Colgate teams with Headspace on meditation series for toothbrush app

Brief:

Colgate-Palmolive partnered with meditation app Headspace to offer weekly programming in the Hum by Colgate app that connects to its line of smart toothbrushes. Headspace will host "Mindful Moments" programming to help support healthier daily habits and urge Hum owners to smile more often, per an announcement.
As part of the collaboration, Hum will provide free trials to Headspace Plus, the app's subscription service for guided meditations and mindfulness exercises. Hum lets customers earn "smile points" every time they brush their teeth or complete an activity in the Hum by Colgate app.
The collaboration seeks to get consumers "to observe and reflect on their thoughts" during their daily routines. Hum customers can use the points to buy products from its in-app store or to redeem offers from partners like Headspace. The meditation app is offering a 60-day trial to Hum owners who earn 200 smile points in the app, per the announcement.

Insight:

Colgate-Palmolive is giving consumers another incentive to buy a Hum smart toothbrush by offering them a sample of Headspace's content for guided meditation and mindfulness. Mental health apps like Headspace and Calm have surged in popularity this year as people cope with the stresses of the pandemic and its economic fallout. The "Mindful Moments" content also fits with Hum's broader goal of urging people to practice regular dental care by gamifying mundane routines like brushing teeth with the promise of earning smile points rewards.

Colgate in August began selling the Hum smart toothbrush with the promise that it would improve dental care habits by sensing their "brushing style" and providing customized analysis in its mobile app. The company said Hum could improve brushing by 50%, citing data that people tend miss 40% of their teeth when they brush. Hum's price points of $70 for a rechargeable device and $50 for a battery-powered version are aimed at making smart toothbrushes more accessible to budget-minded consumers.

For Headspace, the teaser offer of weekly "Mindful Moments" programming in the Hum by Colgate app could drive conversions to its paid subscription offering. The company's other promotional efforts have included collaborations to raise awareness for its brand and distribute content. Headspace this year worked with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind the show "Sesame Street," to create six animated shorts that teach mindfulness, meditation and social skills to children. The meditation app in 2018 signed a deal to distribute its content on the NBA's website and app, while offering the league more than 7,000 subscriptions to players and employees.

Meditation and mindfulness content has become more popular this year as consumers cope with pandemic-related stress. Among the recent examples of brands that have incorporated the content into their offerings, HBO last month released an augmented reality (AR) app with a series of wellness activities and content inspired by the fantasy series "His Dark Materials." Users can connect the app to Apple Health, Spotify or their favorite fitness, sleep and meditation apps.

Meditation apps also have ramped up their promotions to stand out among a crowded field. On Election Day last month, meditation app Calm sponsored key moments in CNN's coverage as tension ratcheted up throughout the indecisive night. When the news network alerted viewers to election returns with loud updates, a small "brought to you by" graphic appeared with the logo for the app. The activation stirred social media commentary, as the number of tweets mentioning Calm surged about 12 times on election night from the average, Adweek reported.