In a world of ubiquitous marketing, figuring out what supports a “healthy lifestyle” can be challenging.
Marketers have picked up on the cultural trend towards wellness branding, and are enthusiastically, if somewhat disingenuously, leaning into claims that are technically true but not very helpful–“no added sugar”, for example, is true, but irrelevant, for a product that has a high glycemic index (like fruit juices). This “healthwashing” has been seen across the spectrum of brands, from the curious case of fast food chains removing unhealthy signifiers like “fried” from their names (BK, Dunkin’, KFC, etc.), to the less curious but equally nefarious labeling practices of breakfast cereals and protein bars, brands are eagerly touting their health benefits.
In this episode, hosts Sonika Garcia and Brad Davidson discuss healthwashing and touch on many forms of virtue signaling. One important takeaway: People are keenly aware of their health nowadays, so brands across the board shouldn’t shy away from communicating the real role they can play. The importance is delivering that message in a way that’s true to each brand, maintains its identity, and respects its audience.
Welcome to Breaking the Code! Behavioral science is a cornerstone of modern marketing practice, but much of what passes itself off as behavioral science is just bs. Good social science gives us the insights and roadmap we need to change behavior, but bad social science just muddies the water and tarnishes the social sciences. As behavior change is a core objective of marketing, getting behavioral science right is crucial. Listen in as hosts Brad Davidson, PhD and Sonika Garcia, MPH, Medical Anthropology Strategists at Havas Health, sound off on what is, and isn’t, good social science, from a variety of disciplines covering new topics every podcast.