How Hard is it to be Healthy?

Recent statistics show that if current trends continue 60% of men and 50% of women will be clinically obese by 2050. The government have responded with £2bn spend allocated over the past decade tackling obesity levels, including £733m on school sport.

A healthy way of life takes up time, effort and money. Going beyond just eating; encompassing physical activity, work-life balance and behaviour change.

The government’s white paper ‘Healthy lives, healthy people’ was launched in December 2010. The initiative aims to improve the nation’s health by focusing on five areas: food, alcohol, physical activity, health at work and behaviour change. In research conducted by Group Risk Development (GRiD), more than one in three (38%) said their top priority in 2012 was taking steps to improve work-life balance.

Price is a main concern for being part of the well-being trend. In a poll conducted by World Cancer Research Fund, only 17% of people in low income households eat their 5 a day compared to 27% in higher income groups.

Exercise also needs to be more accessible and convenient. With faster results in demand, quicker solutions to get fit such as HIT (Higher Intensity Training) are proving popular. Mintel’s research indicates that many consumers no longer wish to be tied in to lengthy contracts. Instead, they are looking for flexibility - demonstrated in the success of 24-hour gym opening times. In 2010, Pure Gyms, a national 24-hour chain, ran just 12 outlets. By 2013, that will rise to 45.

For brands to engage with consumers in the health trend they need to introduce healthy lifestyle changes in small convenient bites. Providing a solution that is easy and affordable for the consumer to adopt into their daily routine.

Lauren Overton
Consumer Analyst

Will People Ever Go Shopping On Their Mobile?

According to Kantar Worldpanel, over half of the UK population now have a smartphone. But will people ever use it as a market place that could challenge the traditional retail environment?

Internet and application access on mobiles has empowered customers to make purchases in almost any place at any time; should they wish to. According to the IAB and PWC, the percentage of mobile visits to online retail sites rose from 2.6% in 2010 to 8.2% in 2011 while the average transaction carried out on a mobile device rose from £12.20 to £17.49.

However, claims of mobile retail replacing the high street are exaggerated. Shopping online is complementary to the retail experience, not competition. Purchasing on a 3 inch screen as an experience barely compares with going into a store to try on clothes, test out the latest gadget or browse interesting books. Even as a proportion of online sales, only 5% are done via mobile.

What mobile is great for is to assist retail, both online and in-store. Whether this is to increase footfall, pay for products in-store, or mobile marketing. Sarah Ballie, Mobile Commerce Manager from Debenhams has made the point “There are many benefits of people engaging on mobile within the store: allowing them to double check prices against the website, read reviews or share products with friends for a second opinion”

  Mobile is a platform that is often used in conjunction with other media, it is important to be used with broad mix of media to engage with users. It is an engagement tool, not a market place. At least not yet.

Paul Barnes

Media Analyst