Needs of female health and wellness consumers continue to evolve

Stakes high as health & wellness sales reach $112 billion
Speakers to address changing market at upcoming M2W®-HC™ conference

 

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 7, 2009 — From disease prevention to holistic lifestyle strategies, wellness has grown from a niche business to a $112 billion industry. And with women driving most of those sales, experts say it’s crucial for healthcare brands to address the female customer and support her evolving wellness goals.

     

                                                                                                                      

Some of the nation’s top healthcare marketers and opinion leaders will meet here to discuss this growing and lucrative segment at M2W®-HC™... The Conference for Marketing Healthcare to Women, November 5-6, 2009 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

 

“Women continue to be our most influential consumer, as they make most of the health and wellness decisions for their extended family,” said conference speaker Jim Joseph, Managing Director, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness. “But we are collectively having a moment where the effects of terrorism, war, economic failure and a fragile faith in the government are all working together to change our definition of wellness.”

 

“Women are now less concerned about physical fitness and healthy eating and more focused on staying vital in the workplace,” said Joseph, whose agency has advised such top brands as Johnson & Johnson and Kellogg’s. “They are concerned about stretching their family budget and holding on to what they have. Wellness is now less about thriving and more about surviving.”

 

According to the Natural Marketing Institute, sales in the U.S. consumer packaged goods health and wellness industry reached more than $112 billion in 2008, representing growth of 9% over 2007.

 

With that huge market at stake, brands must keep up with today’s woman, and her continually changing wellness needs, said conference speaker Leslie Schrader, SVP, Director, Consumer Health & Wellness Practice, Ketchum.

 

“Success in the health and wellness space depends on the ability to build brand trust among consumers and those who influence them,” Schrader said. “While there is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to connecting consumers with brands, there are distinct trends in women's decision making and matters of health and wellness.”

 

“Understanding those key motivators enables companies to connect with women in truly authentic ways that make brands and products more relevant,” Schrader added.

 

With more than 30 speakers and presenters from top brands and marketing agencies, M2W®-HC™...The Conference for Marketing Healthcare to Women is the premier marketing conference focused on the powerful, female healthcare consumer segment.

 

“Women make conscious choices every day to monitor, maintain and improve health for themselves and their families, and competition for their wellness dollars has never been more intense,” said Nan McCann, President of PME Enterprises, LLC, producer of M2W®-HC™. “The winners in this race will be the ones who connect with their female base and become an authoritative force in their everyday lives as they strive to achieve their health goals.”

 

Associate Sponsors of M2W®-HC™ are Aetna, Draftfcb, Ketchum, KickSkirt, LifeScript.com, M2W® E-ssentials, Paramount Market Publishing, Pink Tank, Publicis and Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness; Hospitality Sponsors are The Hunter Miller Group, NBC Universal and WomanWise; Affiliate Sponsors are the National Woman’s Health Resource Center, WomenHeart, Look Good – Feel Better, Go Red for Women and The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest; Imc2 Health & Wellness is a Workshop Sponsor; Pharmacy Health Network, Women’s HealthCARE Television Network, Carolina Pad and Zeno Group are Showcase Sponsors; SNiPPiES is the Video Journalism Resource.

 

For complete conference schedules and registration information, please visit www.m2w-hc.com.