When it comes to healthy living, Americans are more likely to consider their overall lifestyle as ‘very healthy,’ compared to Canadians who are more modest in their assessment. To this end, Americans may be justified in this perception as they tend to exercise more often. However, Canadian consumers consider a wider range of concepts when thinking about their overall health, such as focusing on prevention of future health problems and stress reduction. Most notably, Canadians prioritize their mental health and list it among the most important types of personal wellness.
While a broader definition of what a ‘healthy lifestyle’ entails offers brands more opportunity to engage with a broader range of consumers, companies will need to tweak marketing messaging to include a long-term focus (in addition to immediate results) in order to maximize appeal to the Canadian audience.
Here, we take a side-by-side comparison of the differences between Canadians and Americans and their exercise habits:
Carol Wong-Li is a Senior Lifestyle and Leisure Analyst at Mintel, researching and writing reports on the Canadian lifestyle and leisure industries. She incorporates her background in advertising and brand tracking to deliver actionable insights. Carol holds a Master of Arts in Sociology, specializing in Canadian Ethnic Relations from the University of Calgary.
