Healthusiasm

Transcript

Healthusiasm is a trend, where people are more aware of their health than ever before. In his book, Christophe Jauquet explains how you can respond to this new trend, as a company or event.

Hi Christophe, welcome to our studio.

Hi, thank you.

You wrote a book with the title: Healthusiasm. What is that about?

So, yes indeed, I wrote a book, which is called Healthusiasm.

And so, basically, it talks about the trend of people being, more than ever, actively involved in their own health.

So, more than ever, people really want to do something about their own health. They want to have an impact on it. And they're looking for solutions.

And so, anyway, the book also talks about how companies can react to that. What should they be doing to actually be replying to that need?

Okay, but maybe we should start first with: how does it come that suddenly, we are all concerned about our health and want to do something about it?

Yes, we've always been involved with our health, of course.

In some way, yes.

Yes, and even in the old Greek times, we were praying to the gods to have good health, right? But it's only recently that we felt that we have some sort of impact on our own health. And that's, basically, since the kinology came about and since Doctor Google came about, where we were handed the tools to go online and find information. Where, suddenly, apps came about and we can really, you know, learn about what is going on. How do we travel today? Did we walk enough?

We all have watches monitoring us, constantly.

We all have watches, yes, exactly.

And so, we suddenly feel empowered of doing so. So, basically, technology allows us to become who or what we are.

In a sense: I wrote a book and I bring it onto the market. But anybody can write a book. And use the platforms available to reach thousands of readers or potential readers. If you want to bring out a CD or an album, you can record your own songs at home. You can record that album and you'll find an audience, anyhow.

Yes, just put it on YouTube and you're off.

Exactly. I mean, Arctic Monkeys, huge band, actually started that way. The Weekend, the same. So, there's a lot of possibility. There's a lot of opportunities for people, to become who you want to be.

And they kind of extended that into health as well. But also, I mean, thanks to technology, our basic needs...

You know: Maslow, the hierarchy of needs. The Maslow pyramid. The basic needs are our functional needs, and they have been fulfilled over time.

We have a roof. We have food. We have everything we need to survive.

And we can say, largely, the same about our emotional needs as well. We have some self-esteem. We have an environment in which we feel ourselves comfortably. And so, with all these needs being fulfilled, we are looking for something else.

And the top of the Maslow pyramid, is called the aspirational needs. And so, people are really looking into becoming the best person they can actually be. And one of those things is being healthy. Simply put. And so, this is the kind of needs that people are looking to complete today. They really want to become the best person they can possibly be. And so, that's why they are looking for ways to be, basically, as healthy as possible.

Okay, you mentioned earlier that your book also talks about: as a company, or as, even, an event organizer, what you can do to play with that trend. And what is it, that you can do, then? Is it just offering a healthy alternative? I'm Coca-Cola and I'm offering a healthy beverage. I'm an event organizer and next to the hamburgers and the fries, I put a stall with some healthy foods. Or is it more than that?

No, it's certainly that already. I mean, making sure that people have a healthy choice, is already a good start. But there's different layers, I say, that you can play into.

First of all, there's anything related to lifestyle. Which means: people are looking for ways to put themselves forward. To say: this is who I am. This is my image. This is my identity. And sometimes they just consume brands. They walk around, for example, with smoothies in their hand and activewear, just to show that they are healthy. It doesn't change anything of their health, but it kind of puts a mindset out there. And they really want to put them forward like that.

But if you go one step higher, then you can help them take decisions, which are related to well-being, for example. How can you make people feel good? How can you make sure that they don't...

For example, if you go out and you drink a little bit too much beer, or any alcoholic beverage, you might feel a bit worse the day after, let's say. So, it's a good thing to have some alternatives available. Which are non-alcoholic and which, maybe, are even healthy. So that people feel better the day after. The well-being decision is more about: how can you make people feel good in their own body? Going to the sauna is a very well-being decision. Because people go there to feel good.

One layer more upwards would be health-decisions. Those are decisions that are actually taken to prevent your own health from becoming worse. Smoking sensation, probably the best example there. People stop smoking because they know, if they continue doing it, it will make their health worse.

And then, finally, you have the medical decisions. Which are related to the medication, or the surgical operation that you might undergo.

So, basically, as an event organizer or a brand, you can really decide: what are the types of decisions, that I want to help people with? Do I offer something that helps them feel good? Do I offer something that prevents their health from going worse? Or is it, maybe, something even medical?

And why should you do that, as an event or as a company? Is it because there's some profit in it? Or...

Well, there is profit in it, for sure. There is a market. Fifty percent of people are interested in those kinds of solutions, I would say.

However, my point is even stronger, in a sense that: if you don't offer it, you might lose business. You might even become irrelevant.

Okay.

It's a bit like the...

It's similar to the ecological trend. So, if within ten years, as a company, you still put out a lot of products, services, whatever, with a lot of plastic in it, let's say, then you might be irrelevant. Because nobody will accept that plastic is still that much used, within ten years, as it is today.

And the same goes for health. I mean, if you still put out products, which are so unhealthy, then very likely, people will no longer accept you, as a valuable brand for them. Because you don't help them in becoming the best person they want to be.

You mentioned earlier: there are consumers and there are patients. But isn't it so that lines between those two groups are becoming thinner and thinner?

Yes, it's true. I mean, we used to look at patients and consumers, as being two separate human beings. Well actually...

I mean, even you and I, we're both consumer and patient. So, it all depends on the situation you're in. And so, my strong focal point in this book, is saying that: whether you are in a situation as a patient or as a consumer, you always want the same thing. We used to think that patients look at things differently than consumers. But that is not the case.

Can you give an example of that?

Well, I can give an example, maybe, which is very easy to understand. And that's related to banks. Now, if you buy something online today. From any e-commerce website. Chances are very high that you get it into your mailbox the next day. Or, whatever, even the same day, depending on what time you order it. Now, if you would...

Like, imagine you lose your debit card. And you reorder one. How much time would you think it takes, before you get one?

I don't know, but for sure not the next day. Two or three weeks, something like that?

It could be two or three weeks, indeed.

And so, as a person, why would you expect it to be two, three weeks, while something else could be delivered the next day? And it's that kind of expectations, which are common across industries, according to me. And it's not because you're dealing with a bank, that you agree or you accept, that it is delivered two, three weeks later, right? And the same goes for anything related to our health as well. We want the same experiences that we have with hospitals as well as that we have with bol.com or Amazon.com. Or Netflix. It needs to be as convenient, as fast, as pragmatic, as relevant, as with those experiences.

But that's not how the health industry is working today. Because if you have to go for a scan, or something like that, there's a waiting list for, sometimes, one or two months.

It's true. Right now, health-care, in general, is very process-oriented. Is also very heavy when it comes to managing everything. And they haven't been so much consumer driven. People need to go to the hospital anyhow. And people have always been more of a follower, when it comes to their own health-care, I would say. And that's why they weren't even challenged, to do things differently, right?

Now, according to my point of view, that all changed. People now also expect to have the same experiences. And really, specifically, because they want to have an impact on their health. And they no longer accept that it takes weeks and weeks to get an exam. They want to have it as fast as possible. With a clear transparency on price, results, outcome. They really want to feel well taken care of. And not only for the result, the end result, being: you're feeling better. But also, the whole process. I mean: if you have to spend some time in a hospital, for example. Doubtfully you'll find this a very pleasant stay, right? Even if you're feeling bad. And maybe particularly because you're feeling bad. You might want to have a good experience. Maybe they should be paying more attention to a good experience.

Yes, it should even be better then.

Yes, exactly. While right now they're not really focusing enough, I would say, on the experience in itself. And because people really want to have an impact on their own health, because they are healthusiasts, if you want. They really demand now from, for example, hospitals, to have similar good experiences. That makes them feel well in general, yes.

I feel some health events coming up.

I don't mind.

Okay, people who want to buy your book. Just on Amazon.com, I suppose?

Amazon.com, bol.com, Standaard Boekhandel. And also, on my website, which is healthusiasm.com. And there you can buy it as well.

Okay, great, thank you very much for coming over.

Welcome.

And you at home, thank you for watching our show. I hope to see you next week.