We hope this second edition of MarketWell finds YOU well. MarketWell is a monthly newsletter for marketers in the wellbeing space, by Felicity.

All aspects of our own wellbeing—our physical, mental and financial health—are impacted by these unusual times. And how wellbeing brands “show up” in the marketplace is under the microscope. We hope to share some insight into marketing trends and best practices that will help you and your brand during COVID-19, and beyond.

In this edition of MarketWell, we’ll take a look at:

1. The six must-dos for marketing well during COVID-19
2. Wellbeing from around the web: The latest stats on consumer behaviour, including how “sanitizing” is overshadowing “organic” these days
3. Latest wellbeing trends: What we’re searching for online (besides a time slot for curbside pickup or grocery delivery)
4. From the Felicity Wellbeing Marketing Monitor: How COVID-19 is changing the technology landscape 
5. MarketWell voices: Resilience and your business

6 must-dos for marketing well during COVID-19

On April 2, the Felicity team hosted a screen-side chat for wellbeing marketers, media and influencers to discuss how to market well during this sensitive time.

We set out to answer:
• What is appropriate to say and do as a brand?
• How are media and influencers changing the way they’re working?

Here are the six must-dos gleaned from our experts for marketing well during COVID-19:

1. 1. 1. Consider what’s needed. Then BE what’s needed.
      2. Be the painkiller not the vitamin.
      3. It’s hard to do virtual engagement well.
      4. Pick a lane, pick a niche, and go deep on it.
      5. Support quality journalism.
      6. There is nothing inherently wrong with doing something good and making money off of it.

      Get all the details on these six must-dos and watch the replay on our blog.

       

      Wellbeing from around the web
      Today we bring you not one, but two, valuable pieces of content by data measurement firm Nielsen about how buying behaviour and marketing are changing during the pandemic.

      COVID-19: Key questions all marketers should be asking
      While focused on TV advertising, this guide brings up great questions all marketers should be asking when considering how to shift their efforts during the pandemic.

      A look at how home care product claim preferences have shifted amid the COVID-19 pandemic
      Consumer sentiment around wellbeing products has changed. Promises of organic, local and sustainable have been overshadowed by germ-killing, sanitizing and immune-boosting guarantees.

       

      Trending in wellbeing
      While we all stay home and connect to the world through search engines and social media, our collective online behaviours provide a fascinating—and accurate—snapshot of what’s on consumers’ minds

      According to The New York Times contributor Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, Google searches can help find emerging COVID-19 outbreaks. Search terms have revealed previously undocumented symptoms and shown where in the world the virus was spreading fastest.

      Want locally-focused COVID-19 search trends?
      Keep up with Google Trends using Google’s suite of tools. These tools, which allow anyone to see what people are searching every day, are great resources during the pandemic and beyond.

      Pinterest, that $1-billion visual search engine, shared its biggest search trends for April amid quarantines and lockdowns. It’s no surprise that health and wellness is top-of-mind for pinners. Parenting, baking bread and at-home beauty were also big searches. We saw a couple of surprising searches rise in popularity, including homemade eyebrow wax and inner thigh exercises. Who remembers the Thighmaster?

       

      From the Felicity Wellbeing Marketing Monitor: Wellbeing and tech

      In our white paper, Is Wellbeing Washed Up? we highlighted technology as being one of four major influences driving the shift to wellbeing as a pervasive, all-encompassing endeavour. Now more than ever, technology is being used across the globe to improve people’s wellbeing. And it’s not just in the ways we originally thought.

      While people are certainly taking advantage of virtual healthcare and using apps for exercise, mindfulness and diet, e-commerce went from being a convenient luxury to a health measure, keeping consumers safe at home. In an effort to stick to social distancing and avoid going out, people are ordering online in droves (and some businesses are struggling to keep up with demand). While screen time was previously seen as a negative behaviour when it came to wellbeing, now it’s a totally understandable way to pass the time when stuck indoors. According to Nielsen, content streaming has increased 60% since the dawn of social distancing. And experts are even denouncing the dangers of screen time for kids.

      What’s next? Voice tech, delivery drones and social virtual reality. eMarketer outlines emerging tech trends to look out for during and after the pandemic.

       

      Marketwell voices

      

      For this instalment of MarketWell Voices, we chatted with Monica Bodurka, co-founder of The Leadership Wellness Group about how to apply the principles of resilience to running a business.

      According to the Webster dictionary, resilience is “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. The ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.” Monica, what is your definition of resilience?

      I view resilience as not just the ability to bounce back to what was, but to bounce up to a new, improved normal. Growth or evolution is a key part of resilience.

      I teach that being resilient is like having internal shock absorbers. The bumps on the road will always be there and we cannot necessarily control or change them, but with resilience, the journey can be less volatile. We build our own resilience (a.k.a. “shock absorbers”) through certain evidence-based habits and behaviours. That is the key message: resilient individuals have habits and behaviours that make them resilient. It is not an innate quality some fortunate few possess. It can be learned and applied beyond the personal to your business.

      What are the fundamental habits and routines people need to put in place to be more resilient?
      You build resilience through practice. I focus on three main areas:

      1. Physical Mastery: Sleep deep, eat consciously and move often
      2. Self Awareness: Be mindful, positive, recharged and connected
      3. Intentional Orientation: Know your purpose, values, vision and take action

      Often people are surprised that these practices are so simple, but what is common sense is not necessarily common practice. It is about mindfully structuring our daily lives in such a way that we are nudged into these practices daily and then the magic of compound effect happens.

      How can people apply these principles to their businesses and brands, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic?
      Business owners need to follow the Physical Mastery practices to be resilient on a personal level (not to mention monitor the amount of media intake at this time); but self awareness and intentional orientation can also apply to business practices. A resilient business is one that has a strong foundation, i.e. has a great product or service; they must also know who they are, who they serve and where they play. With that self awareness, businesses can take an optimistic orientation and ask themselves, “how can I better serve my clients during this pandemic?” OR even better, they can take the guesswork out of the equation and ask their customers directly about their needs. They can ensure they’re meeting those needs and may even be able to create additional opportunities from this crisis.

      All of this may sound simple, but it takes a great amount of work and practice. You can’t simply ask your customers what they want from you once and be done with it. It’s an ongoing process. In this way, you can fine-tune those internal shock absorbers, adjust your brand’s vision, mission and voice for any twists and turns in the road.

       

      Feeling inspired?
      Share MarketWell with fellow wellbeing marketers MarketWell with fellow wellbeing marketers and we’ll make a donation  to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). As the nationwide leader and champion for mental health, CMHA facilitates access to the resources people require to maintain and improve mental health. The work they are doing is even more important now, than ever.