The Arnold Classic event just ended, and it’s interesting how the biggest talking point should’ve been Andrew Jacked – the guy who won…
Yet it was actually about a guy who ended in 4th place, Martin Fitzwater.
An eruption of drama echoed through the bodybuilding world over his beef with Nick Walker…
And just right now…
I read Martin got hooked by his sponsor.
Eleve8 – the fitness food brand he was sponsored by – responded to this on their socials:
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Our focus is on building a positive, respectful community. Unfortunately, what occurred does not align with those standards.
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Well…
I believe this is a giant missed opportunity.
Why?
Because conflict/drama SELLS.
If you were sitting next to a couple in a restaurant and at one point the woman stands up, slaps the guy, and storms out of the restaurant…
I promise you this:
EVERY single head will turn to that table.
We’re hard-wired to pay attention to conflict, controversy, drama…
So Eleve8 missed spinning all this for grabbing some precious eyeballs in this oh-so saturated space…
Now?
I wager another brand – looking to make a name for itself and not afraid of attaching some polarity to it – will come in and sweep Martin right up.
(The guy is still a top bodybuilder with a massive following.)
Frankly?
I’m a bit disappointed with fitness brands nowadays:
In the 2010s, we had the Kai Greene X Phil Heath beef…
…and no one was getting cancelled and dropped by sponsors.
In the 2000s, we had the Jay Cutler X Ronnie Coleman beef – Ronnie was literally on camera saying how Jay Cutler is smoking crack.
And what happened?
Nothing.
We all laughed and cheered, deals started coming in, and they laid it all out on stage.
These kinds of things are actually GOOD for the sport.
(And as a consequence of the heightened spotlight on their athlete – for the sponsors as well.)
Soft era we live in.
Personal preference of eras aside…
I fail to grasp how the marketing department in question DOES NOT understand that by being just another ‘fostering a positive, happy, respectful community’ brand…
…is a bit like that scene in Toy Story when Buzz discovers he’s not unique:
There are thousands EXACTLY like him.
(You need only go as far as Google them… and spend 15-20 minutes on their About pages, Blog & SMM posts – the identity & culture they foster will jump out at you immediately.)
That’s what shying away from any degree of polarization in your brand will net you – conformity.
Has conformity ever contributed to any real, meaningful growth for anything or anyone?
I’m not on their newsletter but I wager their emails are also as “vanilla” as their brand identity is.
Nevertheless, enough talk about vanilla – I’m not a fan of it.
(No seriously, I don’t like vanilla-flavoured pretty much anything.)
I’m ESPECIALLY not a fan of vanilla marketing emails.
There are a couple – of what I consider “vanilla” emails – inside my Book in Blind Spot #3 section.
[Part of this email’s content has been removed from this Email Echoes version of it.]
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