The price of shares in Weight Watchers International climbed after the company struck a deal with producer and recording artist DJ Khaled, who will represent the brand to millions of his followers on Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Khaled, whose Rihanna-featuring Wild Thoughts was one of 2017’s biggest hits, “will document his experience and progress on the new WW Freestyle program,” Weight Watchers said, “speaking candidly about how the program has given him the freedom and flexibility to make healthier choices while keeping up with his busy lifestyle.”
Since he revealed Monday that he would socialize his weight loss experience using the company’s products, Weight Watchers’ stock jumped eight per cent to $47.83.
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Khaled, who was named social media ambassador for the company, shared a video on Facebook, documenting his weight loss journey and learning how to use the Weight Watcher’s SmartPoints system.
The SmartPoints system provides members with a list of healthy food options, each with a specific number of points to help members monitor their food consumption.
Khaled was given a 40-point limit for the day in his first Weight Watchers video, which already has over 132,000 views.
Throughout the video, Khaled documented each of his meals and how many points he used.
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“Weight Watchers is all about being great and being your best self. My son is my love, my life, and I need to be great for him,” Khaled said in a press release. “To be great is to be healthy; to be healthy means a shift in my lifestyle, and the new WW Freestyle program is all about healthier habits for my life. The WW program and community is my partner in this process to greatness, and I’m grateful for what’s to come and to share my journey with you all.”
Former talk show host Oprah Winfrey owns a 10 per cent stake in Weight Watchers and has appeared in ads saying she lost more than 40 pounds on the company plan while eating pasta and tacos.
Winfrey reached out to Khaled on Twitter to welcome him to the Weight Watchers team.
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“@DjKhaled Welcome to #WWFreestyle. Can’t wait to see you #blessup this program,” Winfrey wrote.
Khaled responded to Winfrey’s tweet with a smile. “The smile you make when @Oprah tweets you! #2018 let’s go!,” he captioned the photo on Instagram.
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Weight Watchers shares soared by 25 per cent in August after it reported strong second-quarter earnings and raised its full-year outlook. But since then the stock has largely treaded water. It reports fourth-quarter earnings on Feb. 14.
—With files from the Associated Press