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New Leisure Rules Through Catalyzation

Instructor: Courtney Scharf
Wellness
Download the Wellness Trend Report
Consumers' committment to self-improvement has heavily influenced leisure and enteratinment trends over the past decade. With the pandemic disrupting routines, however, the question becomes: how has consumers' relationship to wellness changed?

In this module, we explore the "wellness backlash," and how companies will need to be more transparent, inclusive and honest when it comes to appealing to modern consumers' desire to be their best selves.
Related Trend Report: Wellness
Workshop Questions:
1. How can you support consumers in being their best selves while meeting a need for affordable solutions?
2. What are some specific changes you'd need to make to ensure that your offering is inclusive?
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Featured Insights

Social Wellness
Social media wellness initiatives aim to counter some of its ill effects
Trend - As the negative impact of social media continues to be studied, businesses in this space are aiming to combat some of that bad press by prioritizing wellness initiatives and offering users resources that help them maintain their physical and/or mental health.
Workshop Question - How is your brand responding to criticism and customer feedback?
4.5
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Insights by Trend Hunter AI

Care Continuity
Female health services bundle tracking access and follow up

What's Happening - Women's wellness offerings are shifting from single-purpose tools to connected services that combine symptom logging, clinician access, and personalized guidance in one place. Platforms' emphasis on treatment and clinical navigation is poised to help users decide when to seek screening, specialist input, or preventive action.

Workshop Question - How could your brand turn a one-time health interaction into guided support over time?
5.1
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Lifecycle Navigation
Digital services guide people through stage-specific health needs

What's Happening - Health platforms are organizing support around distinct life phases and needs, with the majority of solutions targeting women. From pregnancy and hormonal shifts to midlife and caregiving, providers are combining education, care coordination, and remote access in one place. These offerings move beyond one-off appointments toward ongoing guidance that aims to fit changing routines and symptoms.

Workshop Question - How could your brand make a complex personal journey easier to navigate over time?
6.9
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Activity
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Calm Monitoring
Devices turn body data into quieter everyday guidance

Trend - Health wearables, particularly in the watch format, are edging closer to broader care journeys by shifting from workout logging to ongoing checks on sleep, stress, recovery, heart health, and other everyday signals. Brands are positioning these devices as preventive tools meant to fit daily life rather than just training sessions.

Workshop Question - How could your brand design products or services that support preventive care without adding another screen, task, or habit to manage?
8.2
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Bone Platform
Dedicated Bone Health Platforms Help Casual Users and Athletes Alike
Trend - Brands are launching bone‑health apps and platforms that offer strength‑focused exercise plans, impact‑training guidance, nutrition tracking and awareness tools. These products position bone care as an everyday wellness practice and a performance asset for athletes who need long‑term durability.
Workshop Question - How can your brand innovate to address the growing consumer need for proactive wellness solutions that enhance everyday health and athletic performance?
6.8
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Gamer Support
The esports industry takes action to make mental health care more accessible
Trend - Esports companies are teaming up with mental health organizations to provide guidance and promote safety within the gaming community. Through expert partnerships and campaigns, these initiatives aim to make online spaces safer, inclusive, and better equipped to support those who may be struggling.
Workshop Question - How can your brand ensure its social impact initiatives resonate with its target consumer?
4.6
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Post-Grind Recovery
Consumers are pivoting away from hustle culture and toward rest and relaxation
Trend - The relentless "grindset" mentality that dominated the 2010s is facing a cultural backlash, with consumers increasingly seeking rest, boundaries, and sustainable work practices over 24/7 productivity optimization. Companies are launching campaigns that celebrate downtime, mental health days, and the radical act of logging off.
Workshop Question - How might your brand reframe success beyond productivity metrics to connect with consumers seeking sustainable fulfillment?
5.4
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AI Maternity
Transforming maternal care with smart, personalized digital guidance
Trend - Brands are developing AI-powered applications specifically designed to support pregnancy and maternity by offering personalized coaching, health tracking, and real-time advice. These tools integrate advanced algorithms with data-driven insights to provide tailored content on prenatal care.
Workshop Question - How might we leverage AI technology to provide personalized and accessible support in addressing modern consumer needs?
4.6
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Minimalist Health
Health and wellness brands rebrand to minimalist designs and easy-to-read labels
Trend - Health and wellness brands are rebranding with minimalist designs and simple, easy-to-read labels. This trend reflects a commitment to transparency and authenticity, aiming to create a clean, modern, and approachable aesthetic for consumers.
Workshop Question - How can we incorporate minimalist design principles to enhance transparency and authenticity in our brand's communication strategy?
3.9
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Healthspan Plans
Consumers are proactively looking to extend their healthy years
Trend - The focus on wellness has evolved from short-term fixes to long-term health optimization, with consumers actively seeking evidence-backed solutions that support healthy aging. From cognitive enhancement supplements to personalized preventative care programs, brands are responding with products and services that promise to extend not just lifespan, but "healthspan" - the period of life spent in good health.
Workshop Question - How could your brand help consumers invest in their future health outcomes?
4.7
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Algorithmic Exodus
Users abandon algorithm-driven platforms for intimate digital spaces
Trend - Consumers are increasingly abandoning algorithm-driven social platforms in favor of more intimate, user-controlled digital spaces like group chats and Discord servers. This shift represents a deliberate move away from platforms where content and connections are determined by algorithms, toward spaces where users have greater control over their interactions and information flow.
Workshop Question - How can your brand create more authentic, algorithm-free spaces for community building?
3.7
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