Research conducted by News Corp Australia, in collaboration with strategic research agency The Lab, has indicated just how much the Covid-19 pandemic has had on Australia’s perception on health. In response to the changing consumer landscape, Body+Soul will be debuting a brand new look from Sunday, February 12.
With a new editorial offering, fresh design, and rebranded with a new masthead, the launch is being supported by a multi-channel national marketing campaign that will run across digital, print, radio, social channels, and subscription TV.
Mediaweek spoke to Body+Soul Editor-in-Chief Jacqui Mooney about the decision to relaunch the brand, and what the changes mean for consumers and advertisers.
In a world that now has three years of dealing with Covid-19 under its belt, what health means to people has undergone a transformation. Whilst wellness used to mostly be about going to the gym and eating well, being healthy now encompasses mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional health. It’s this expansion that Mooney says meant that now was the time to refresh Body+Soul.
“There’s been a huge realignment and shift in what health means in Australia off the back of all of the changes that we have experienced over the past couple of years. This research that News Corp has conducted is such deep and fascinating research, it shows that the collective definition of health has really moved dramatically post-pandemic.
“We know consumers are more invested in their health and wellbeing than ever before, despite the cost of living pressures. We’re just responding to this consumer need.”
When asked if the pandemic inspired these changes or if it simply accelerated a trend that was already emerging, Mooney points to the latter.
“We all realised through these many lockdowns and restrictions that if we don’t have our physical and mental health, then really what do we have? I think this has led to consumers actively investing in themselves and their own health and wellbeing, and not being afraid to actually spend money on that.”
These consumers who are ready to invest in their health come in three key tiers, according to research from The Lab, and Mooney says that Body+Soul reaches them all.
“The enhancers might run a triathlon every weekend, they’ve got the latest Apple Watch, and they’re out there every weekend pounding the pavement.
“The sustainers are those people that are already invested in their health, and perhaps want to improve their motivation.
“Then there are the fixers, people that are really beginning on their health and wellbeing journey. They really have a hunger for information on how to get started in health, they’re looking for that content that hasn’t been available in many other places.
“Having such a mass audience, we’re very much aligning our content next to these three new segments, and hoping to keep them through their whole lifecycle with us as a brand.”
Once the team had made the decision to rebrand Body+Soul, the question became what direction to take the brand in.
“We looked at quite a number of factors,” says Mooney. “We are a huge, multi-platform brand with an audience reach of 2.5 million across our many platforms – we really listen to both client feedback and also insights in terms of the research. That’s really determined our strategy focus, our consumer direction, and the new growth strategy that you will see coming from Body+Soul.
“This new Body+Soul is going to be more multi-platform than ever before. While our weekly print product is massively important to us and is a key part of this relaunch, the biggest focus for Body+Soul moving forward will be to really build out our audio, video, e-commerce, and event offerings as we come back into market.”
Along with the rebrand comes a brand new cover strategy, aiming to embody mental and physical strength with high profile Australians. First up on the cover to launch the brand new Body+Soul is Mick Fanning.
“Mick Fanning is such a loved person in Australia – he’s a three-time world champion surfer,” says Mooney. “The reason for that choice was that he really does embody what physical and mental strength and resilience means in Australia today. His whole career has been defined by world titles, travels, success, and being on the top of the podium, but what is beautiful about this story is that his son, Xander, and becoming a father has really made him reassess his priorities and what is important to him in life.
“That matches beautifully back with the research that has found that health has become broader and more holistic than ever before, and it’s marrying the two different sides of health.”
As the refreshed Body+Soul enters the market on Sunday, February 12, Mooney says that the rebrand means good things for advertisers.
“We really do connect our commercial clients and partners with health intenders at scale. We’re helping them reach an audience that is actively engaged in their health and wellbeing, wants to make purchasing decisions, and aren’t afraid to invest in their health. We will be able to offer them a range of solutions across all of our many platforms that are going to help them reach their brand objectives.”