Sticking to your guns

Over the past few weeks, you may have seen some of the furore created by the Protein World ad campaign “Beach Body Ready” — but what’s it all about, and has it really affected the brand?

If you haven’t, here is the printed ad that’s caused all of the chaos:

Negative reaction to the ad gained traction quickly, with both men and women claiming that the ad was body-shaming and offensive by suggesting that only one type of size and shape is “beach body ready” — a reaction that manifested itself with members of the public vandalising to the ads (either to mock, or to “correct” them) and sharing images of the results via social media, coining the hashtag #EachBodysReady along the way.

New post guys: #eachbodysready check it out: http://t.co/z5ryOBmniw Let me know thoughts! #lbloggers @FemaleBloggerRT pic.twitter.com/7ZF2D7LG83

— Harriet Atkinson (@xhattie123x) April 29, 2015

A change.org petition was also started calling for the ads to be pulled on the basis that the adverts made people feel ‘physically inferior’ towards achieving an ‘unrealistic body shape (for most people)’

Now, usually when there is such a wide-reaching negative outcry, brands tend to duck below the parapets a bit and quietly diffuse the situation. Not so Protein World, who took to re-sharing the more intense abuse they received and standing their ground over the ads, which they say is merely a promotion of a healthy lifestyle and their products. The brand did, at times, even go on the offensive — responding to abuse in a manner that essentially showed that no f*cks were given.

With me so far? Good, because on the 30th of April, TfL announced that the ads would be removed after the ASA (Advertising Standards Agency) upheld hundreds of complaints ‘due to our concerns about a range of health and weight loss claims made in the ad’ — it’s yet to be confirmed whether or not the adverts have broken the regulations regarding harm, offence and social responsibility. There are also reports that the ads are being removed due to them coming to the end of their paid term, or due to safety concerns for would-be vandals (some ads are located directly opposite Tube platforms) — The bottom line is that the adverts have been pulled because of concerns over their factual correctness, not because they are offensive.

Personally, I don’t have any major issues with the ad, though I can understand the criticisms of it — but that’s a debate for another day (or perhaps the comment thread)

Personal opinions aside; Protein World is a brand that is unashamedly for people who want to be more like the fit, toned and sculpted men and women who personify mainstream Western health and beauty standards. Whether you agree with those standards is irrelevant, Protein World do agree with them — in fact they champion them — and their loyal customer-base does too.

So, when a demographic who is clearly not the intended audience reacts negatively and loudly to the projected values, the response is often to back down a bit. A brand will often distance itself from the controversy for fear that the negative press could be detrimental to their image, and therefore their sales. Not so, Protein World, who not only stood up to the criticism but actually fought back — much to the delight of their loyal fans.

@ProteinWorld I admire your integrity and honesty. Keep it up please!

— AuburnLive (@AuburnLive) April 28, 2015

This uproar has given some great publicity to @ProteinWorld!!! I can’t lie that I love how real their social media responses are 😄

— Ayshia Armani (@AyshiaArmani) May 1, 2015

The point here is simple; Protein World ignored the criticism of people who were never going to be their customers anyway — an action which means they didn’t lose any monetary value (in terms of lost sales). They also solidified their standing with loyal brand fans, who — having already bought into the same ethos and values — now see the brand as a real champion for those beliefs. If PW had backed down under the pressure of the campaigners then their existing fan-base would’ve been disillusioned to see the brand cowing in the face of such criticism. To do so would’ve left these customers feeling let down, and potentially led them to seek similar products and services from a competitor more willing to stick to its proverbial guns.

I do think the fightback was pushed too far when, during a TV interview, Protein World CEO Arjun Seth likened the ad’s detractors to ‘terrorists’ — and some of the responses the brand’s social media accounts gave to those people criticising the ads are borderline nasty snarks, but for the most part they defended themselves fairly, firmly and on-brand.

Protein World have made claims that the whole furore actually increased their sales, at one point suggesting it had generated £1million’s worth of revenue (though these claims are unsubstantiated) — all I know is they haven’t lost any potential customers in answering their critics, they’ve made a better connection with their existing fans and they’ve managed to ride a wave of free press as a result of the controversy.

You might not like it — and you certainly don’t have to agree with it — but all in all, it’s pretty good brand management.