Consumer wellbeing is at an inflection point

Consumer wellbeing is at an inflection point

Heather Mosser

Americans increasingly feel an undeniable tension around personal wellbeing. Health, a rare, shared priority for Americans, continues to grow in importance and is increasingly recognized as multi-dimensional. Accompanying these shifts is a growing sense of urgency, reflected both in MONITOR’s long-term data and in the rapid growth of the longevity market.

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Yet, as expectations for wellbeing rise at the consumer level, the structural systems in place to support health have grown more unstable. Since the pandemic, Americans have witnessed a steady drumbeat of policy shocks, cultural flashpoints and institutional strain related to health. This accumulation of disruption has registered as a pattern to consumers, one that has begun to make people question whether the system will reliably show up when they need it. This misalignment between consumers and institutions has been consequential for trust erosion, only further compounded by financial strain.  

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Out of this tension between the growing need to manage health more holistically and the collapse of trust in the systems designed to support it, a clear consumer response has emerged—people are taking health into their own hands. Consumers are increasingly assembling their own wellbeing ecosystems by drawing on new inputs, tools, mindsets and practices that allow them to tailor health management to their individual needs.  
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This leaves consumer wellbeing at an inflection point: Americans are more empowered and engaged in their health than ever, but they are navigating that responsibility in a context of strained trust, rising costs and fragmented support. The central question going forward is not whether consumers will continue to take control of their wellbeing—they already have—but whether the systems around them will evolve fast enough to earn a role in that journey or be worked around entirely. In this environment, brands must confront new questions about how consumers are pursuing wellbeing and what it will take to show up as a credible, constructive partner in an era of consumer-led wellbeing. 

Kantar MONITOR is conducting a special study to explore the reasons and ramifications of this pivot in more depth. Click below to learn more about how you can access these insights and apply them within your organization. 

Learn more about MONITOR’s wellbeing study