Partnership or dictatorship: What’s your relationship with your consumers?

Consumers today are media savvy. They literally have a world of knowledge at their fingertips. They can Google your brand, your product, your niche and have opinions and answers in seconds.

While brands should establish themselves as authorities, consumers don’t want to be talked down to or told what to do. So how can you partner with your consumers so they feel supported while trusting your expertise? This issue will help answer that question.

Speaking of questions, so-called “bikini season” is upon us, and with it, diet culture is in full force. We are proud to bring you our conversation with Registered Dietitian Samantha Goren about what marketers can do to promote wellbeing and positive body image. Samantha actually thanked us for wanting to ask these tough questions of “someone who actually sees the repercussions of food and wellness marketing” gone awry. But really, it is our MarketWell community that ought to be thanking her for her candour in arming us with tough questions to ask and actions to take to make sure bikini season doesn’t see the light of day.

 

 

Wellbeing from around the web

 

Post-pandemic playbook: What Gen Z wants from physical retail

While the world adjusts to life online, generation Z—the people you’d expect would easily assimilate to a digital-first society—are anxiously awaiting the reopening of retail. As Vogue Business reports, Gen Z is lonely and they see shopping quite literally as retail therapy. They expect customized, immersive experiences, decompression zones, cafes and couches to lounge on so they can stay all day. They want to feel connected and valued when and where they shop, rather than told how to shop and what to buy. 

The takeaway: As Ciara Larkin of Crowd DNA, a cultural insights and strategy consultancy says in the article, “The consumer is the expert, and they expect a brand to be their partner, not their instructor.” How can you partner with your consumers to make shopping a memorable experience?

 

 

The pandemic has changed the ways Canadians shop for groceries forever — and some might surprise you

That annoying phrase “the new normal” is quickly becoming our post-pandemic reality. Forced pandemic behaviours like online shopping and physical distancing will continue into our vaccinated world along with a few other surprising statistics. For instance, loyalty for the three major grocery brands is waning. Consumers are shopping locally and wherever is most convenient. They also want discounts, self-checkout, safer shopping experiences and loyalty programs.

The takeaway: No matter where they shop or who is attracting their grocery dollars, 73% of Canadians are influenced by loyalty programs. Don’t want to lose your consumers? Offer them rewards for shopping with you. This extends beyond grocery. Rewarding consumers for engaging with your brand is a proven way to earn their trust and loyalty.

 

Felicity Wellbeing Marketing Monitor

It’s almost bikini season, are you ready? This kind of messaging has been part of the western cultural dialogue for years: that the way our bodies look, based on what we eat and how we work out, is a reflection of our health and our value as a person.

It’s called diet culture and quite simply, it makes people feel ashamed, leads to disordered eating and encourages body discrimination. We recently spoke with Registered Dietitian Samantha Goren about how wellbeing brands can avoid feeding into diet culture. Read her interview on our blog.

 

Felicity new client alert!

We’d like to welcome Carolyn Cohen’s Delicious Dish to our Felicity client family. Carolyn’s virtual cooking classes and corporate events are fun and interactive, and we can’t wait to bring her talent to even more people. For a taste of what Carolyn has to offer, subscribe to her newsletter or check her out on Instagram. Apologies in advance if we’ve made your mouth water…

 

Feeling inspired?