Strategy lessons from the wellness industry: Embracing intuition
The wellness industry’s journey began in the 1950s with a book by Halbert Dunn, which was not recognised as the starting point of a major trend until many decades later.
This delay in spotting trends gives us a rich opportunity to study the valuable strategic insights that could help us recognise trends in the future.
Wellness can be defined as the pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to holistic health. But it also symbolises the striving toward an aspirational yet unassailable goal.
The industry’s evolution sheds light on how intuition, cultural understanding, and early trend recognition can lead to strategic success. Here’s what we can take from this.
Anticipating cultural shifts before financial proof
The roots of wellness may date back to the 1950s, but it didn’t gain mainstream traction until the 1980s. This shows that major opportunities often surface long before traditional financial metrics back them up. Identifying deeper societal trends—such as the growing desire for holistic health—can put businesses ahead of the curve.
This “sensing” of a cultural undercurrent, in this case it was the pursuit of holistic health, can reveal untapped markets before they become mainstream. Such trends can often be discovered through discussions between individuals with curiosity, empathy, and imagination in recognising opportunities. Needless to say, there is no single function within an organisation that should be tasked with this important role. Every employee can have a hunch about the next big thing.
Takeaway: Relying on gut feeling, when combined with an understanding of human psychology and emerging societal needs, can drive innovation before the data confirms it. The wellness industry is proof that acting on non-obvious trends can pay off.
The Global Wellness Institute predicts continued growth of the sector.
Embracing scope expansion
Wellness started as a niche and expanded over time, driven by people’s interest and celebrity influence. The ever-broadening definition of the term wellness is known in the business as scope creep. When scope creep happens during product development, it is usually seen as an undesired way in which a product progresses beyond what was initially intended.
It is worth remembering that an equivalent phenomenon exists in expanding markets, which provides opportunities for further growth if anticipated correctly.
This also means that there are benefits of having a strategy which in the short-term is focussed, but allows adaptation in the long-term.
Takeaway: Strategies that accommodate changing definitions in the market allow companies to scale in response to new opportunities. Leaving room for strategic growth can be a key advantage.
Emotional and aspirational marketing
Wellness thrives on emotions and aspirations rather than purely rational or ROI-driven justifications. For strategic thinkers, this means acknowledging that the human psyche values stories, hope, and transformations. Companies that lean into these aspects can foster stronger customer connections and create defensible market positions.
A key characteristic of the wellness industry is its emphasis on emotional and aspirational marketing. Wellness thrives on transformation stories, belonging and hope.
Takeaway: Consumers and stakeholders are motivated by more than just data. Crafting narratives that resonate on an emotional level can forge lasting connections and propel strategic initiatives. Incorporating these elements into strategy can build loyalty and set a company apart.
Strategic decisions that tap into human desires often outpace those made strictly on immediate, quantifiable returns.
To understand better what solutions your customers are really looking for, I made a video based on the Jobs-to-be-done framework.
Leveraging early adopters and influencers
Celebrities and early adopters played pivotal roles in accelerating wellness trends in the 1980s and beyond.
This highlights the importance of identifying and building relationships early with influential advocates who embody and amplify a concept that can catalyse growth and credibility, particularly when financial data isn’t yet strong.
Takeaway: For new strategies and innovations, tapping into influential advocates can accelerate acceptance and build credibility. Aligning with visible champions can create momentum and amplify a company’s vision.
Balancing aspirational and realistic goals of customers
A significant driver of the wellness industry has been the customer’s chase after unattainable perfection in health and beauty.
This pursuit of an ideal - a goal that often remains out of reach, keeps consumers engaged but can also present a strategic challenge. Strategists need to consider how to maintain their interests without causing disillusionment.
Takeaway: Strategies that set clear, achievable milestones help maintain consumer engagement while nurturing their aspirational drive. However, a balance is required that supports sustained enthusiasm and loyalty.
A clever strategist will recognise the need for strategies that include mechanisms for sustainable engagement that, at the same time, allow periodic re-anchoring of tangible outcomes for the customer.
The need for nuanced thinking and balance between rational analysis and intuition
The wellness industry illustrates a vital balance in strategy: blending rational analysis with intuitive foresight. Understanding cultural cues and human aspirations, and acting on them, can unlock opportunities and position businesses ahead of the competition. This approach requires combining analytical insights with an instinct for identifying potential opportunities before financial validation.
Ultimately, the story of wellness shows that successful strategy hinges on understanding human desires, anticipating shifts before they’re mainstream, and positioning an organisation to evolve in sync with, or better still, ahead of societal expectations.