Background:

MuscleFood is an online healthy food retailer, set up 11 years ago and initially aimed at gym goers and fitness fans. Selling protein rich meat at affordable prices, the business quickly evolved, appealing to savvy shoppers who took advantage of the budget prices by buying meat in bulk. 

In 2019 the brand launched its health and fitness programme, initially named Do The Unthinkable, working with a team of fitness experts to make a healthy lifestyle accessible for all. 

The 12-week programme wasn’t a quick-fix weight loss plan. Instead, it focused on helping customers follow a sustainable healthy eating and fitness routine, encouraging steady, consistent weight loss rather than drastic results through restrictive diets or excessive exercise.

Although the programme was already popular within the fitness community, this was the first time MuscleFood had launched their own health and fitness plan. They collaborated closely with fitness and nutrition advisors and had a dedicated team, including a personal trainer, to support customers throughout the 12 weeks.

Our brief was to generate buzz around the launch and increase brand awareness and visibility. While MuscleFood was already well established in the UK media, the health and fitness sector is highly competitive, so standing out from the crowd was essential to make a real impact.

Strategy:

Brand awareness and visibility were key to reach potential customers and those looking to make a lifestyle change, healthier food choices and improve their fitness. 

The 12 month campaign needed to deliver mass media coverage showcasing the Do The Unithinkable plan and its results.

Activity began before the launch, seeding the plan with journalists. Having worked with MuscleFood for several years, we had a strong database of writers who had previously sampled their products and were eager to try the programme for a 2-3 week trial. Securing press buy-in was crucial for generating brand awareness, and positive product reviews would have a major impact.

Pre-launch, MuscleFood worked with well-known celebrities who followed the healthy eating and fitness plan. By the time of the launch, two well known celebrities – Jonathan Tapper and Josie Gibson – had already completed the plan, improved their fitness, and, importantly, lost weight.

Our role was to uncover the compelling stories in these celebrity case studies through interviews, draft the stories, and pitch them to national media. Case studies continued throughout the 12-month campaign with significant success, including Gogglebox star Amy Tapper, former footballer Neil Ruddock, and Love Island’s Tyla Carr.

Alongside journalists and celebrities trialling the plan, we encouraged the public to try it for shorter periods through a series of competitions across media, helping reach a mass audience.

The campaign was strategically timed around key periods. The launch generated significant attention, and coverage peaked again around New Year. In January 2020, the Amy Tapper case study took centre stage, securing multiple placements across mainstream media.

Results:

During a 12 month period, the following results were achieved:

• 267 items of coverage secured including these highlights:
• Mirror, DR 89 
• Hello!, DR 82 
• Closer, DR 68
• Mail Online, DR 92
• Joe, DR 69
• Metro, DR 88
• Express, DR 88
• The Sun, DR 89

• Backlinks secured: 243
• Website traffic: 820,000 unique website visitors
• Sign ups: 12,696
• Healthy meals delivered: 400,000
• Sales: exceeding £2 million
• Weight lost: approximately 25,000 stone

Client feedback/testimonial:

Ryan Akram from MuscleFood.com:

“Motive’s unwavering commitment, unparalleled support, and innovative approach have been nothing short of a game-changer for our brand. The Motive team has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of our industry and a passion for helping us reach new heights.”

Want results like these?

Email us with the goals you have in mind - we’d love to work with you! hello@motivepr.co.uk