• by Les Luchter , August 22, 2023

Women are the CMOs among younger consumers, according to health and wellness agency The 3rd Eye (formerly VS/Brooks). In this case, though, “CMO” stands for chief medical officer.

In a survey of 1,200 Blacks, Hispanics and Whites aged 45 and younger, 3^rd Eye found that women know far more about men’s health than men do about women’s health.

“Women make most purchasing decisions around health and wellness,” The 3^rd Eye declared, “and, based on our data, men are much less likely to understand what drives those decisions…If brands don’t take care of the chief medical officer, they’re leaving dollars on the table.”

Another difference between the men and women: men cited time as the top barrier to making health and wellness changes, while women cited energy.

Both sexes tabbed the importance of various men’s health issues similarly, with one notable exception: Just 44% of men said prostate health is an important men’s health issue, compared with 61% of women.

The 3rd Eye study, titled “Defining Health & Wellness, And the Barriers to Change,” also noted differences between the three racial groups studied.

For example, Blacks showed a preference for spiritual health and Hispanics for family counsel.

And, attributed to the “healthcare access gap,” 30% of the younger Blacks and Hispanics said they use wellness apps, compared to just 22% of whites. The 3^rd Eye warns though that health and wellness marketers developing apps and wearables should be careful they’re “not inadvertently creating a tiered system where only the wealthy get in-person care.”

Regardless of sex or race, the study found that, compared with Americans over 45 years old, younger people “value health and wellness as a preventative measure,” “prioritize a mix of physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing,” and “care much more about mental and emotional health…and are far more likely to prioritize it.”

The 3^rd Eye tells Marketing Daily that comparisons of those surveyed to older Americans are “anecdotal” and based on “comparing data to the lived experiences of those deciphering it, and The 3rd Eye’s established expertise of marketing to Baby Boomers.”

Another likely difference: 70% of younger Americans said mental health is “just as important as physical health,” with 51% calling it ”the top definer of health.”

And how do Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z’ers find their health information?

“They’re not using traditional advertising as a source,” The 3^rd Eye reports, but rather Google (45%), word of mouth (32%) and social influencers (20%).

Most younger consumers also aid they’re very motivated to improve their health and are embarking on changes like exercise programs to feel better. They “view health holistically, addressing mental, spiritual, and financial needs along with their physical ones,” The 3^rd Eye said.

Beyond Blacks, Hispanics and Whites, The 3^rd Eye tells Marketing Daily that it will explore other additional racial segments in the future, but, due to sample size, “we were unable to gather sufficient information” to do so in this study.