An Islington-based behavioural experience agency has published new research examining what makes consumers trust, and lose trust in, health and wellbeing brands.
Pomegranate found that 51.6% of digitally active UK consumer-health users aged 18 to 44 said sales-led recommendations make personalisation feel intrusive.
Nearly half, 49.5%, also pointed to businesses using data they did not realise they had shared.
The findings suggest that techniques commonly used in online retail, including upsell prompts, product bundles, subscription nudges and personalised recommendations, can be interpreted differently when people are making decisions about their health or wellbeing.
Duncan Thomas, CEO and founder at Pomegranate, said: “Consumer-health brands have to sell, but health changes how selling is interpreted. In a standard retail journey, prompts and recommendations can feel like normal conversion tools. In a health journey, those same mechanics can feel like pressure when the customer cannot see how they support their wellbeing.”
“That difference also shapes how people respond to personalisation and promotion. People can welcome both when the relevance is clear and the experience supports the health decision they are trying to make. When a recommendation looks like a sales tactic, people start to question whose interests are being served.”
The research argues that consumer-health brands need to design digital journeys around trust as well as conversion, particularly where products or services are linked to wellbeing, prevention, symptoms, self-care or longer-term behaviour change.
Recommendations should respond to the customer’s immediate needs and support the behaviour change they are trying to achieve. Brands should also be transparent about data use, avoid excessive urgency and leave room for reassurance, evidence and support.
Thomas added: “The findings have thrown up some real surprises. These results should now act as a wake-up call for brands that have underestimated how quickly consumer behaviour and expectations are changing. Many brands have been assuming that familiar retail tactics transfer neatly into health, but in truth, a generic upsell can feel intrusive when someone is looking for help with their wellbeing. Each prompt has to earn its place by helping the customer make a confident decision. Push the next product, bundle or subscription too hard and trust can disappear.”
The findings form part of Pomegranate’s wider analysis of trust in consumer-health experiences, covering privacy, personalisation, evidence, retention, AI and digital experience.
The survey was conducted among digitally active UK consumer-health users aged 18 to 44 recruited through a paid panel. Full methodology is available on request.
Pomegranate is a behavioural experience agency combining behavioural science, design and technology, working across health, wealth and technology.