Wellness as a Value Driver for Brands

Wellness as a Value Driver for Brands The emergence of the wellness economy has been inspired by today’s consumer – the holistically healthy ones. Retail People Magazine speaks with Juman Sleiman, Brand Strategist at Limelight, about holistic living referring to mental, physical, social and spiritual. Since personal well-being cannot be replicated online, how will brands leverage to a shift in peoples’ lifestyles? What is the future when it comes to delivering aspiration?

The wellness economy has spread rapidly across diverse categories such as beauty, food, hospitality, travel and retail. Around 37% of consumers worldwide are interested in the emerging trend, with those in the Middle East region qualifying as the highest in comparison to the other markets. There are many players in the industry that have affected the emergence of well-being, however, digital transformation and the cravings for authenticity and experiences still play the biggest role. There is no debate that the need for such experiences particularly has been existent for years. Although people are still in search of this, there is now an additional layer of greater value dedicated to their personal wellness: brands that are lifestyle-focused. Gone are the days of shopping as a form of retail therapy. Rather, brickand-mortar retail stores have been responding to this shift in demand by expanding their offerings and delivering a holistic lifestyle.

The Global Wellness Institute had announced a while back that the wellness market is worth $4.3 trillion. Upon such a reveal, Saks Fifth Avenue was one of the first to initiate experiences that would embrace the shift. A salt room was introduced where visitors were given the opportunity to relax in a room which would purify the body as salty vapors were inhaled. They could even schedule ‘Breathe’ sessions as a form of detoxing and relieving stress. Naturally, this drove sales and increased dwell time.

More recently, Lululemon established a permanent approach to the new self-focused economy by creating memories, lifestyle-oriented memories. Their new store in Chicago manifested this brand vision by using the 20,000 square foot space as a hub for meditation, mindfulness, and personal development. Customers were given the choice to test products before purchasing them. In addition to this, the location offers daily studio classes and relaxing lounges or workstations for personal use. Personal well-being is not something that can be replicated online as it begins by being present in a physical space. While technology disruption has become the value driver for many industries, brands need to also embrace wellness and understand that it is reshaping customer expectations today. The future of all sectors is shifting towards selling a holistic living lifestyle which retailers and marketers need to consider as part of their brand messaging, product offering and in-store experiences. Personal well-being is one of the most intimate and delicate matters, and for that reason brands need to leverage the wellness economy by taking care of their customers. They need to convey a lifestyle characterised by mental, physical, social and spiritual well-being because after all, consumers today do not dream of owning something but rather becoming someone. So, to foster brand trust and build loyalty, how will your brand deliver this aspiration?

Plankpad – Get Fit While Playing Games Fitness personality Richard Simmons once said in an interview, “You can’t buy it, you can’t rent it. You have to earn it. My formula has always been love yourself, move your body, watch your portions.” It’s the beginning of 2020 and it’s always good to start the year with the proper perspective and that includes our health. The Retail People Magazine, sit down with David Cervenka, COO and responsible for the Brand and Business Strategy of Plankpad, shares the innovative and enjoyable way of getting into fit.

Plankpad is the first app connected core trainer that puts you in shape with ease. It combines a high-quality training device for the very efficient plank exercise with interactive games and workouts with a fitness app. Plankpad is versatile, suitable and fun for every age and gender, skill and fitness level and even for the whole family. Mostly it improves training motivation and leads to results much faster. Dynamic planking and balancing with Plankpad combined with the app is offering a complete new level of opportunities for home and professional users.

The path to come into shape, having a healthy and strong core, back and body are often associated with exhausting training. Now this workout turns into interactive fun.

The Plankpad is designed for safety comfort and durability made of high-quality maple wood with a walnut finishing and a soft mat. Originally the inventor André Reinegger designed Plankpad as a solution to get rid of his back pain. Very soon the Plankpad team realized that it developed a fun game and workout station for the entire family. It turned into furniture in their living room. From there on the mission was clear that every household should have one says David Cervenka, responsible for Brand and Business Strategy at Plankpad.

In general, the plank exercise is one of the most effective workouts you can do, but it can also be the most boring one.

Now with Plankpad, the time passes by really fast because your focus is more on the games or workouts. And when you move left and right to steer the game, your body turns into a joystick and even more muscles are attracted. You build muscles, burn fat and improve your overall posture by just a few minutes a day.

The focus on the games during planking automatically leads to holding the exercise longer and reaching the goals faster. At the same time, the app offers the possibility to monitor the correct position of your plank via the workout section of the app.

Plankpad can be used in a variety of ways: it can also be used as a balance board to focus the workout on leg muscles, body balance and motor coordination. With specially developed games for standing and the possibility to connect the app to the TV, the Plankpad turns into a snowboard or a surfboard. This way the workout is combined with the necessary portion of fun and variety, which also attracts every age and fitness level.

The Plankpad comes with the balance board, a mat to protect your floor, the app including many games and workouts, a 30-day challenge and a printed exercise poster and manual. The Plankpad App is available for Apple IOS and Android. More information visit www.plankpad.com