Connecting with others is one of the cornerstones of the Weight Watchers philosophy. It all started in founder Jean Nidetch’s living room in the early 1960’s. Since then the company’s program and philosophy around how people connect has evolved keeping them not only relevant but also making them a social media powerhouse.
The company today has created a social media frenzy empowering it’s members to share their weight loss journey not only on traditional social media sites like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube but also on their own social media within their own app on a forum called Connect. The true genius behind this is that Weight Watchers employees are also plan members. What it creates is a level of excitement, accountability and transparency that you can’t bottle but most of their industry counterparts would love to recreate.
Many of the current Weight Watchers leaders share their own personal journey on social media including Instagram posts and YouTube videos documenting “What I ate ” daily on the plan. Other employees use the various forums to share crumbs of information including exercise tips and newly discovered foods and recipes to make the journey that much more enjoyable.
These crumbs of information are like gold to program leaders who meet weekly with their weight loss groups to discuss progress , success and struggles while on the plan. It is not possible for one person to be able to scour the grocery store aisles and online marketplaces daily in search of new items that one can enjoy while staying on track. The sharing of information through social media allows for Weight Waters employees to stay on top of food trends and share these tidbits with other leaders to make their meetings not only more informative regarding food choices but also more genuine.
The result is an authentic representation of who the brand is and what one can expect from it. In a sense it truly allows the employees themselves to walk the walk. In a recent online article Laura Salazr was quoted to have said “For us, it really showcases what day-to-day life is like on Weight Watchers,” when speaking about their own social media platform Connect.
The company also encourages participation via “Instagram Takeovers ” where employees are able to “takeover ” the company’s Instagram account showcasing a day in the life and their love for the program with it’s more than 521k followers. The buzz and excitement that this creates is amazing!
Emilie Wilson a program leader with Weight Watchers has used and continues to use social media in her journey in particular with her YouTube channel Em Wilson FitFam. On her YouTube channel Emilie share with her over 3k subscribers her daily journey with the Weight Watchers plan. Her spirit and motivation inspire others as well as being a tool to hold her more accountable as well. When I asked her the role that social media plays in connecting her to the message of Weight Watchers Emilie noted “Since becoming a leader , social media brings me back to being a member and when I started my journey . It always pushes me to be my best self. People on these platforms are so inspiring and it’s gives me the motivation to push for success in being a great leader and role model”.
Lessons for Others
Weight Watchers brings people together to support one another through what can at times be a challenging journey. This spirit is not lost when it comes to their employees. By encouraging their employees to participate on social media they stay connected to not only the brand but also the greater purpose of being a role model for others by making time for themselves.
Organization:
Weight Watchers
Industry:
Weight Loss
Name of Organization Contact:
Sherry Phillip, Manager Human Resources
Authored by: Robyn Buonomo
If you have concerns as to the accuracy of anything posted on this site, please send your concerns to Peter Carr, Program Director, Social Media for Business Performance.