Acronyms like CTR, SEA and CTA are part of everyday language for marketers, but they might be alien to other departments in an organisation. Equally, you might hear the term EBITDA thrown around by colleagues in finance and have no idea what they’re referring to (it’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation, so you know next time). Company departments aren’t great at speaking the same language, so it’s hardly surprising that securing budget, getting senior buy-in or making an impact can be an uphill battle. If we’re still struggling to communicate effectively about marketing to the money-holders in 2024, it is any wonder that we’re failing to achieve positive change when we talk about wellbeing?

What if we could translate the language of wellbeing into the language of business? Just as we must relate our budget needs to the bottom line, we must relate our wellbeing needs to the books too. We must monetize mental health if we’re to grab the attention of those with the power to make a difference.

Business-focused arguments for improving wellbeing at work…

• Return on investment (ROI): research by Deloitte found that on average, businesses achieve a £5 return for every £1 spent on wellbeing support. By investing in mental wellbeing, organisations benefit from increased productivity and reduced sickness and staff turnover. Deloitte’s report estimated that the total annual cost of poor mental health to employers added up to around £53 billion between 2020-21. So, if your organisation is heavily focused on reducing costs and increasing ROI across the business, this might be a compelling argument to spark the interests of key stakeholders.

• Employee morale: for those organisations that measure success as more than just ROI, this argument might be more suitable. A CIPD report found that “around a third of respondents report that their health and wellbeing activity has resulted in better employee morale and engagement and a healthier and more inclusive culture”. Furthermore, those organisations that take a more rigorous approach to evaluating health and wellbeing activity are more likely for it to result in positive outcomes.

• Legal requirement: if your message still isn’t cutting through from a financial or cultural lens, it might time to emphasise your employer’s legal duty of care. As set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers must ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees which means they must do all they reasonably can to “support the mental health, safety and wellbeing” of staff.

All organisations are built and managed differently and as marketers we’re all too aware that individuals within those organisations are motivated differently too. Just as you must change your message to convince each stakeholder that your market strategy is the best around, you probably need to do the same when convincing, coercing and cajoling these people to pay more attention to wellbeing at work.

Remember, you’re speaking to individuals who are not just senior professionals, but humans too. That means just like any other marketing message you’re crafting, you need to create it with your target audience in mind. If we can market mushroom gummies, we can market mental wellbeing!

And when you’ve secured that buy-in, you’re on the path to better workplace wellbeing. Why not explore our team building days to start off on the right foot?