When the Marmite hits the fans

Love it or hate it, Internet users are impacting online marketing communications like never before.

People are ‘spreading’ information, and offering up their opinions and ideas like huge slabs of juicy (sometimes unsavoury) meat. And any brand that wants to stay on top should be using buzz monitoring techniques to trawl the depth and breadth of the Internet for blogs, vlogs, podcasts, webinars, and other Web 2.0 wonders with equally strange names.

Which brings me nicely on to one of my favourite brands ever: Marmite. The brown, yummy (in my opinion), sticky slop has long been an advocate of the ‘all publicity is good publicity’ mantra, and was bravely sparking the ‘love it/hate it’ debate among consumers when Web 2.0 was just a twinkle in the eye of the Internet. It’s no surprise they’re taking this golden opportunity to engage with users and join the fun.

Not having to trek too far to find conversations about the infamous er… yeast extract, Marmite discovered a huge Facebook following, with both lovers and haters posting photos, videos and sharing stories.

But rather than soiling their knickers over such rampant conversation, the brand has embraced it. Through a ‘Marmite’ group, they’ve encouraged Facebookers to enter a bizarre recipe competition. They’ve also commissioned a Marmite ‘sarniologist’ (I kid you not) to answer all your sandwich-filling questions, invited DJ Chris Moyles to rant about how he’s a firm ‘hater’, and posted their latest Paddington Bear ad.

All sound a bit infantile? Well it is essentially, but that’s all part of their strategy. And with group membership standing at 132,759 and over 4000 wall posts, Marmite has truly succeeded in engaging with their audience. They’ve taken the group’s care-free, mocking tone and rolled with it, fuelling more debate – however silly it may be.

One could say this little exercise has gone down a treat – much like the marmite on toast I had for breakfast this morning… yum…

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Joely Hatch is a lover.