The brand deal I had to back out of — and why I did

The choice wasn't easy, but it was clear

Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash

I think we’re probably past the moment where it’s very interesting to talk about whether it’s ethical for an independent journalist to accept sponsorship dollars from brands. Staff jobs in the media industry either no longer exist or are more miserable and poorly paid than they ever have been, so we have to make our own way (like I’m doing here) or cut ties entirely and switch fields. And if we do make our own way, expecting to cobble together a decent salary via subscriptions alone is realistic only for a select few of us.

But, at the risk of sounding incredibly obvious, boundaries and standards are important. (See: the recent controversy over Jia Tolentino’s choice to partner with BDS list-resider Airbnb.) And though I remain open to the possibility of brand partnerships for my work here on How to Move, it’s actually pretty hard to find a potential partner in the ~wellbeing~ space that aligns with my core beliefs: sticking to evidence-based guidance, avoiding high barriers to entry for movement and wellbeing, and taking a weight-neutral approach to exercise and nutrition.

A few weeks ago, I heard out of the blue from a pretty well known fitness brand that they were interested in exploring a sponsorship deal with me. I was a bit flabbergasted! I’m still a relatively small fish in a large pond, and I didn’t even have a media kit at the time. But I threw one together, and asked if I could test the product to make sure it aligns with my beliefs (and is actually good, which I also think is important!). We had a great meeting to discuss what a deal might look like, and I dove into my test period.

I can’t go into the specifics or name the brand, partly because I’m hopeful that things might change in the future, but while I actually legitimately liked using the product, I discovered in the onboarding process that weight loss and aesthetic changes were featured super-prominently. Disappointing, yes, but not all that surprising. I wrote a friendly email thanking the advertising representative for thinking of me and giving me a chance to test the product, but because of the misalignment, I’d have to politely decline the opportunity to partner. (All are welcome here, including those pursuing intentional weight loss, but it’s important to me to keep this space free of that kind of messaging since so many of us here are in recovery from eating disorders and the diet/weight-cycling hamster wheel. I expanded on this a bit in the note below.)

I was bummed, but I still thought of it as a win — a serious brand was interested in me; they were even open to deal terms that actually worked for me. Even though it didn’t work out, it felt like proof that this could be a potential revenue stream in the future, with the right partner.

But much to my surprise, the representative replied and said, “I really respect your commitment to keeping a safe space for your audience.” He spoke to the team behind the product experience and they agreed that the aesthetics-focused promises should not be so prominently featured — and said they’d adjust the product accordingly. I was blown away, and so jazzed that the deal might come through after all! It gave me hope in so many ways.

Unfortunately, it didn’t pan out in the end. They couldn’t change the product. I’m not quite sure why, other than that changes like these — especially at not-tiny companies — can be really tricky to implement, and probably some stakeholder or other vetoed the idea.

I thought (hoped?) for a moment that maybe I was making too big of a deal about this issue, but I quickly remembered that this is one of the most important parts of this thing I’m doing here: doing it the way I believe in, and not compromising.

Thank you to my friend Mollie for the gut check. And call me, Katie Sturino! I really do use and love your deodorant! (PS I prepped this post before I listened to the Burnt Toast episode about Katie and learned that the Megababe-to-Weight-Watchers scale was not quite as broad as we’d thought! Still, great deodorant.)

Anyway, I’m truly not all that surprised things went that way. The surprising moment was when I thought this company might actually make a change to bring their product closer toward body neutrality. After all, this industry is absolutely full of this kind of thing: Most fitness- and nutrition-related companies are selling weight loss and aesthetic changes (and/or expensive pee). That’s just the world we live in. But while I can’t pretend that I think any company is fully ethically pure — and I acknowledge that taking sponsorship dollars will probably involve relaxing some of my more extreme rigid stances — my promise to you to keep this space free of bullshit and diet culture remains strong.

So: If you appreciate that boundary and what I’m doing here, and you’d like to help me keep doing it, your periodic reminder that there are a few ways to do so:

• Upgrade your membership to paid ($7/mo or $70/year — sooo much cheaper than a gym membership or boutique fitness classes!) or founding ($150/year). Paid subscribers get access to my weekly workout videos and occasional paywalled posts; founding subscribers get a 1:1 office hours session with me. (These are a real delight. For me at least! Hopefully for you, too.) While you can upgrade in the app now, I recommend trying to do so on the Substack website, if you can. (The in-app pricing is a little higher!)

• Share this newsletter. Tell your friends about it, forward it to your cousin or aunt. Use the gift subscriptions Substack offers you, if they do. Link to it in your own newsletter or on social!

• Follow me on Instagram and repost or share my content there on your stories.

• If you or someone you know has a likeminded brand that might be interested in discussing a sponsorship deal, reach out! I’m currently looking for a brand to sponsor the “unlocking” of a few Workouts of the Week so all subscribers (free and paid) can try them. (Wouldn’t that be so cool??)

But also: Know that when you continue to show up here, “heart” these posts, and share your comments, it means a great deal to me — and it’s worth more than any sponsorship deal I could possibly score. Thank you so much for continuing to do that.

xo
Anna