The 10 most innovative wellness companies of 2021
Wellness brands showed off their endurance and flexibility during the pandemic, as studios shuttered and people around the world sought out ways to feel healthier, happier, and less stressed in trying times. This year’s Most Innovative Wellness Companies managed to keep consumers interested and engaged with their health (and their products) while at home, and also helped maintain a sense of community, even as in-person classes and services shut down.
For motivating consumers to keep working out, even after weeks and months at home
Peloton’s growth during the pandemic may have been catalyzed by stay-at-home orders, but it was propelled by the company’s smart digital strategy. Throughout the spring and summer, the company introduced “threshold deliveries,” to get its bikes to customers safely, invested in hazard pay for workers, and repurposed retail teams to take customer calls due to the high volume. By launching new content, like dance cardio classes and a “family fun” vertical, a higher-end Bike+ with a rotating screen and Apple Watch connectivity, and partnerships with Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Android TV, Peloton committed to making its at-home workout offerings the best part of quarantine.
Meditation app Calm saw huge spikes in popularity coinciding with the pandemic, and quickly moved to capitalize on the moment: In May, the company made a deal with Kaiser Permanente to offer free membership to all of the insurer’s 12.4 million members. It ramped up efforts to offer corporate subscriptions, and capitalized on 2020 election anxiety by cleverly sponsoring portions of CNN’s election night coverage. The company also continued to expand its partnerships with Hollywood, premiering a 10-episode HBO Max series called A World of Calm, a visual expansion of its hit bedtime stories. The brand partnered with artists including Sam Smith, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Kygo to expand its offerings on meditative music platform Calm Music, and launched a series of branded puzzles with Spin Master Games in December.
