Blog 2 of 3
In our last blog we introduced two major findings from a new survey of 1,500 Americans conducted by Artemis Strategy Group that uses our proprietary Motivation ResearchTM approach to draw out a full range of personal emotional connections associated with important aspects of our lives. The survey focuses on two areas: Health and Financial Services. In this series of blogs we focus on the health-related findings.
“Healthfulness.” This survey reveals the extent to which Americans have connected multiple healthy activities to create a more holistic lifestyle of healthfulness. This pattern of behavior is driven not just by a desire to avoid illness, but by the more complete desire to lead an active, enjoyable and rewarding life. This evolution of approaches to personal health could be characterized as “healthfulness.”
The 3rd and 4th findings from our study:
- Most Americans increasingly seek information, form goals and fulfill healthy regimens on their own initiative rather than at the direction of others such as doctors or fitness experts
The vast majority of Americans proactively seek out information about each of the four major health activities (see our 1st blog post on this subject), but from a wider array of sources and in a more self-directed manner than in the past. Use of the web including topical websites and healthful lifestyle blogs complement the more traditional sources of information including friends, family and healthcare providers. Perhaps most impressive, 72 percent of our respondents report using some form of personal technology to measure, monitor and record their health activities. We found an interesting special report in the Washington Post that looks at the many aspects of health and corroborates many of our findings.
- Americans view healthful lifestyles as the key to attaining many important life values
Testimony to the prominence of healthfulness in people’s lives, personal decisions associated with health and healthfulness consistently are associated with five significant personal values:
- Self preservation
- Self esteem
- Life enjoyment
- Control (achieving life balance)
- External affirmation
Of these, life enjoyment (for both the youngest and oldest respondents) and control (for those in between) are top motivating values for the most Americans when planning, engaging in and measuring their health-oriented activities. While personal values tend to be developed over a long period, they can be influenced. Perhaps the recognition by Americans that we are living longer enhances the significance of living an enjoyable life long into the future through mobility, energy and engagement free from debilitating conditions. A combination of public policy and technology capabilities provide both incentive and tools to manage one’s healthful behaviors, raising the significance of the control and balance aspiration.
Learn more about values and the role they play in Motivation ResearchTM here.
Orientations. How do Americans differ in the ways they think about healthfulness? Our next blog will identify seven distinct rational/emotional categories of Americans and how/why healthfulness matters in their life.
Look for our “Healthful is the New Healthy” e-book in coming months, and also for an invitation to our September 2014 webinar during which we’ll review the health-related results of our MAPTM program.
The Artemis Strategy Group Motivations Assessment Program (MAPTM) is an initiative based on proprietary primary research to develop insights and practical tools to help marketing leaders in public and private roles develop communications that persuade their audiences to act.
Look for our “Healthful is the New Healthy” e-book in coming months, and also for an invitation to our September 2014 webinar during which we’ll review the health-related results of our MAPTM program.
