The short answer: Health and wellness brands grow on trust, so the channels that work best are the ones that borrow it: creators who genuinely use the product, reviews, and community, scaled with paid social built from creator content. The catch is regulation. In the UK, supplements and functional foods can only make health claims authorised on the GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register, and those rules apply to every creator post the brand controls, not just its own ads. Augmentum Media runs programmes in this category, including Fussy at 5.12x ROAS and Mother's Earth at 5.41x.
As of October 2026. Figures attributed to Augmentum Media come from published case studies. Regulatory guidance is linked to the regulator's own pages. This post is general information, not legal advice.
What is health and wellness marketing?
Health and wellness marketing is the promotion of products that help people look after their bodies and minds. In DTC that covers supplements and vitamins, protein and functional food and drink, gut health, sleep, fitness equipment and activewear, and natural personal care.
The category is broad, but the buyer's question is always the same: will this actually work for me, and is it safe? Every part of a wellness brand's marketing has to answer that question, and it has to answer it within rules that limit what can be said about health. Augmentum Media works almost entirely in this category, which is why this post covers both halves.
What makes health and wellness marketing different?
Trust comes before purchase. People are cautious about what they put in or on their body. A recommendation from someone they trust does more work here than in fashion or homeware.
Customers are worth more over time. Supplements, protein and personal care are repeat purchases. A customer who reorders for a year is worth many times their first order, so acquisition cost has to be judged against lifetime value.
Education is part of the sale. Many products need explaining: what an ingredient does, how to take it, how long before you notice. Short creator videos do this well.
Claims are regulated. What you can say about health effects is limited by law and by advertising codes, and the limits apply to creators as well as to brand ads.
Which marketing channels work for health and wellness brands?
Channel | What it does well | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
Creator programmes | Trust, education and a supply of ad creative | Claims and disclosure on every post |
Paid social | Scale and targeting | Creative fatigue; ad review of health claims |
Affiliate | Sales from trusted voices, paid on results | Most affiliates never sell; recruit well |
Email and SMS | Reorders and education after the first purchase | Same claims rules as ads |
Search and content | Answering the questions buyers research | Slow to build |
Retail | Reach and credibility | Margin; needs demand behind it |
A common pattern for DTC wellness brands is to lead with paid social and creators together, and to use retention channels to turn first orders into repeat customers. The creator side is what this blog covers in depth: start with what influencer marketing is and the three-stage strategy.
Why does influencer marketing work so well for wellness brands?
Because a real person using a product every day is the most convincing proof a wellness brand can show, and creators supply it at volume. Verified results from programmes in the category:
Brand | Result |
|---|---|
Fussy (natural deodorant) | 11,500+ new customers via links and codes at 5.12x ROAS; CAC below £13.96 including fees; 1,750+ affiliates |
3,200+ creators seeded in 12 months; EUR 120,000+ affiliate revenue at 5.41x ROAS; EUR 4.46 CPM | |
6,000+ creators deployed for its Target retail launch; Daily Greens launch with 120 new US affiliates in two weeks and no paid influencer fees | |
2,700+ creators seeded; 4,500+ pieces of content; 7M+ impressions | |
$1.6M+ earned media value in six months with no influencer spend, at £2.49 per thousand impressions |
The pattern behind those numbers is the same: seed product widely to creators whose audiences match the customer, move the ones who post well into affiliate, and run the best content as ads. Augmentum Media built each of these programmes on that model. The detail is in influencer seeding and how to recruit affiliates.
What health claims can a wellness brand make in the UK?
For food, drink and supplements, the rules sit in Section 15 of the CAP Code, enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority. The points that catch DTC brands most often:
Supplements count as food, not medicine. Unless a product is a licensed medicine, it cannot make medicinal claims. Claims that a food prevents, treats or cures disease are not acceptable (rule 15.6.2).
Only authorised health claims. A specific health claim must be authorised on the GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register, and the product must meet that claim's conditions of use (rule 15.1).
No exaggeration. Wording can be adjusted to help understanding, but it cannot change or overstate what the authorised claim means.
General claims need a specific one beside them. The ASA treats words such as "superfood", "detox" and "restores balance" as general health claims, acceptable only with an authorised specific claim placed next to or immediately after them, per the ASA's advice on supplements.
Weight loss is a health claim. Claims about a rate or amount of weight loss are not allowed for foods (rule 15.6.6). In August 2025 the ASA also ruled against several supplement ads that implied the same effect as prescription weight-loss medicines, as summarised in its weight-control guidance.
Cosmetics, activewear and fitness equipment sit under different parts of the code, but the principle is the same: any objective claim needs evidence before it is made.
Can influencers make health claims for your product?
Only the claims your brand could make, and the brand carries the responsibility. Three points from the regulator matter most for creator programmes:
Health professionals cannot lend their recommendation to a supplement claim. CAP Code rule 15.6.3 says health claims for food supplements must not refer to the recommendation of an individual health professional. In September 2025 the ASA upheld a complaint about an Instagram post in which a doctor said she always recommended a particular vitamin D supplement. The CAP's July 2025 guidance for influencers and health professionals extends the caution to creators who present themselves with health titles such as "nutrition coach" or "gut health expert".
Implied claims count. The ASA has treated phrases such as "crafted for calm" and "promotes feelings of calm" as health claims that needed authorisation. Creators rarely use the register's wording, so their natural phrasing is where breaches happen.
Testimonials do not shift responsibility. A claim in a creator's voice is still the brand's claim when the brand paid for or controls the post.
Disclosure is a separate obligation. Paid posts, affiliate links and gifted product need to be clearly labelled as advertising under the ASA and CMA influencers' guide. Augmentum Media builds the approved-claims list into every creator brief for this reason.
What are the rules in the US?
The Federal Trade Commission's Health Products Compliance Guidance, published in December 2022, says claims about the health benefits or safety of foods, dietary supplements and other health products require "competent and reliable scientific evidence". It defines advertising to include "social media and influencer marketing", so the standard applies to creator posts. Separately, the FTC's endorsement rules require a clear disclosure of any paid or material connection between creator and brand.
For a brand selling in both markets, the practical answer is one claims list that satisfies the stricter rule for each claim, used in every brief on both sides of the Atlantic.
How should a wellness brand brief creators on claims?
Write an approved-claims list in plain words. Translate each authorised claim into a sentence a creator would actually say, without changing its meaning.
Write a do-not-say list. Treats, cures, prevents, heals, any named condition, any weight-loss amount, and any "my doctor recommends" framing for supplements.
Keep the brief short. Set the one message and the claims rules, and leave the rest to the creator. See how to write an influencer brief.
Review before content runs as an ad. Partnership ads and Spark Ads put a creator's words into paid media, where the brand's responsibility is clearest. See influencer ads.
Agree disclosure and usage rights in writing. Our guide to influencer collaborations lists what the agreement should cover.
How do you measure health and wellness marketing?
On customers and their value, not on reach. Because most wellness products are bought again, the useful numbers are:
Cost per new customer, including fees. Fussy's programme held CAC below £13.96 including fees.
Return on ad spend for anything paid, judged against a margin that allows for reorders.
Repeat rate: how many new customers reorder within the product's natural cycle.
Cost per thousand impressions to compare creator reach with paid social. See our influencer CPM benchmarks.
The argument for reporting a short list rather than a dashboard is in influencer marketing ROI.
Frequently asked questions
What is health and wellness marketing?
Health and wellness marketing is the promotion of products and services that support physical or mental wellbeing, such as supplements, functional food and drink, fitness products, sleep aids and personal care. It relies heavily on trust and education, and it is more tightly regulated than most consumer categories because of the rules on health claims.
What makes health and wellness marketing different?
Three things. Customers need to trust a product before they consume it, so recommendations carry unusual weight. Many products are repeat purchases, so the value of a customer builds over months. And health claims are regulated: in the UK, supplements and functional foods can only use health claims authorised on the GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register.
What is the best marketing channel for a health and wellness brand?
There is no single best channel. A common mix for DTC wellness brands is paid social, creator programmes and retention marketing together. Creators matter more here than in most categories because a trusted person using a product is the strongest form of proof, and creator content also supplies the creative that paid social needs.
Can influencers make health claims about supplements?
Only the same claims the brand could make. In the UK, health claims for food and supplements must be authorised on the GB NHC Register, and the brand is responsible for what creators say in ads it controls. Claims that a food prevents, treats or cures disease are not allowed, however the creator phrases them.
Can a doctor or nutritionist promote a supplement in the UK?
Not with a health claim that relies on their professional recommendation. CAP Code rule 15.6.3 says health claims for food supplements must not refer to the recommendation of an individual health professional. In September 2025 the ASA upheld a complaint about an Instagram post in which a doctor recommended a vitamin D supplement.
Is the word superfood allowed in UK ads?
Only with care. The ASA treats words such as superfood, detox and restores balance as general health claims, which are only acceptable when accompanied by a specific health claim authorised on the GB NHC Register, placed next to or immediately after the general claim.
What is the GB NHC Register?
The Great Britain Nutrition and Health Claims Register is the official list of nutrition and health claims that can be made for foods, including supplements, in Great Britain. Each authorised claim has conditions of use, such as a minimum amount of a nutrient, and the wording in an ad must not exaggerate it.
Can a supplement ad mention weight loss?
Weight-loss claims for food and supplements are health claims, so they must be authorised and used under their conditions. CAP Code rule 15.6.6 does not allow health claims that refer to a rate or amount of weight loss for foods, and the ASA ruled against supplement ads comparing products to prescription weight-loss medicines in August 2025.
What rules apply to health and wellness marketing in the US?
The FTC's Health Products Compliance Guidance, published in December 2022, says claims about the health benefits or safety of foods, supplements and other health products need competent and reliable scientific evidence. It explicitly covers social media and influencer marketing, and the FTC's endorsement rules require clear disclosure of paid relationships.
Do influencer posts for wellness brands need to be labelled as ads?
Yes, when there is a commercial relationship. UK guidance from the ASA and CMA expects paid posts, affiliate links and gifts to be disclosed clearly, and in the US the FTC expects a clear and conspicuous disclosure of any material connection between the creator and the brand.
How should a wellness brand brief creators on claims?
Give every creator a short list of approved claims in plain words, a list of things not to say, such as treats, cures or prevents, and the disclosure required. Review content before it runs as an ad. Keeping claims to the authorised list protects both the brand and the creator.
How do you measure health and wellness marketing?
Because most wellness products are repeat purchases, judge channels on cost per new customer including fees, return on ad spend, and how many of those customers reorder, not on reach alone. Fussy's creator programme held customer acquisition cost below £13.96 including fees while delivering a 5.12x return.
Sources
CAP Code Section 15: Food, food supplements and associated health or nutrition claims.
ASA: Supplementary advice on health claims in ads for supplements.
CAP: Influencers and health professionals, health claims in food ads (24 July 2025).
GOV.UK: Great Britain nutrition and health claims (NHC) register.
ASA and CMA: Influencers' guide to making clear that ads are ads.
FTC: Health Products Compliance Guidance (December 2022).
Augmentum Media case studies: Fussy, Mother's Earth, Huel, The Turmeric Co., Lululemon.
Let's talk
If you run a health and wellness brand and want creators selling for you without the claims risk, Augmentum Media builds programmes for exactly that. Let's talk.