Esther Brady Crawford - faintstarlite

Yesterday the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) in the UK ruled that a Weight Watchers (UK) radio ad featuring two people talking about diets had to be removed from the airwaves. Of course the news headline piqued my curiousity right away since I video blog for Weight Watchers (US). My gut reaction was to reserve judgment because I’ve met so many of the people behind the brand, and have a lot of confidence in them. But, if I ever felt a company I represented was misleading folks then I’d have to disassociate myself and walk away, because at the end of the day my personal integrity and happiness is what matters most.

So… I looked up the radio ad in question, and it went like this:

First person: “I don’t think of Weight Watchers as a diet because I can eat everything.”

Second person: “Yeah, I mean, I thought you had to be really strict for six months and barely eat.”

First person: “For me, sachets and soups just wouldn’t work.  My objectives are: not to be hungry, to enjoy myself and not to feel like I’m on a diet.”

Voice over: “Weight Watchers is changing … Stop Diets, Start Weight Watchers.”

Aside from the fact that in the US we’d never call out satchets (pre-portioned flavored drinks), the ad is very closely aligned to the “Stop Dieting. Start Living” campaign that I’ve been part of since it launched at the beginning of 2008. Clearly the UK version of WW has slightly tweaked the tagline, but ultimately they’re selling the same message… a message I have personally endorsed, so I feel particularly compelled to respond.

This whole fiasco makes me understand the lawyers a bit more. I tend to laugh off their scrutiny and skittishness about the content we create / post online – but the truth is that they have to be able to defend every word spoken by the company. Since the food / health industries are highly regulated to protect consumers (which is a great thing!) … even in a rough economy they’ll always have job security. :)

Bottom line: The reason the ad was removed and deemed misleading is because there isn’t universal agreement on the definition of “diet”.

Is Weight Watchers a diet? Or … is it a lifestyle change?

It depends who you ask, and therein lies the grey area of litigation.

No doubt it’s a weight loss program, so if you define all plans that monitor or track weight as diets then WW qualifies. Personally, I think it’s more nuanced than that … the distinction to me is found in livability, nutritional accuracy, and the ability to maintain. The fad diets that invade my internet browser on a daily basis like the Acai Berry miracle drink don’t even come close to passing the litmus test. My personal experience with WW was that I lost the 70lbs slowly (averaging a little less than 1.5lbs / week) … during that year I learned a ton about how my body processed food, good nutritional info, what to look for on labels, and figured out how to incorporate exercise without it feeling like a chore.

Moderation and balance are the core principles of WW’s program, and so I feel comfortable with their marketing decision to highlight those philosphies and to contrast them against alternatives in the industry.

How would you define diet?

Creating an environment that fosters dialogue is the ultimate goal of social media – what used to be a one-way monologue between companies and customers has now become a multi-dimensional conversation. Not all brands are ready to listen or have figured out how to engage, but regardless, the conversations among consumers will continue with or without the brand’s participation. The control no longer resides in the pocketbooks of corporations and television networks, it is shared with regular folks using their laptops, webcams, and cell phones to tell stories that spread like wildfire across the digital world.

None of this is new, especially for those of us who have been active in this space for several years, but the evolution of technology and best practices demand innovative solutions for marketers attempting to break in. Moms are the primary purchasers and the fact that we now trust each other more than organizations has undoubtedly upped the ante for PR/marketing agencies who are being asked to tap in and then harness this power.

For bloggers the question is always in the payoff… and the payoff differs person to person. What may be inticing to one woman, may well insult another, showing that authentic relationships are the primary currency of online communities.

There were no shortages of fabulous women and momrepreneurs to chat up. A huge kudos to the organizers at Kirtsy and OpMom because I’ve been to a bunch of these events and this weekend was refreshingly welcoming without having to sacrifice on quality speakers / content.

Last year at BlogHer I was introduced to twintastic mom promoters Janice and Susan of 5 Minutes for Mom, but this time I was lucky enough to spend more time getting to know them and even did an interview about video blogging that’ll be appearing on their site. To demonstrate how easy it is – I turned on my new Kodak Zi6 … (my only regret being that it wasn’t on a few minutes earlier when I tumbled backwards while wearing Susan’s insanely tall high heels that were meant to make me look less like the midget I am).

5minutesformom Outtakes from faintstarlite on Vimeo.

Last night I had myself a mini-meltdown in Nick’s arms. It was therapeutic to be vulnerable and expose the feelings that have been gnawing away at my soul… feelings about my impending motherhood, about work, and about the expectations I’ve been placing on myself.

Frankly, the list is daunting:

Decorate the house. Also, keep it clean. Be organized. Exercise. Stay highly engaged online: make videos, update frequently, read & comment on a million sites. Look cute, even though I feel frumpy. Keep on top of work projects. Be a great wife in/out of bed. Cook healthy meals. Connect with friends. Be an informed parent-to-be. Maintain high energy & passion. Network relentlessly. …yadda, yadda, yadda…

And to think that soon I’m going to have to add “fabulous mommy” to that list boggles my hormonally foggy mind. Yes, I’m excited. But if I’m honest – I’m also scared to death.

I feel overwhelmed as it is, and then to throw a tiny, needy baby into the equation just about brings me to my knees. Me? A MOTHER? To a BABY? Like … in ELEVEN WEEKS?

Suddenly the 2 year gestational period of an elephant seems appealing.

—————————

Generally I keep things to myself, but occasionally I like to just let it all out. Thankfully Nick knows how to just let me vent, but apparently not everyone is capable of that kind of sensitivity. A few days ago I made a brief (and promptly regrettable) attempt at sharing my insecurities with another woman – and even though I lobbed her a soft pitch, it was a strike-out:

Me: “I’ve been feeling kinda nervous lately about all the changes coming up – did you have any worries or fears about having your first baby?”

Her:  “Not at all! In fact, as long as I can remember – all I ever really wanted to be was a mom! I was just sooooooooo excited!”

At which point I mauled her smiled and promptly changed the subject.

We finished puttin’ together our baby’s nursery – ’tis been so thrillin’!

I knew I wanted to do something different, but when I suggested a pirate themed nursery I kept getting raised eyebrows and puzzled looks. Have you been hitting the booze again? Pirates? In a baby’s room?

…To soften the blow I opted to incorporate an underwater scene throughout the lower 2/3 of the wallspace, and use the top 1/3 to showcase our dangerous stranded pirate whose booty still lies on the seafloor. It should be a reminder to all of us that treasure hunting in the days before Alvin was a lot trickier business!

It was a complete makeover from a barren back bedroom to Jude’s new adventureland, and we managed to pull it all together on a small budget by enlisting a talented friend for the mural and finding used furniture. In fact, all three pieces – the crib, changing table and dresser – were purchased on craigslist for a fraction of the original price, like just about everything in our house.

Before / after: