Social Media for Advertising

Marmite Marketing

Introduction

Marmite® is a concentrated yeast extract paste that is popular in the UK and Australia, but is not as well-known in the US. Marmite’s parent company, Unilever, is seeking to market the product in the US and is looking for creative and humorous ideas to help it stand out. In this report, we will provide information on the product, identify the target audience in the US, and suggest a 30-second ad spot for Marmite.

Product Description

Marmite is a dark brown, sticky paste that is made from yeast extract. It has a strong and salty flavor, which is described as either love it or hate it. The product was first introduced in the UK in 1902 and has since become a popular spread for bread, crackers, and toast. It is also used as a flavoring in savory dishes such as stews and soups.

Target Audience

Based on our research, the target audience for Marmite in the US is likely to be adventurous eaters who enjoy trying new and unique foods. This includes foodies, travelers, and people who enjoy international cuisine. Marmite can also appeal to vegans and vegetarians as it is a great source of vitamin B12, which is usually found in meat and dairy products.

Creative Ad Spot

In order to create a memorable ad spot for Marmite, we recommend taking a humorous approach that emphasizes the love it or hate it nature of the product. The media type for this could be YouTube, but it could also be posted on Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media platform. Social media has the highest potential in marketing today, as the younger generation turns to it more than anything else for information and entertainment (Appel et al., 2020; Mahoney & Tang, 2016).

The ad would start with a group of people (six friends) in a restaurant trying to decide what to eat. Someone notices that Marmite is offered on the menu. Another person turns his nose up and says, “What’s Marmite?” Yet another at the table has a quizzical expression, like, “Oh, I think I’ve heard of that…” and leans over to look at the menu where the person is pointing. A third friend is sitting back with a sly look on his face. He says, “Oh, so you guys have never tried Marmite?” Everyone at the table shakes his or her head. “You’ve gotta try this,” he says in slow motion, as the waitress appears to take the order.

Out comes Marmite and the friends spread it on crackers and take a bite.

Thus, Marmite is tried for the first time. As they take a bite, some love it and express their enthusiasm for the product on their faces with delighted looks of approval as they nod up and down with happy enthusiasm, while others hate it and make exaggerated expressions of disgust. The ad could then transition to a jar of Marmite up on the shelf, as people passing say, “Love you, Marmite,” and other say, “Hate you, Marmite.” Marmite sits there passively accepting the love and the hate without wincing or blinking as the camera slowly zooms in it and cuts to black with a title card reading: “Marmite: Love it. Hate it. Try it.”

The social media post could end with a message that appeals to the adventurous and daring nature of the target audience, encouraging them to try Marmite and decide for themselves whether they love it or hate it. This approach not only highlights the unique flavor of the product but also creates a sense of excitement and intrigue that is likely to appeal to the target audience.