+ 5 Health & Wellness consumer archetypes

These archetypes represent some of the many segments of health and wellness consumers. Please don’t mistake this for a comprehensive overview of the category, because it isn’t. Instead, use it as a starting point for your own initiatives. This is only a snapshot. Take what we have and build on it- and if you can share the results with us, please get in touch and let us know if it helped. This is the second part of our Health & Wellness analysis. Our 5 Health & Wellness Themes & Trends were the first part, and the third part will be a series of scenarios that outline some possible directions for the future of Health & Wellness, so be sure to check out everything if you enjoy this.



The Champ
A subscriber to magazines like Men’s Health and avid consumer of energy drinks, The Champ represents health & wellness as fitness and nutrition. To The Champ, the body is a machine, and getting optimum performance from that machine depends on giving it the best inputs. The Champ sets the bar high for him/herself, looking to pro athletes for fitness routines. These consumers are like mechanics on a NASCAR team, constantly evaluating new products and activities, looking for something to give them an edge. They hold manufacturers to the highest standards regarding sourcing, ingredients, and performance, but they’re more than willing to pay a premium for it.

There aren’t very many Champs, but they’re very influential tastemakers and gatekeepers. They’re always doing research, reading labels, comparing results with their peers, and they serve as sources of information among their not-so-hardcore friends. The Champ is a leading driver of adoption and opinion among mainstream consumers.

Relevant Links
Breaking through the myths: An interview with fitness and nutrition expert Alan Aragon
Interview with WheyUP! founder Erik Rothchild



The Explorer
The Explorer is a xenophile, always looking for new, different experiences. Explorers look at health & wellness as a journey, not a destination. They love trying new products, services, and ideas, especially those from other cultures. For The Explorer, health & wellness is most definitely as much spiritual, emotional and mental as it is physical. In comparison to The Champ, The Explorers expectations are relatively modest, because they evaluate health & wellness offerings as a holistic experience, not simply on the results.

The key to engaging The Explorer is to create rich, multi-sensory experiences that take them to another place. Use sound, scent, and tactile elements in conjunction with visual components to bring something new and different for The Explorer.

Relevant links:
Everybody Eats! An interview with Earth Source Produce
Vertically integrated beverage innovation: An interview with Amelia Bay
Be The Change: An interview with One Planet, One Solution



The Retrofit
Health & wellness is part of nearly every demographic segment, not just the young. The Retrofit represents the face of health & wellness among the older members of the population. Their motto is “Living stronger, longer,” and they’re dedicated to making the most of their older years. Retrofits show us that health & wellness is for everybody, that it’s empowering, not intimidating.

For Retrofits, wellness isn’t just taking vitamins and exercising, it’s about a positive outlook that’s the foundation of their entire lifestyle. Retrofits recognize that although they’re older, it doesn’t mean they have to sit in rocking chairs doing crosswords and knitting for the rest of their lives like their parents did.

Retrofits keep an open mind. They’re always learning: about new products, new activities, new sources of information (and how to use them), and about how to keep their minds, bodies, and spirits well.

Relevant links:
Kate Beckstrom: The future of elderly care
Retirement centers and healthy living: An interview with Lodge Retirement Community
Designing for the elderly: An interview with Modern Plastics Editor Matthew Defosse


The Progressive Professional
The health & wellness lifestyle isn’t a sacrifice for The Progressive Professional, it’s a lavish indulgence. They work hard, and look to health & wellness solutions to temper the stress of their intense work environment. They represent the new, luxurious face of health & wellness that doesn’t ask consumers to make tradeoffs to be well.

The Progressive Professional will spare no expense in spoiling him/herself and his or her pet. Just as she wants to balance her life, she wants her pet’s life balanced as well so she shops at retailers like WestPaw for products that mean something. They’re happy to spend significant amounts on the latest supplements, personal care products, spa/gym memberships, massage and relaxation therapy, or anything else that balances out their life and takes the edge off the stress of their professional life.

Relevant links:
Drink better, live better: An interview with VeeV founder Courtney Reum
Handcrafted, organic dog biscuits: A conversation with Robbie Dawg President Lisa Fortunato
WestPaw Design: Care for your pet, care for your planet



The Average Achiever
Not everybody in the health & wellness space is a superhuman fitness guru. In fact, most of them are just average people who are making progress slowly but surely: The Average Achiever. These consumers emphasize the maintenance and preventive care component of health and wellness- not everybody wants to The Champ.

The Average Achiever has been trying to make health & wellness part of their life for years, but hasn’t really gotten on board until just now. Although it might seem like she’s a laggard, she’s actually an early adopter among her group of friends. She’s the catalyst that gets her friends involved, whether that means starting a running club, making a book of healthy recipes, or recommending a new supplement. Her friends listen to her because she represents something attainable, not an idealized figure in a magazine.

As such, she’s a key influencer, and an important part of the health & wellness adoption cycle. To engage The Average Achiever, give her information that’s relevant, concise, and actionable, but never overwhelming or intimidating. Give her solutions that are digestible, tangible, and straightforward, but still effective, with measurable results that help her see that she’s making progress.

Relevant links:
Wellness in the workplace: An interview with FRCH's Sarah Phillips
Healthy living delivered: An interview with Door to Door Organics