Health & Wellness – to Go

Worldwide, smartphone use is exploding. In the first quarter of 2011, smartphone vendors shipped nearly 100 million units. And the global smartphone market will increase by nearly 50% this year alone, according to projections by International Data Corp.

This dramatic growth is driven by an ever-widening pool of consumers trading in their feature phones for more sophisticated, app-friendly models. (Last summer, Apple sold 1.7 million iPhone 4 units in just three days.) The connection consumers have to these devices is both practical and emotional. According to one study, people said that they would rather give up pleasures such as chocolate and beer than their electronic companions. This strong bond has powerful implications for marketers. That little smartphone screen is now a window into how to influence consumer behavior and shopping patterns.For health and wellness marketers trying to motivate healthy changes in behavior, mobile is a perfect fit. The most successful health and wellness initiatives are simple, convenient, and easily integrated into the consumer’s life. Mobile perfectly mirrors those attributes, allowing consumers to interact with the brand whenever and wherever they need to.

Successful mobile programs devise engaging apps that create value for both the brand (through frequent and deep engagement) and the consumer (through instantly accessible information and support.)

Here are four marketers who make mobile work:

Reebok Promise Keeper App

This clever app allows consumers to schedule their exercise program on a calendar and share it via their social networks. If the user skips a scheduled exercise session, the app reports it for all to see, prompting encouraging “feedback” from friends and family. It’s enough to make a consumer think twice before blowing off that morning run.

Reebok’s mobile program is a fun way to translate the upbeat character of the brand, in keeping with the spirit of the tagline, “Reethink. Reejoy. Reebok.”

It keeps the brand top of mind in a viral way, day after day. And it offers consumers the ongoing peer support and motivation they need to stay the course.

Zicam Cold & Flu Companion App

Zicam has taken their existing web-based “flu alert” program and adapted it smartly to the mobile world. Consumers simply enter their location to get up-to-date cold and flu news, including detailed local statistics. The app also directs users to the nearest Zicam retailer and delivers product coupons. By keeping the brand visible and accessible, Zicam is becoming the remedy of choice for millions of cold and flu sufferers. This app is also a great example of how mobile marketing can deliver immediate value to the consumer, filling a need even before the sniffles start.

Walgreen’s Mobile App

Walgreens has essentially put the drugstore shopping experience in your pocket. Its hard-working app allows users to get a prescription history, order photo prints, browse weekly circulars and shop by phone. The Refill by Scan feature lets customers order prescription refills by simply sending a photo of the label’s barcode. Less than four months after becoming available for iPhone and Android platforms, it accounts for more than half of all Walgreen’s mobile prescription refills.

“Keep Life Moving,” says Walgreen’s tag line. Its app does. It brings home Walgreen’s mission of making their products and services both affordable and accessible and gives consumers easy ways to save both time and money.

Dole Mobile Salad Club App

Late in 2010, Dole teamed with Price Chopper retail stores for a program that encouraged people to eat more fruit during the holidays. QR codes appearing in Price Chopper’s direct mail and print ads, as well as on their website and Facebook page, led consumers to Dole’s Mobile Salad Club website for short video tips on how to select, cut, and serve fruit for holiday salads. The program deepened engagement with consumers on the retail level by motivating people to try new serving ideas for fruits. Customers, in turn, enjoyed the benefits of fresh ideas and a healthier holiday season.

As smartphone technology advances, mobile promises something of a marketing dream—the ability to reach an audience anywhere, anytime. But health and wellness advertisers need to more than just show up. Like the examples above, they need to match the convenience of the smartphone itself with apps that are fresh, engaging, and relevant—the kind of apps that lead to loyalty and, ultimately, advocacy.

Fran Greenberrg is senior vice president Antidote 360, an integrated marketing agency focused exclusively on health and wellness marketing solutions. She can be reached at [email protected]. Antidote 360 is part of Source Marketing, which ranked No. 46 on the 2010 PROMO 100 with an estimated $16.9 million in 2009 U.S. net revenue.