Watch on-demand: The emergence and divergence of the lexicon around wellness
This concept of “wellness” has become increasingly prevalent in today’s society – specifically over the past decade. As this idea becomes part of the common vernacular, it’s also taken on a hugely divergent array of meanings.
Hosted by Relative Insight’s very own Claudia Gordon, we were joined by expert panellists from Ogilvy, BGB Group, Octopus MoneyCoach and Whitecalm in this very first Spotlight Series hybrid event. The panel discussed how the societal shift in the lexicon around mental health and wellness has changed the way business, brands and organisations must operate, highlighting the drastic power of framing and choosing careful language to communicate wellness.
The session finished with special keynote speaker, Influencer‘s Nik Speller who discussed how the meteoric rise of influencer marketing has broken down social taboos around mental health – and what this means for audiences, mental health advocates, and the brands and businesses associated with them.
Why wellness, and why now?
At Relative Insight, we’re insatiably curious about language. We wanted to understand how the lexicon of wellness emerged, and then charged into today’s conversation. Our host Claudia discussed some research conducted by Relative Insight, which answered various questions on key aspects of wellness and mental health from a linguistic perspective, including how media coverage has changed over time, and how UK and US audiences differ.
How influencers and content creators made it “ok not to be ok”
The impact of influencer marketing should not be underestimated, particularly in the wellness industry. Nik Speller discussed the authentic connections that creators make with their audiences, and how influencers have the ability to ignite conversations around mental health, encouraging their followers to engage in the discussion.
Showcasing two case studies in which influencer marketing had successfully raised awareness in the mental wellbeing space, Nik encouraged brands to actively think about wellbeing throughout their campaign efforts, and how they can do something that’s going to deliver meaning, purpose or start a conversation.
Panel discussion
The conversation moved towards a generic exploration of wellness and it’s many different meanings. Our expert panellists dived deep into questions such as: Is wellness another word for health? Is wellness a privilege? How can organisations penetrate the wellness market authentically? One key takeaway was that brands and organisations should lead with honesty and compassion about what they’re doing, choosing to communicate in a language that penetrates the consumer’s own self-talk.
