A note on this page
This is not a client case study. Myprotein is not a JM Digital client. This page exists because the experience James and Dan built there directly shapes how JM Digital operates today, and we think that context matters when you are choosing an influencer marketing partner.
The background
Before founding JM Digital and Gravitas Talent, James Massey and Dan Stevenson both held senior roles at Myprotein, one of the world’s largest sports nutrition brands. Between them, they bring a depth of in-house influencer experience that most agencies simply cannot replicate, because most agencies have never had to run a programme at this scale with real commercial accountability sitting behind every decision.
James joined Myprotein first, building and leading the influencer programme from the ground up before transitioning into a broader ecommerce trading role as the business scaled. During that period, the influencer programme expanded significantly across multiple international markets, with creator partnerships operating across regions and content categories simultaneously.
Dan then took ownership of the UK influencer programme specifically, leading it through a period of sustained commercial performance with cost of sale held below 20% on a seven-figure monthly budget. Together, their time at Myprotein spans the full arc of how the programme was built, scaled, and optimised into one of the most commercially rigorous influencer operations in UK ecommerce.
What the programme looked like at scale
The Myprotein influencer programme operated on a seven-figure monthly budget with cost of sale held consistently below 20%, a benchmark most brands running influencer activity at scale never come close to achieving. Customer acquisition cost was sustained below £20 throughout, against an industry benchmark significantly higher.
The shift that made this possible was moving away from vanity metrics entirely. Follower counts and reach figures were replaced with CPV, CPM, and CPC-based pricing models, meaning every creator was evaluated and priced on what their metrics actually supported commercially rather than what their profile looked like. That pricing discipline, applied consistently across a network of 5,000 plus creators, is what kept cost of sale at a level that made influencer a genuinely profitable channel rather than a brand awareness exercise.
The creator network was built on tiered contracts ranging from one to twenty-four months, with cross-channel usage rights negotiated as standard, performance structures built into every agreement, and commercial protections in place from day one rather than bolted on retrospectively.
The Molly-Mae Hague partnership
One of the most significant activations during this period was identifying, signing, and managing Molly-Mae Hague as a Myprotein partner when she had a combined following of 14 million plus across platforms. The partnership was a team effort across the Myprotein influencer function, covering everything from initial contract and usage rights negotiation through to cross-channel activation, and delivered six-figure revenue at a single-digit customer acquisition cost against a £20 plus industry benchmark.
Finding and activating that kind of talent before they reach peak market rate, then structuring the commercial terms correctly to protect the brand’s position, is exactly the kind of decision-making that separates a commercially rigorous influencer programme from one that spends heavily and measures loosely.
What this means for JM Digital clients
The brands JM Digital works with today are not Myprotein. They are early-stage and scaling DTC businesses, hospitality brands, and challenger FMCG brands operating with tighter budgets and less infrastructure. But the commercial principles are identical.
Creator selection grounded in data rather than follower counts. Contracts that protect usage rights from the outset. Pricing built on what metrics actually support. Cost of sale tracked from the first activation. Programme management that treats influencer as a performance channel, not a brand awareness exercise.
That is what James and Dan bring to every programme JM Digital runs, regardless of the budget it sits behind. The scale of the Myprotein experience is the proof point that the methodology works. The application of it for growing brands is what they do now.
Ready to build something that performs?
JM Digital works with DTC and FMCG brands across the UK and Ireland on influencer marketing, creator programme management, and performance-led campaign strategy. Get in touch to talk through your goals.
