LIVONIA, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Valassis, the leader in marketing technology and consumer engagement, offers new consumer research and strategies for marketers to effectively tap into the burgeoning $450 billion self-care market by engaging a key target – millennials.
Valassis research found millennials and millennial parents index high for their use of spas and fitness centers, representing just one segment of self-care. A survey of over 1,700 consumers found in the past year:
- 72% of millennial parents and 57% of millennials have had a massage, compared to 38% overall.
- 82% of millennial parents and 70% of millennials have gone to a gym or fitness center, compared to 50% overall.
The findings also revealed that loyalty is fleeting, especially among younger consumers with 72% of millennial parents and 64% of millennials who have visited a gym or fitness center in the past year interested in learning more about what competitors offer. Additionally, of those who have been to a gym this past year, 63% of millennial parents and over half of millennials (56%) said they have been a member of several different gyms over the past five years compared to 43% overall. Similarly, 74% of millennial parents and 63% of millennials who have had a massage in the past year, can be swayed by promotions to switch providers, compared to 55% overall.
With the right understanding of intent and promotion, marketers have a great opportunity to influence this high-spending group to spark purchases. Millennials make self-care a priority, spending two times more than baby boomers on workouts, diets and therapy.
Millennials value message frequency and a strong relationship with their provider, and are even willing to pay more for new and interesting gym options. Among those who have visited a gym in the last year, consider this:
- 77% of millennial parents and 68% of millennials indicated they are more likely to visit a gym that creates a relationship with them through communication, special offers and social media, compared to 52% overall.
- 70% of millennial parents and 62% of millennials said a gym needs to keep them engaged by sending more information on new and interesting offerings compared to 47% overall.
- They are willing to pay more for these new and interesting fitness services as indicated by 74% of millennial parents and 62% of millennials compared to 46% overall.
“Connecting with your audience based on their self-care behaviors gathered from consumer insights, in-market signals and past purchases helps personal services providers understand what fuels purchase intent,” said Peter Wright, director, vertical marketing, Valassis. “Having a holistic view of the consumer enables marketers to create demand through predictive consumer intelligence and deliver personalized, relevant messages.”
Additional findings include:
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Consider advertising’s influence and staying power. Of those who have had a massage in the past year:
- More than half (52%) of millennial parents don’t think about getting a massage unless they see advertisements.
- 69% of millennial parents and 63% of millennials hold on to an offer several weeks until they can schedule it.
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Lead with a well-being-first message in unexpected ways both online and offline:
- Of those who have had a massage in the past year, 76% of millennial parents and 64% of millennials indicate ads in the mail have increased their interest in visiting a massage provider.
- Similarly 75% of millennial parents and 68% of millennials said this about online ads.
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Know your consumer’s wants and needs. When it comes to fitness centers, among those who went to a gym in the past year:
- 89% of millennial parents and 84% of millennials are influenced to join a new gym or fitness center by a trial membership with a personal trainer.
- 40% of millennial parents and one-third of millennials (33%) prefer a pay-as-you-go gym membership.
For additional insights on the personal services industry visit Valassis’ website.
About the Study
The Valassis Awareness-to-Activation Study is an ongoing study fielded in conjunction with The NPD Group, Inc., a global market research company. The sample was derived via an online survey and all participants were at least 18 years of age and living in the contiguous United States. Approximately 10,000 respondents are surveyed annually. The specific data included in this report is from the research wave fielded March 29 through May 27, 2019 to over 1,700 respondents and is balanced by age and gender to U.S. Census demographic profiles. Valassis generation age segmentation classifies millennials as born between 1981 and 1996.
About Valassis
Valassis is the leader in marketing technology and consumer engagement. We work with over 60,000 companies and brands in a wide array of industries, partnering to anticipate consumer intent, inspire action, and create demand. NCH Marketing Services, Inc. and Clipper Magazine are Valassis subsidiaries, and RetailMeNot Everyday™ is its consumer brand. Its signature Have You Seen Me? ® program delivers hope to missing children and their families. Valassis and RetailMeNot are wholly owned subsidiaries of Harland Clarke Holdings.
