Deep Focus' Cassandra Report Reveals 80% of Millennials Spend Nearly One-Fourth of Disposable Income on Health and Wellness

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Jul 7, 2015) - Deep Focus, a full-service digitally-led creative agency, today announced the findings of its Spring/Summer 2015 Cassandra Report: Body, Mind, Soul. The research reveals Millennial's distrust of the U.S. healthcare system, while providing new insights about spending and "health hacking" habits.

Findings conclude that 72% of individuals 18-34 years of age worry the current healthcare system will not be able to support them as they age. As a result, they are seeking alternative ways to support a healthy lifestyle, with more than 80% of Gen Ys investing nearly one-fourth of their disposable income in health products/services. In fact, this concern impacts all spending habits/behaviors -- 35% are cutting back on spending in other areas to be able to afford health-related purchases.

"Millennials are concerned about their health and financial well-being and believe they are saving on future medical bills by paying a premium for wellness products and services today," said Deep Focus CMO Jamie Gutfreund. "Gen Ys are resourceful. They are creating unique solutions to ensure they stay healthy and financially sound for the long term."

This spending shift impacts multiple categories. 36% of Gen Ys stating they spend more on healthy foods and drinks; 41% splurge on classes that improve their body, mind and soul; and 23% splurge on fitness apparel and shoes.

Wellness focus has a significant impact on consumers' brand preferences; 69% of Gen Ys make it a point to buy from brands whose values align with their own. In addition, 74% say it's important for brands to embrace wellness as part of their core mission, and 62% believe all brands in the future will need to have a wellness component in order to survive.

Millennials continue to embrace technology that allows them to curate and "hack" their own self-directed health regime. 74% of Gen Ys actively track their fitness as part of their efforts to create a customized health plan. Out of those that track, 20% do so via wearables and 29% use mobile apps, such as Apple Health, Google Fit and WebMD.

Through their unprecedented access to these types of services and applications, 79% of Millennials think the digital world has made it easier to track, learn about and manage their health. Technology has also provided greater access to doctors and medical knowledge with the use of digital apps like Doctor on Demand, Heal and Hula that connect patients directly to doctors.

"This massive generation is influencing changes to both healthcare and marketing that will ultimately impact everyone, regardless of age," added Gutfreund. "To succeed, brands will need to actively demonstrate that they really care about consumers' health and well-being."

To learn more about the Spring/Summer 2015 Cassandra Report: Body, Mind, Soul, visit www.cassandra.co.

Methodology
Spring/Summer 2015 Cassandra Report: Body, Mind, Soul was generated through a quantitative online survey fielded among three respondent groups. Deep Focus interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,000 U.S. adults ages 19 to 35, as well as 303 U.S. teens ages 14 to 18. Additionally, the agency surveyed 400 19- to 35-year-old Trendsetter respondents across the U.S., who were selected based on their responses to a series of questions that allowed us to gauge their degree of progressive and experimental thinking and behaviors surrounding the latest trends and culture. Deep Focus also conducted in-depth qualitative interviews, both online and in person, among respondents ages 19 to 35 across the U.S., sourced from Deep Focus' private online community, Cassandra Speaks. Community members are hand-selected for their creative, expressive, and forward-thinking mindsets. The survey was fielded from March 20th through April 1st, 2015.

About Deep Focus
Deep Focus is an award-winning, digitally led agency founded in 2002 by CEO Ian Schafer. Headquartered in New York City, the 500-person agency has a global footprint with additional offices in Los Angeles, London, Shanghai, Hong Kong and San Francisco. Providing best-in-class services -- including The Moment Studio, its social and mobile content arm -- Deep Focus proudly serves an array of leading brands including Frito-Lay, Nestlé, Purina, Alibaba, Microsoft, Samsung, and Ubisoft. Deep Focus is part of Engine Group, a mid-sized global marketing services network comprised of specialist communications agencies that transform brands through a collaborative culture and business approach. For more information, visit www.deepfocus.net or @deepfocus.