Weight Watchers has hired Kitcatt Nohr Digitas to devise a new online customer relationship strategy, which will launch in January to coincide with company’s peak New Year period.
The appointment follows news that MasterChef co-host Gregg Wallace – the man who loves nothing more than a sticky-toffee pudding – is to replace Alesha Dixon as the face of Weight Watchers for the new campaign.
Wallace recently revealed how he lost lost a stone in 12 weeks using the Weight Watchers’ programme.
Kitcatt Nohr will handle both the digital and direct marketing business and won the account after a pitch against Geronimo and Havas EHS, which was handled by Oystercatchers.
The agency has been briefed to target new audiences as well as exploit the company’s existing customer base of serial dieters. Weight Watchers has more than 2 million members, although the vast majority of these do not use its online service, instead opting to go to weekly weight-loss meetings.
The eCRM push will promote the ‘on-the-go’ nature of the online programme, which enables dieters to check for recipes, exercise programmes, and devise shopping lists on their mobile device.
Despite DM being a core part of the business, Weight Watchers has not had an incumbent on the account for a while. Its last agency of record was RMG (now folded into JWT), although it has used Orchid, Gecko and Razorfish. Saatchi & Saatchi handles the advertising account.
