post, October 2020
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- Figure 36: The New York Times – Well - Health Facebook post, January 2021
- A coping mechanism: fathers are most likely to feel more in control
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- Figure 37: Change in control over my health since January 2020, Gen Z vs overall, December 2020
Mental Health Conditions Experienced
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- Canadians’ mental health is strained and they are self-diagnosing
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- Figure 38: Mental health conditions experienced and method of diagnosis for any mental health condition (NET), December 2020
- Factors associated with the pandemic are causing stress
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- Figure 39: Factors contributing to stress experienced in the past year, December 2020
- Consider ways to address external factors that impact sleep
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- Figure 40: Chilisleep Instagram post, January 2021
- Give them a moment’s rest in easily accessible formats
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- Figure 41: Yocha Earl Grey & Lavender Stress Away Kombucha (Singapore), March 2020
- Gen Zs may need more external support
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- Figure 42: Experienced stress in the past year and factors contributing to stress, Gen Z vs overall, December 2020
- Acknowledge the emotional aspect of societal factors
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- Figure 43: Sweetpea’s Floral Studio Instagram post, February 2021
- Fathers may be underreporting as they are less inclined to self-diagnose
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- Figure 44: Experienced select mental health conditions in the past year, fathers with under-18s at home vs mothers vs overall, December 2020
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- Figure 45: Method of diagnosis for any mental health conditions (NET), fathers with under-18s at home vs overall, December 2020
- Dads were already frustrated before the pandemic; lingering traditional notions ensure they ‘keep a lid on it’
- Interest is there, normalizing the topic of fathers addressing mental wellness is key
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- Figure 46: Select attitudes towards mental health by fathers (% agree), December 2020
- Consider ways to elevate the voice of real fathers and enhance a sense of community
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- Figure 47: #TakeTheTime | Bonding, June 2019
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- Figure 48: Dove Men+Care Global Channel Instagram post, July 2020
- Figure 49: Dove Men+Care Global Channel Instagram post, September 2020
Attitudes towards Mental Health
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- The topic is mainstream but Canadians want more guidance
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- Figure 50: Attitudes towards mental health (% agree), December 2020
- Build the community and they will come: considering ways to be a conduit
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- Figure 51: Money Talks Story #1 – Sophia + Imran, December 2018
- Figure 52: Money Talks Story #2 – Alyssa + Keith, December 2018
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- Figure 53: SoFi Facebook post, July 2020
- Suck it up? Chinese Canadians are under pressure to appear happy
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- Figure 54: Attitudes towards mental health, Chinese Canadians vs overall, December 2020
- Lean into real-life functional benefits of physical wellness activities
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- Figure 55: Colgate Instagram post, January 2021
- Quebecers: more conversation is needed as acknowledgement is an issue
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- Figure 56: Experienced any mental health issue in the past year and attitudes towards mental health (% agree), Quebec vs overall, December 2020
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- Figure 57: Driftwell Instagram post, February 2021
- Figure 58: Driftwell Instagram post, January 2021
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Mintel Trend Drivers
- Abbreviations
- Terms
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