marketing

Wellness Thinking – The New Consumer Default

Marketers tend to think of “health and wellness” as a category. But for many consumers, it has become a worldview – a filter they use to evaluate nearly every part of life, from how they shop to how they work and spend time online.

Today, wellness isn’t just about smoothies and supplements. It’s about living with balance, protecting mental space, and feeling in control. And that shift is quietly redefining what people expect from every brand, not just those in the health sector.

This shift toward wellness as worldview isn’t just cultural, it’s psychological. The way people define “healthy” now overlaps with how they define “good design,” “trustworthy brand,” and “worth my time.” Below, I outline three big mindset changes driving that overlap: how people filter everyday experiences through emotional wellbeing, how they seek balance over intensity, and how they treat calm and longevity as modern status symbols.

Wellness as a lens on daily life

Recent consumer research finds that most people now see wellness as a continuous, personalized practice rather than a set of isolated activities. It’s not limited to diet, exercise, or meditation – it’s about how every choice affects energy, focus, mood, and a sense of control.

  • For many, wellness shows up in small, everyday decisions: choosing a digital service that doesn’t bombard them with notifications, preferring retailers that feel calm and organized, or seeking travel experiences that help them recharge instead of overschedule. Even outside the wellness industry, people now notice whether brands add to their equilibrium or disturb it.
  • This means that every interaction – a checkout flow, a customer-service email, a loyalty program – is being subconsciously evaluated for its emotional effect. Frustration, confusion, or overwhelm feel like costs; clarity and ease are benefits.
  • Takeaway: To resonate, brands need to feel restorative rather than draining. Streamlined design, transparent pricing, and gentle communication cues (like pauses, reassurance, or clear summaries) convey emotional intelligence. Even minor friction – a confusing menu, a manipulative pop-up – signals that a company is out of sync with modern consumer values.

Finding balance

Earlier waves of wellness culture celebrated optimization: faster, stronger, leaner, “10X better.” But as burnout and overstimulation have become part of everyday life, many consumers now define wellness as balance and boundary-setting rather than endless striving.

  • Gen Z in particular blends wellness with self-protection. Routines such as digital detoxes, mindfulness breaks, and prioritizing rest are less about peak performance and more about managing inputs and maintaining stability. People are increasingly skeptical of brands that encourage overextension or perpetual urgency.
  • Instead, they value products, services, and experiences that simplify decisions and help them manage attention, time, and mental load. A software platform that makes workflows less chaotic, a retailer that organizes choices clearly, or a financial app that reduces anxiety all meet the deeper need for self-regulation.
  • Takeaway: Marketers outside wellness can translate this by designing experiences that remove friction and return control to customers. Replace “act now” messaging with “take a moment” language. Frame tools and services as ways to protect time, not consume it. The brands that feel like partners in calm, not triggers for pressure, will win loyalty in an age of cognitive overload.

Status through mental peace

Wellness has also become a new marker of success. Where past generations signaled status through accumulation or busyness, today’s symbols of prestige are emotional composure, longevity, and mental peace.

  • Cultural conversations about longevity – from biohacking and anti-aging supplements to sleep tracking and stress reduction – show that people increasingly equate being in control of their wellbeing with intelligence, responsibility, and even moral worth. To “age well,” “stay calm,” or “future-proof yourself” communicates discernment.
  • For affluent consumers, longevity is the new luxury. For everyone else, balance is aspirational. Calm confidence signals power in a chaotic world. Brands that help people feel centered, future-ready, and emotionally steady tap into a powerful new form of aspiration – one less about status display and more about self-possession.
  • Takeaway: Marketers can align with this by showing how their offerings support agency and composure. Position products as tools for protecting future wellbeing (“set yourself up for tomorrow”), use serene visual language, and highlight clarity and trustworthiness. The emotional promise is not “we’ll energize you” but “we’ll help you stay grounded.” In a culture overwhelmed by acceleration, calm itself has become aspirational.

What this means for marketers:

  • Design for emotional climate. Treat your website, store, or service flow as part of your customer’s mental landscape. Test for stress as rigorously as you test for usability.
  • Build micro-restorative moments. A clear confirmation message or a well-timed pause can have the same psychological impact as a breath in meditation.
  • Make balance the hero. Replace narratives of busyness and optimization with ones of clarity, control, and sustainable progress.
  • Connect with the “future-self” story. Help customers feel they’re investing in a version of themselves who’s calm, capable, and well.
  • Show transparency and steadiness. A composed tone and visible integrity are today’s trust signals.

Wellness is no longer a niche; it’s the emotional infrastructure of modern life. Every brand is now part of someone’s wellbeing ecosystem – whether intentionally or not. Make sure your brand contributes to your customers’ well-being rather than increasing their stress. Let’s discuss how to do that! Contact me at info at bureauwest.com .

Sources: McKinsey & Company “Future of Wellness 2025”, NielsenIQ “Global State of Health & Wellness 2025”, Euromonitor “Healthy Longevity and Embedded Wellness Lifestyles”, Vogue Business “2025’s Hottest Trend: Living Longer”

Posted on by Jay Zaltzman

Cultural pitfalls when selling to US customers

From the outside, the US can look like a wide-open market: large, affluent, and English-speaking. But many international brands have learned the hard way that what works at home doesn’t always land with American customers. Even globally sophisticated companies have stumbled by overlooking cultural cues, customer expectations, or just how different the US really is.

Some examples:

  • When UK supermarket giant Tesco launched Fresh & Easy in the Western US, it assumed American shoppers would embrace smaller stores, self-checkout, and ready-made meals, just as they had in Britain. But they didn’t. Americans tend to shop less frequently and buy in bulk. Self-checkout kiosks (a core feature of the concept) felt impersonal. And the grab-and-go prepared foods? Not what many families were looking for in a weekly grocery haul. After five years and nearly $2 billion in losses, Tesco pulled out of the US entirely.
  • Danish pharma company Novo Nordisk saw enormous opportunity in launching its weight-loss drug Wegovy in the US But it didn’t fully anticipate just how fragmented and cost-sensitive the American healthcare system is. The marketing was strong, but the product wasn’t widely available. Supply was limited. Insurance coverage was patchy. And out-of-pocket costs could exceed $1,300/month. The result was frustration from patients and physicians, negative press, and a loss of ground to US competitor Eli Lilly.

What went wrong? In both cases, the companies entered the US with strong brands, solid products, and proven models. What they lacked was a deep understanding of American customers.

Here are just a few misconceptions that frequently trip up international companies:

  • “The US is one market.” In reality, it’s a patchwork of regional, cultural, and socioeconomic submarkets.
  • “What works in Europe will work in the US” American expectations around convenience, customer service, and speed are often much higher.
  • “Subtle, nuanced messaging will be appreciated.” US marketing norms favor directness, boldness, and clarity.
  • “If we build it, they will come.” Without understanding US shopping behaviors or systems (like insurance or retail logistics), even great products can falter.

These are the kinds of missteps that deeper qualitative research can help prevent. To understand American customers – not just what they do, but why – foreign companies need research that reveals cultural nuance.

Here are some research approaches that can help:

  • In-home or remote ethnography. Observe daily routines and behaviors. This would have revealed that “quick convenience meals” don’t mean the same thing to US families as to UK shoppers. This can be done in-person or using an online platform such as Field Notes (https://www.fieldnotes.space/) or a combination of the two.
  • Storytelling and projective interviews. Ask people to talk about their earliest memories related to your product or service, their best or worst experiences, and their ideal experience. This uncovers the values and emotional drivers behind their decisions.

And don’t forget to test assumptions across American submarkets (urban vs. suburban, East vs. West Coast). What resonates in Seattle may not play the same in Houston.

It’s easy to underestimate how culturally specific customer expectations can be, especially in a country that looks, on the surface, familiar. But the gap between looks familiar and feels right is where brand traction is won or lost. That’s where qualitative research makes all the difference. If you’re entering or struggling to grow in the US market, we can help. Contact me at info at bureauwest.com and let’s discuss!

Sources: “How Novo Nordisk misread the US market for its weight loss sensation,” Reuters, July 1, 2025; “Tesco will pull out of U.S., sell Fresh & Easy,” USA Today, April 17, 2013

Posted on by Jay Zaltzman

Understanding customers more deeply

In my last Research Tidbit, we discussed the importance of uncovering customers’ unconscious motivators and the use of techniques from NLP and hypnotherapy, such as guided visualization, to do so.

Another valuable technique for market researchers is the ego state approach, widely used in hypnotherapy. This model suggests that our personalities are made up of different “parts” or ego states, each of which comes to the forefront in different contexts.

For instance, an accountant might draw on a highly analytical part of herself when reviewing a spreadsheet, but access a more playful part while riding a rollercoaster with her kids. Most of the time, these parts work together smoothly – but not always. If you’ve ever thought, “A part of me wants to eat that donut, but another part knows I’ll regret it later,” you’ve experienced a moment when your internal parts were in conflict.

The ego state approach can be very helpful in understanding customer decision-making and how to appeal to all the parts involved in the decision. In research sessions, we can apply this approach by:

  • Asking about the parts involved in the decision.
    “Is there a part of you that really wants to make the purchase? A part that’s hesitant? Are there other parts that have concerns?”
  • Exploring the motivations of each part.
    “If the part of you that wants to go for it could speak, what would it say?”
  • Discussing what would help align the parts.
    “What would the resistant part need to feel more comfortable? What information or reassurance would help it get on board?”

This technique encourages participants to move beyond purely rational explanations and share emotional, intuitive, and even contradictory motivations – which are often more telling and actionable than logical responses alone.

For clients, the benefits go beyond deeper empathy. The ego state approach can help marketing teams:

• Create richer personas that reflect different internal drives and tensions.
• Identify internal conflicts that may be blocking conversions.
• Design messaging that speaks to multiple “parts” of the consumer—addressing doubts while inspiring desire.

By mapping out these inner dynamics, brands can craft communications that don’t just inform, but resonate – acknowledging and validating the complex inner worlds that shape real-world choices.

Let’s find ways to understand your customers more deeply. Email me at info at bureauwest.com.

Reference: “Ego State Therapy,” Gordon Emmerson, 2007

Posted on by Jay Zaltzman

How to avoid unprofitable customers

Not all customers are profitable to a business. There are those who only ever buy products at a discount. There are customers who return products repeatedly. And those who utilize customer service disproportionately. (It turns out the customer isn’t always right!) Even though it goes against our instincts, there are customers that companies should not want – they should either be “fired” or, better yet, never become customers in the first place.

Some examples:

  • Years ago, Best Buy classified its customers as “angels” or “devils.” According to The Wall Street Journal, “The devils are its worst customers. They buy products, apply for rebates, return the purchases, then buy them back at returned-merchandise discounts.” They changed their policies to make them less vulnerable to exploitation, adding a 15% restocking fee and selling restocked goods over the Internet instead of in-store.
  • Hubspot had two main customer segments: people who run small businesses (1-10 employees) whom they called “Ollie Owner,” and marketers at companies with 10-1000 employees (“Mary Marketer”). At a certain point, the company realized that the Mary Marketers were much more loyal and profitable then Ollie Owners. They didn’t “fire” their Ollie Owner customers, but rather, focused their marketing and service efforts on pleasing Mary Marketers.

How can your company avoid unprofitable customers?

  • Analyze existing data to identify and focus on customer groups that are likely to be profitable. Consider behavioral segmentation, looking at purchase recency, frequency and value, as well as customer lifetime value.
  • Approach discounting with care, looking for ways to incentivize good customers rather than encouraging unprofitable ones. One option: make discounts part of a loyalty program.
  • Develop personas for both profitable and unprofitable customers. Those “negative” personas can help guide marketing and product offerings, making sure you appeal to the good customers and not the unprofitable ones.
  • Pamper your high-value customers. Provide an amazing customer experience to your most profitable customers. Consider having explicit customer tiers like airlines do with frequent flyer status – those who are most profitable can unlock extra bonuses and services.
  • For some companies, it may make sense to screen customers and/or have minimum purchase levels.

Let’s discuss how to find your most profitable customers. Email me at info at bureauwest.com.

Sources: “Case study: how audience-driven products built a unicorn,” GTMonday, 3/4/24; “Best Buy hopes to exorcize devil patrons,” Ars Technica, 11/8/04

Posted on by Jay Zaltzman