NEXT GEN MENTAL HEALTH HUBS
Brand Strategies for Mental Health Awareness Month
With 84% of young people saying mental health is a bigger issue among people their age today than it was a decade ago, Gen Z are playing a vital role in opening the dialogue around mental health, verbalizing their struggles, and asking for help and resources when needed. To them, it’s okay to say when they are not okay - even bringing back the classic #dietcokebreak as a revamped Gen Z trend for self-care. As explored in Cassandra's Betterment Report, 88% of U.S. Trendsetters and 77% of Gen Z overall agree that brands should help create a more mindful society. So with May being Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re checking out a few brands supporting young consumers’ mental health by bringing balance into their lives with initiatives promoting strength, hopefulness, and community.
BMOXI
Launched at the start of Mental Health Awareness Month, CEO Shawn Haydel, alongside her 16-year-old daughter Sienna, created BMOXI after finding a gap in the market. The new self-care app provides an anonymous forum for Gen Z girls to discuss important teen-related issues, find valuable information, and address adolescent hurdles before they become major life challenges. Designed with extensive teen input, the platform relies on teen and college-aged BMOXI Ambassadors to deliver information and insights via the app and their social media channels - all validated by school counselors and adolescent psychologists.
- Ikram, 20, IL (Cassandra Collective)
BATISTE
Dry shampoo brand Batiste wants to encourage Gen Z to take time to focus on their mental health and well-being. Their new campaign provides resources, including experiential events on college campuses and partnerships with mental health experts such as Dr. Courtney Tracy, LCSW, PsyD. AKA @the.truth.doctor and fitness influencer and instructor Katie Austin. To kick off this initiative, the brand also launched a yearlong partnership with Active Minds, which provides mental health awareness and education for young adults.
- Jessamyn, 29, CA (Cassandra Collective)
BUMBLE
According to a recent survey from dating app Bumble, 55% of respondents said it's important to be open about mental health when connecting with others, while 60% are comfortable talking about mental health on the first date. As a response to helping people prioritize their mental health within their relationships, Bumble recently launched a new set of Interest Badges to help you signal to other users what you care about and Prompts about self-care and mental well-being to serve as conversation starters. The six new Badges to choose from are "Therapy," "Mindfulness," "Deep chat," "Nutrition," "Sleeping well," and "Time offline." New Prompts include, "My mental health game changer was..." and "I'm prioritizing my mental health by..."