How To Do Market Research For Health And Wellness Brand: Key Stages You Need to Know

Launching a health and wellness brand without solid market research is like stepping into a gym without a plan. You might see short-term progress, but without structure, it’s nearly impossible to sustain momentum. 

The space is competitive, fast-evolving, and filled with consumers who are more educated than ever. They don’t just buy supplements, yoga mats, or protein powders; they buy into lifestyles, philosophies, and credibility.

This guide explains how to do market research for a health and wellness brand by following the customer journey. Instead of treating research as a checklist, it becomes a way to understand what motivates your ideal buyers at every stage, from awareness to loyalty.

Key Stages of Market Research for a Health and Wellness Brand

Market research in this industry should always start with the customer journey. Consumers don’t simply compare prices or ingredients; they ask deeper questions: “Does this product align with my health goals? Do I trust this brand? Do others like me use it?”

By mapping your research to these stages, you uncover what drives decisions and how to position your brand authentically. The stages are:

• Awareness: Understanding what health challenges or goals make customers start searching.
• Consideration: Identifying how customers compare options and narrow choices.
• Purchase: Pinpointing the deciding factors that tip the scale in your favor.
• Retention: Learning what keeps buyers coming back, and prevents churn.

Let’s break each one down.

Awareness Stage: Spotting Consumer Triggers

Every purchase starts with a pain point or aspiration. For wellness brands, these triggers can be highly emotional and personal: weight management, better skin, improved energy, less stress, or more balanced nutrition.

How to research this stage effectively:

• Google Trends & Keyword Tools: Track emerging searches like “adaptogen supplements,” “anti-inflammatory diets,” or “mindfulness for sleep.” These reveal the language customers use and how fast interest is rising.
• Forums and Communities: Browse Reddit’s r/Supplements, r/Fitness, or r/SkincareAddiction. These communities highlight what people actually struggle with, in their own words.
• Amazon Q&A Sections: Scroll through bestselling product listings and read questions. For example, a collagen supplement Q&A might show concerns about dosage, vegan alternatives, or visible results.
• Social Listening: Track TikTok or Instagram hashtags like #guthealth, #selfcare, or #biohacking to see what conversations are gaining momentum.

Example: In 2023, searches for “ashwagandha for stress” grew by over 150%. A wellness brand picking this up early could create content addressing “Does ashwagandha really reduce stress?” and position themselves as a trustworthy educator.

Key takeaway: Awareness research tells you what problems people care about now, and how they describe those problems in everyday language.

Consideration Stage: How Consumers Compare

Once people recognize their need, they shift into evaluation mode. In wellness, this phase is longer and more cautious than in most industries because buyers worry about safety, effectiveness, and long-term impact.

Research focus here:

• Competitor Positioning: Break down how competitors describe their products. Are they promising quick results, promoting natural purity, or highlighting clinical backing? A protein powder brand might lean on “muscle growth” while another pushes “plant-based digestibility.”
• Customer Reviews: Go deeper than star ratings. Pull patterns from 1-star complaints and 5-star praises. For example, “too sweet” may highlight a taste issue, while “felt results after 2 weeks” shows what customers value most.
• Influencer Collaborations: Study which influencers wellness brands partner with. This reveals not just reach but audience fit, e.g., fitness influencers for pre-workout supplements vs. dermatologists for skincare-focused wellness.
• Third-Party Reports: Tools like NielsenIQ and Mintel provide broader insights into category growth, demographics, and shifts in consumer trust.

What buyers compare at this stage:

• Ingredient quality and transparency
• Certifications (organic, non-GMO, vegan, cruelty-free, FDA registered, GMP certified)
• Price vs. perceived value
• Brand credibility (backed by science, endorsements, or real testimonials)

Example: Customers comparing Calm magnesium powder to a store-brand version aren’t only looking at cost. They’re comparing third-party testing, packaging clarity, and how well the brand communicates trust.

A packaging cost calculator can help test if premium materials, eco-friendly designs, or certification logos still fit profitably within your pricing strategy.

Purchase Stage: What Tips the Scale

The wellness checkout moment is often a battle between trust and hesitation. Research at this stage shows what eliminates doubt and builds enough confidence to hit “buy now.”

How to research purchase drivers:

• E-commerce Analytics: Use Shopify or WooCommerce analytics to spot where customers drop off in the funnel. Do they bounce on product pages or abandon cart at shipping?
• Heatmaps & Session Replays: Tools like Hotjar or Lucky Orange reveal where customers hesitate. Maybe they scroll repeatedly around “lab testing” claims before leaving.
• Surveying New Customers: Ask post-purchase questions like: “What made you buy from us today?” The answers often highlight overlooked trust triggers (money-back guarantees, transparent ingredient sourcing, customer reviews).

Critical purchase factors:

• Proof of safety: lab testing, certifications, compliance with FDA or EU guidelines
• Assurance: guarantees, refund policies, customer support responsiveness
• Social proof: verified reviews, before-and-after content, community testimonials
• Convenience: subscription options, fast shipping, bundled packs

Example: A small tea brand discovered through customer surveys that “money-back guarantee” was the single biggest purchase trigger. Adding it boosted conversions by 28%.

To make sure these purchase drivers also hold up financially, using a break-even ROAS calculator can help confirm whether the ad spend required to trigger conversions still supports profitable growth.

Retention Stage: Building Loyalty Through Research

A one-time buyer is a nice win. But the real profitability in wellness comes from subscriptions and repeat purchases. Retention research helps uncover what keeps buyers from drifting to competitors.

Tactics to research retention:

• NPS (Net Promoter Score): Ask customers, “How likely are you to recommend this product to a friend?” This quickly surfaces loyalty drivers.
• Community Monitoring: Track social mentions of your brand. Positive feedback may reveal untapped marketing hooks, while complaints spotlight pain points.
• Email Segmentation Data: Study open rates, repurchase behavior, and churn reasons. Segment data often highlights opportunities to upsell or cross-sell.

What retention insights uncover:

• Add-on opportunities: If customers ask for vegan options or smaller trial packs, that’s a direct product development clue.
• Experience gaps: Issues like confusing dosage instructions or poor packaging may create churn even if the product works well.
• Competitor poaching: If you see buyers switching, research what new claims or offers pulled them away.

Example: A supplement brand saw repeated comments about “wish this came in travel packs.” By launching sachets, they not only solved a problem but also introduced a high-margin SKU.

Regulatory and Compliance Landscapes Before Launch

Health and wellness brands operate in a uniquely regulated space where one misstep in claims or labeling can trigger legal action, platform bans, or loss of customer trust. 

Why this matters for wellness brands specifically:

Unlike fashion or home goods, health products face scrutiny from the FDA, FTC, and platform-specific advertising policies. A supplement can't claim to "cure anxiety" without clinical trials. 

How to research compliance as part of market strategy:

• Study competitor disclaimers: Look at how successful brands in your category word their benefits. Notice the shift from "reduces cortisol" (a claim) to "supports healthy stress response" (compliant language). This isn't just legal caution -it's strategic positioning.
• Review FDA warning letters: The FDA publishes enforcement actions publicly. Search for letters sent to brands in your product category. You'll see exactly what language, claims, or marketing tactics triggered violations.
• Audit advertising policies: If you plan to run Facebook, Google, or Amazon ads, review their health product policies early. Some ingredients (like CBD) face severe ad restrictions. Knowing this shapes which products you launch first.
• Map certification requirements by market: If you're selling internationally, research what certifications matter. EU customers expect Novel Food approvals for certain ingredients. Australian buyers look for TGA listings. Understanding this early prevents costly pivots later.

Market Research That Builds Trust for Your Brand

Doing market research for a health and wellness brand isn’t about guessing the next superfood or simply copying competitors. 

It’s about deeply understanding how real consumers move through their buying journey, the problems that spark awareness, the comparisons that shape consideration, the trust points that close sales, and the experiences that drive retention.

Brands that align research with these stages position themselves not just to capture sales but to build lasting relationships. And in an industry where credibility matters as much as results, that’s what separates fleeting fads from brands with staying power.

The information provided in this article is meant for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional or legal advice. We do not guarantee the completeness, accuracy, reliability, or suitability of the information in this article. We strongly recommend seeking professional guidance that suits your individual circumstances.