Study Finds Health Marketers Lag On Web Promotions

Study Finds Health Marketers Lag On Web Promotions

The majority of consumers, 51 percent, turn to the Web as their primary resource for information about health and fitness, according to a new report by Prospectiv. An even larger proportion, 73 percent, said they'd like more health-related information online; more than nine in 10--91 percent--said they'd like online promotions tailored to their personal needs. But, even though consumers appear to go to the Web for information, marketers lag behind when it comes to offering incentives for health and fitness purchases. Consider that the vast majority of consumers indicate they want discounts on health products: the survey found that 82 percent of consumers use coupons for health-related purchases, while 40 percent said they do most health-related shopping at discount stores. But, apparently, consumers are not finding discounts or promotions online; just 10 percent of the coupons used were obtained on the Web. When asked what they purchased most often, 42 percent said over-the-counter prescriptions, 34 percent replied beauty products, and 23 percent said diet/fitness programs or services. For the report, Prospectiv surveyed 1,000 consumers last month.