Scaling Up: Protein Works CEO Shares Their High Growth Strategies

Laura Keir, CEO of Protein Works, delves into the strategies and philosophies that have propelled one of the fastest growing sports nutrition brands in the UK. From building culture into your customer experience to embracing negatives and change, Laura shares key lessons learned along the way and offers practical advice for fellow business owners.

I was invited to step up from CMO to CEO at Protein Works in January 2024, and as we’re now over a year on, it seemed a timely moment to share my thoughts on what brought us here. There’s always so much chatter in the business community about ‘culture’, and many seem to imagine it should be imposed from the top down, but to me — and my predecessor and mentor, Mark Coxhead – it should be built from the ground up.

The strategic goals which identify the desired culture, and the recruitment model and training programmes which deliver it, will be inspired by the leadership team, but we’ve always been a company which prides itself on listening to all those outside the boardroom. Not just to internal voices, whether that’s members of the customer experience (CX) team, the new product development (NPD) specialists or other colleagues, but – crucially – to our customers.

I began my career in marketing back in 2006, so I’ve experienced many different philosophies around CX, but still get a thrill to see just how wonderfully our people engage. As I write this, 91% of Protein Works’ reviews on Trustpilot are either four or five stars, 87% are in the latter category, and that’s across more than 32,000 reviews. Many companies set targets for their ratings, but I find that both too artificial and very tough to achieve. To me, great reviews are a welcome by-product of everything else we do, not an end in themselves.

If we focus relentlessly on the quality of our ingredients, manufacturing processes and product innovation, I believe we’ll continue to acquire customers who enjoy what we offer – and come back for more. However, when our CX people see the small number of one and two-star reviews, they never ignore them – as can often happen in fast-growing businesses whose resources are being stretched.

It’s a core element of our culture that they see those reviews as an opportunity to engage, to discover more about the preferences of those customers, and to tempt them back into the Protein Works’ fold. Product knowledge is crucial during those conversations, of course, so we never use external call centres, as they’re often staffed by individuals who sound disinterested, or are simply too tired to engage.

From the moment I arrived here in Q1 2016, I realised that our CX people are big fans of our brand and our products, and they’re very passionate about everything. It’s also one of our core differentiators from other brands in the fitness and nutrition sector, that we are fully transparent about the sourcing of ingredients

Given the scale of our portfolio though, not even the most passionate and committed individual could possibly know everything about every product, so our CX people work alongside our NPD team, which employs qualified and experienced academic nutritionists.

 If, for instance, a customer isn’t satisfied by the blueberry cheesecake pieces in their meal replacement product, someone will be quick to discover the issue and discuss the ingredients and texture in detail. Sometimes, customers used to protein shakes from other brands will say our premium products feel ‘richer’, but that’s because we deliberately create them to be indulgent.

Once they realise that ‘richer’ doesn’t equate to more calories, and that their initial perceptions are based purely on mouthfeel, they’re often tempted to try more of our products. However, if a customer has identified something which genuinely does need to be addressed, we are delighted to hear from them, because we are obsessed with knowing when things aren’t up to scratch.

Just as many observers highlight corporate culture, another recurring theme is that ambitious entrepreneurs and businesses must always focus on the ‘big picture’. Discussions around strategy and expansion are pivotal, of course, but to me, the minutiae matter just as much.

Admittedly, I’ve never painted, but can’t conceive of the notion of crafting a picture (of any size) without first paying attention to all the small details.

For example, our CX team used to work seven days a week, from the early hours until the evening, but when I became CMO, I studied the changing ebb and flow of customer demand and realised that Saturdays had become super-quiet.

It might be that Protein Works’ customers took part in, or watched, sports and they tend to happen on that day, but regardless of the reasons, the volumes were no longer there, so the CX team now works Monday to Friday and Sunday, and everyone has Saturdays off. We’ve also adapted to shifting consumer preferences from a product perspective, and although it seems obvious, it regularly puzzles me that so many brands appear oblivious to such changes.

When I came to Protein Works, the sports nutrition market was all about function, and taste wasn’t a topic, but gradually the market began to evolve. Around two years ago, our data indicated that a fast-growing number of customers were using products around mealtimes, and when we drilled deeper, we identified three distinct segments.

One is the traditional customer, who buys protein shakes because they’re regular gym users, or take part in competitive sports, or run marathons, and they need functional products. We have successfully retained those individuals, because although we don’t sacrifice our nutrition and quality, or simply bang in a load of sugar, we do recognise that they might compromise on taste for benefits. The second segment is people who understand that protein is important for recovery, and love our ranges for nutrients, but also want to enjoy them.

The third, which is the fastest growing, are customers who probably count their steps, and quite likely walk their dogs, but don’t go to the gym or actively engage in sports. However, they do want to make healthier choices than previously, and maybe also want to feel better about themselves. I think the macro-trend for consumers to make healthier lifestyle decisions began before Covid-19, though there’s no doubt it was accelerated by the pandemic. Our current data shows that around 75% of customers now enjoy our products around mealtimes, whether at home or work, which is a huge market transformation in a relatively short period.

I’m very proud that our teams identified the shift in customer rationale very early, and that when we decided to go for this segment, we were able to successfully adapt our product range to their requirements. We believe our ability to serve and satisfy all three segments has become a significant differentiator for us. Now, I had planned to tell you more about our investment plans, overseas growth and much more, but I’ll have to save those thoughts for another day. It’s always about the journey and not the destination, but there have just been so many signposts along the way.