Joanna Cosgrove, Online Editor08.23.12
While a personal wellness coach who could put you on the road to health and keep you there isn’t in everyone’s budget, the Council for Responsible Nutrition Foundation’s (CRNF) “Life…supplemented” campaign recently launched a free app called WannaBeWell that helps iPhone and iPad users commit to personal wellness routines with tips, reminders and healthy inspirations.
“The WannaBeWell app is filled with customizable features that will help people get and stay committed to their personal wellness routines no matter where they are,” said Judy Blatman, senior vice president, communications, CRN, who oversees the Life…supplemented campaign. “It’s an at-your-fingertips health and wellness resource that brings convenience to the crucial wellness decisions consumers make on a daily basis.”
A comprehensive wellness resource, the WannaBeWell encompasses six key features. First, users can create their own personalized Wellness Coach by choosing from a roster of customizable characters who will deliver daily motivational and educational messages to keep you moving towards a healthier lifestyle. The Wellness Coach also awards trophies when users complete “Healthy Missions.”
A “My Wellness Scorecard” interactive online quiz assesses the user’s current level of overall health and offers tips and ways to improve their health.
Users can also explore aSupplement Resource Center, whichoffers information about dietary supplements in asimple-and-easy to understand format. The library houses thousands of articles and insights to help users make informed dietary decisions. The app also is gives direct access to The Supplemental, a blog whose panel of experts share a variety of information and provide a forum for topics related to healthy diet, supplements and exercise.
And finally, the app enables users to set up remindersto take and/or restock their dietary supplements.
“We know that over two-thirds of American adults take dietary supplements—and that about half of American adults have smart phones, so this app should appeal to a wide audience,” said Andy Pray, Ruder Finn Interactive, the developers of the app. “The design is consumer-friendly and easy to use, especially when it comes to customizable elements.”
According to CRN, the app was developed to appeal to the more than 150 million Americans who take dietary supplements as a part of a healthy lifestyle. A key sub-audience is women: ages 35-65, including the busy on-the-go mothers. With 61% of mothers using smart phones and 93% of mothers accessing the internet in any location [mobile browsing], overall smart phone usage among mothers indicates a high receptiveness to an app such as WannaBeWell.
CRN added that the app’s “at-your-fingertips” appeal affords convenience to crucial everyday decisions. “Millions of American’s now partially manage their finances using mobile applications tied to their bank accounts,” CRN said. “The WannaBeWell app is designed to provide the same on-the-go management for personal health. The app is filled with customizable features that will help people commit to their personal wellness no matter where they are.”
What’s more, the app packages healthy and wellness in an engaging “gamifyed” experience as a means to motivate to achieve compliance with a desired behavioral pattern. “The gaming aspects of the WannaBeWell app, such as unlocking the AlphaWELL wellness coach or earning a Multi Master trophy for taking a daily multivitamin, provides incentives or ‘social rewards’ for healthy behavior and makes healthy habits less burdensome and more fun,” CRN explained. “According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the average gamer is 37 years old and has been playing for 12 years. Some 40% of gamers are women and more than a quarter is over the age of 50.”
Though the app is free, for each WannaBeWell mobile application download, a $1.00 donation (up to $13,500) will be made to Vitamin Angels to help reduce child mortality worldwide by connecting infants and children under five with vital nutrients.
“We think the dietary supplement industry will be energized by this new app; like the campaign, itself, it focuses on incorporating supplements into your everyday health routine, along with other healthy lifestyle choices—in a fun but responsible way. We’re looking forward to working with the dietary supplement industry to help build momentum for downloading the app, which in turn will help support a very worthy cause—Vitamin Angels,” said Ms. Blatman.
The WannaBeWell app is just one of many digital elements being rolled out to increase the digital footprint of the “Life...supplemented” campaign, which is in its fifth year. The campaign recently launched its new wellness blog, the Supplemental, the Supplement Libraryand a more-user friendly My Wellness Scorecard on its website. CRN said the campaign will soon implement digital advertisements, and unveil enhanced Facebook and Twitter pages.
“The WannaBeWell app is filled with customizable features that will help people get and stay committed to their personal wellness routines no matter where they are,” said Judy Blatman, senior vice president, communications, CRN, who oversees the Life…supplemented campaign. “It’s an at-your-fingertips health and wellness resource that brings convenience to the crucial wellness decisions consumers make on a daily basis.”
A comprehensive wellness resource, the WannaBeWell encompasses six key features. First, users can create their own personalized Wellness Coach by choosing from a roster of customizable characters who will deliver daily motivational and educational messages to keep you moving towards a healthier lifestyle. The Wellness Coach also awards trophies when users complete “Healthy Missions.”
A “My Wellness Scorecard” interactive online quiz assesses the user’s current level of overall health and offers tips and ways to improve their health.
Users can also explore aSupplement Resource Center, whichoffers information about dietary supplements in asimple-and-easy to understand format. The library houses thousands of articles and insights to help users make informed dietary decisions. The app also is gives direct access to The Supplemental, a blog whose panel of experts share a variety of information and provide a forum for topics related to healthy diet, supplements and exercise.
And finally, the app enables users to set up remindersto take and/or restock their dietary supplements.
“We know that over two-thirds of American adults take dietary supplements—and that about half of American adults have smart phones, so this app should appeal to a wide audience,” said Andy Pray, Ruder Finn Interactive, the developers of the app. “The design is consumer-friendly and easy to use, especially when it comes to customizable elements.”
According to CRN, the app was developed to appeal to the more than 150 million Americans who take dietary supplements as a part of a healthy lifestyle. A key sub-audience is women: ages 35-65, including the busy on-the-go mothers. With 61% of mothers using smart phones and 93% of mothers accessing the internet in any location [mobile browsing], overall smart phone usage among mothers indicates a high receptiveness to an app such as WannaBeWell.
CRN added that the app’s “at-your-fingertips” appeal affords convenience to crucial everyday decisions. “Millions of American’s now partially manage their finances using mobile applications tied to their bank accounts,” CRN said. “The WannaBeWell app is designed to provide the same on-the-go management for personal health. The app is filled with customizable features that will help people commit to their personal wellness no matter where they are.”
What’s more, the app packages healthy and wellness in an engaging “gamifyed” experience as a means to motivate to achieve compliance with a desired behavioral pattern. “The gaming aspects of the WannaBeWell app, such as unlocking the AlphaWELL wellness coach or earning a Multi Master trophy for taking a daily multivitamin, provides incentives or ‘social rewards’ for healthy behavior and makes healthy habits less burdensome and more fun,” CRN explained. “According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the average gamer is 37 years old and has been playing for 12 years. Some 40% of gamers are women and more than a quarter is over the age of 50.”
Though the app is free, for each WannaBeWell mobile application download, a $1.00 donation (up to $13,500) will be made to Vitamin Angels to help reduce child mortality worldwide by connecting infants and children under five with vital nutrients.
“We think the dietary supplement industry will be energized by this new app; like the campaign, itself, it focuses on incorporating supplements into your everyday health routine, along with other healthy lifestyle choices—in a fun but responsible way. We’re looking forward to working with the dietary supplement industry to help build momentum for downloading the app, which in turn will help support a very worthy cause—Vitamin Angels,” said Ms. Blatman.
The WannaBeWell app is just one of many digital elements being rolled out to increase the digital footprint of the “Life...supplemented” campaign, which is in its fifth year. The campaign recently launched its new wellness blog, the Supplemental, the Supplement Libraryand a more-user friendly My Wellness Scorecard on its website. CRN said the campaign will soon implement digital advertisements, and unveil enhanced Facebook and Twitter pages.