Innovation at the Intersection of Consumers, Health, and Wellness

Innovation at the Intersection of Consumers, Health, and Wellness

Everywhere we turn, marketers are selling health and wellness. Today, our hotel is telling us, “Eat Well. Enhance Your Well-Being.” Who knew they cared so much? Yesterday, some of the sharpest minds in consumer health gathered to consider the future of consumer self-care. These people are seeking innovation for consumer health. And of course, they want to build their businesses, too.

Self-Care, Obesity, and Healthy Living

ConscienHealth’s Ted Kyle presented a view of the fast moving science of obesity. And he put that science into the context of shifting consumer beliefs and desires. He painted a picture of more and better evidence based options than ever before. Future innovation will deliver more personalization, better health outcomes, and longer term solutions. Consumers demand it. They are now focusing more on health and fitness – less on short-term weight loss and diets.

Healthcare marketers, Kyle said, have a valuable role to play. That’s because they bring special expertise in consumer behavior that public health professionals can seldom match.

Disruptive Innovation in Self-Care

Alexis Roberts-McIntosh gave a perfectly concise review of consumer behavior trends. Additionally, she described opportunities for disruptive innovation in self-care. In short, people are owning their personal health. As they do, doors open up for advanced self-monitoring technologies.

Cue is a gee-whiz example of such a system. This start-up aims to bring consumers some ambitious technology. It uses an elegant, connected medical device for a person to measure and track their health and fitness.

Rethink Nicotine, Health, and Wellness

And then today, Joe Gitchell will present a view of how FDA is regulating nicotine. Will the agency break a stalemate over harm reduction? Is nicotine the threat? Or is it the tobacco and the smoke? Is vaping a friend or foe? This struggle for behavioral health never fails to invoke strong emotions. Perhaps objectivity and consumer insights can help.

And in fact, on public health issues across the board, better consumer behavior insights can help considerably.

Click here, here, and here for all three presentations.

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June 21, 2018