Exploring the language around wellness with Ben Hookway, CEO of Relative Insight

At this year’s Observe Summit, we’ve asked some of our speakers to take part in a challenge: To use social data, to take a fresh look at cultural trends that have shaped society over the last 12 months.

And Ben Hookway, CEO of Relative Insight is going to be looking at language surrounding the wellness industry to understand how it affects consumer perceptions of brands and products within this category. We caught up with him ahead of Observe Summit to learn more.

Can you briefly describe the challenge you'll be tackling at Observe Summit this year?

The challenge I’ll be tackling is to investigate the lexicon relating to wellness in digital conversations. Using Relative Insight, I’ll be analysing the differences in language around mental health and wellness over demographics and time, looking at how it affects consumer perception of brands and products in the wellness space.

Why do you think this topic is so interesting to analyse?

One in four people experience mental health difficulties every year. Yet, as recently as 10 years ago, it was still considered a massive taboo subject. As more and more people talk openly about mental health, the taboo is slowly but surely being removed.

The language around mental health is constantly changing, and there is no simple way to refine it. It’s vital for brands, agencies, charities and organisations to understand the wider discourse and changing lexicon around mental health and wellness, finding resonant strategies that appeal to audiences, employees and beneficiaries.

Can you give us an idea of what you expect to find from your analysis?

In our analysis, I want to look specifically at how different markets and demographics speak about mental health and wellness, and how media coverage on the topic of mental health and wellness has changed over time.

Firstly, I expect to see clear differences between US and UK consumers. In the UK wellness is viewed as a personal endeavour whereas in the US it’s consumerist. Although wellness is growing into a trillion-dollar industry, it is much more established in the US. As such, I imagine we will see that Americans are happier to spend money on products that provide an apparent quick-fix solution. Whereas for UK consumers, wellness will probably be seen as more of a lifestyle choice.

In terms of how media opinions on mental health have changed, it’s clear that the conversation has evolved for the better. Rather than mental health being stigmatised, I can imagine coverage is much more accepting, promoting wellness and the importance of self-care.

What's the biggest benefit of using digital conversations to gain insight?

The population that can be accessed through digital conversations is far larger than the pool of people who participate in focus groups, or other traditional methods of market research. This means that the insight you can gain from online data sources reflects a much more representative sample, ultimately helping you reach a broader audience.

Why is it important for brands to consider using social data analysis within their growth strategies?

Social data in most cases contains organically generated opinions: raw, unfiltered and not in response to carefully curated questions. For brands, this means less bias and more authentic insights which can be vital to their growth strategies.

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