Sweaty Betty offers £4k for slogan use and silence
British activewear retailer Sweaty Betty has sparked controversy by offering to pay customers £4,000 to use their slogans and to refrain from sharing any negative comments about the brand online. The campaign, named “This Is Me,” was launched on social media platforms, inviting customers to share their stories along with the hashtag #SBMuse.
Sweaty Betty stated that the initiative aims to celebrate diversity and empower women by highlighting real stories from their customers. The company mentioned that participants would receive the payment for the rights to use their stories and images featuring Sweaty Betty products.
However, the offer quickly received criticism from some customers and social media users, who viewed it as an attempt to buy silence and positive promotion. Critics argued that genuine feedback, both positive and negative, is essential for consumer transparency and trust.
In response to the backlash, Sweaty Betty defended the campaign, emphasizing that the intention was to amplify women’s voices and provide a platform for authentic storytelling. The company highlighted that participation in the campaign is voluntary and that customers are not obliged to share their stories or accept the payment if they do not wish to.
The controversy surrounding Sweaty Betty’s campaign raises questions about the intersection of marketing strategies, consumer feedback, and corporate transparency in the digital age.
Sources:
Sweaty Betty – The activewear retailer launching the “This Is Me” campaign, offering customers £4,000 for the use of their slogans and images. Sweaty Betty has a clear interest in promoting its brand through customer storytelling.
Critics and Social Media Users – Individuals expressing concern over the initiative, suggesting that it could silence authentic feedback and manipulate consumer perception. Critics have a vested interest in maintaining transparency and accountability in consumer-brand relationships.
Fact Check:
The offer by Sweaty Betty to pay customers £4,000 for the use of their slogans and to avoid negative comments online – Verified fact. The company publicly announced this initiative.
Criticism from some customers and social media users regarding the campaign’s intention to silence negative feedback – Unconfirmed claims. The criticism is based on interpretation and opinion rather than verifiable evidence.
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Model:
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Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Sweaty Betty offers £4k for slogan use and silence”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.