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Weight Watchers TurnAround

Ruder Finn was tapped to strategically launch TurnAround, Weight Watchers first new program in more than eight years. The program provides members with a choice between two different, but healthy, livable and sustainable ways to eat.

Weight Watchers faced the challenge of launching TurnAround in a dramatically competitive environment where low-carb mania was still riding high, while working to differentiate their science- and research-based TurnAround program from the swell of fad diets rising every day.

 

 

OBJECTIVES

• Generate buzz about the launch of TurnAround, Weight Watchers first major initiative in eight years, in order to cut through the clutter of other weight loss news.
• Increase public knowledge of the science and research behind TurnAround and all Weight Watchers programs.
• Educate the public about the importance of healthy, livable, sustainable weight loss.

PROGRAM

• Educated long-lead lifestyle and health media with personal desk-side briefings about the science and behavior behind successful weight loss featuring Weight Watchers CEO Linda Huett and Chief Scientific Officer Karen Miller-Kovach.
• Leveraged Weight Watchers success story, Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York, to demonstrate the livability and sustainability of TurnAround. Over a two-week period, The Duchess spread the word about TurnAround to audiences in eight cities, kicked off nationally in New York with broadcast and print media including The Tony Danza Show, FOX national news, MSNBC and more.
• Conducted national and local media tours to emphasize the science of Weight Watchers and the behavior modification, education and support that have been at the heart of its success for more than 40 years.
• Illustrated the real-life benefits of the TurnAround program with testimonials and success stories of real-life Weight Watchers members that generated feature stories in national publications such as People magazine.
• Developed editorial opportunities to discuss Weight Watchers new program for which Weight Watchers spokespeople were made available. In addition, a tip sheet comprised of the "trigger foods" best known to cause overeating was also included to raise awareness about TurnAround's "comfort zone," which is the program element that teaches members to understand what it means to feel satisfied and stop eating.

RESULTS

• Approximately 268 media placements were secured, generating nearly 54 million media impressions including stories in outlets such as CNN, CNBC, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Woman's World, Marie Claire, Shape, Your Diet, AP Radio, Bloomberg Radio and more.
• Placements in these outlets successfully conveyed one or more of our key message points of livability and sustainability, enabling the campaign to meet its priority goals of generating buzz about TurnAround, cutting through the clutter of weight loss news, increasing public understanding of the science behind TurnAround and educating the public about healthy, sustainable weight loss.
• Standard & Poor's Equity Research Services proclaimed in the December 3, 2004 issue of BusinessWeek, "We believe this is an opportune time to purchase Weight Watchers (stock), based on what we view as an attractive valuation and the outfit's long-term prospects. With the growing problem of obesity in developed countries, especially in North America, we believe it is well positioned to benefit as individuals and institutions attempt to tackle this issue."