Persuasive Techniques

Marketing Marmite in the Postmodern age (MM54) 

What does John Berger suggest about advertising in Ways of Seeing?

•  Advertising provides an 'improved version' of ourselves and that most advertisements use anxiety and the idea that we are flawed in order to sell us something that can 'better' our lives.

What is it psychologists refer to as referencing? What persuasive techniques could you link this idea to?

•  The glamorised, romaticised 'better' version of the consumer that they see when advertised a product. This could link to endorsement, bandwagon and emotional appeal techniques.

How was Marmite discovered?

•  It was the by-product yeast needed for paste supplied by a Brewery.

Who owns the Marmite brand now?

•  Unilever. 

How has Marmite branding used intertextuality? Which of the persuasive techniques we learned can be linked to this?

•  In a 2003 advert, Marmite used children's tv characters such as Zippy [Rainbow 1972- 1997] as well as a 2007 campaign involving 70s iconic character Paddington Bear. These campaigns are a clear example of association as a persuasive technique but their nostalgic capital and cultural significance could also link to the use of emotional appeal to encourage consumers, to join their well-loved childhood characters as 'lovers'.

What is the difference between popular culture and high culture? How does Marmite play on this?

•  Popular culture is a ubiquitous belief, product or ideology within our society whereas High culture is much more centered around aesthetic and cultural value with it having an esteemed representation within a society. Marmite uses the monarchy to juxtapose the popular culture status of Marmite, with the high culture value of the queen and her regal attributes, which contrast the 'common' stereotypes of Marmite.

How does Marmite position the audience as 'enlightened, superior, knowing insiders'?

•  Through playing with the current zeitgeist and allowing audiences to become conscious that they are 'in on the joke' and view themselves as both a consumer and a third party observer, through hyperreality.

What examples does the writer provide of why Marmite is a good example of post modernism?

• The love & hate party, the use of a social cache, as well as the #MarmiteNeglect campaign which uses the humour of a hyperbolic reality and 'misery memoirs' and the transcendence of post modernistic humour to allow audiences to question the notions of what is real and valued within our society whilst simultaneously promoting a brand image.