Women’s #1 priority is health and wellness. Wellness means taking care of herself, based on a survey of women by Saatchi Wellness. 

Women are coming out of the recession with the modus operandi of a “me-covery,” according to Saatchi Wellness’s read on women’s attitudes about the economy’s impact on their wellbeing and health priorities among 800 women polled online in August 2010.

The 5 elements of the “me-covery” for women are:

  1. To eat right. This doesn’t mean “diet;” it’s striking a balance and buying healthier, and more organic, food. People most negatively impacted by the economy are buying less fast food.
  2. To invest in physical fitness. I in 2 women are working out more on their own, and 1 in 3 in a gym. The Nintendo Wii, Netflix videos, and MP3 players are integral parts of women’s exercise regimes.
  3. To care for her health. 86% of women are researching health online, 8 in 10 see doctors regularly, and one-half are buying more vitamins since the economy imploded in 2009.
  4. To look good, feel good. Since 2009, 1 in 2 women are buying more hair care, skin care, and oral care products. But it’s more value-based products than luxury goods, and more sold via mass retailers, discounters and Big Box stores.
  5. To have more fun. From planning a family vacation once again or looking for more frequent sex, women seek to bring more joy into their lives on a regular basis.

Health Populi’s Hot Points:  The Gestalt of the me-covery is women taking control of their lives through personal health and wellness. Based on the 5 elements of the me-covery, women will partner with touchpoints in their daily lives that help bolster health and wellness. The survey identified, for exercise, Netflix, Wii and iPods as useful branded products that help them better engage with physical fitness. Trusted brands will play starring roles across the elements, including eating right (note Walmart’s push toward healthier foods covered here in Health Populi); health care, from aligning with a local health system that speaks to women’s health, broadly writ, to purchasing over-the-counter products that embody trusted labels and prescription drugs that help her achieve adherence and optimal outcomes; looking good, by using cosmetics and other products that bolster a feeling of wellness and offer built-in health benefits from SPFs to natural ingredients like pomegranate, acai berry, and yet-to-come innovations; and, having more fun, which health engagement must bring with it to keep people “sticky” with positive health habits.