Turning Marmageddon into flawsome
Some Marmite, today
In this guest post, Clemenger BBDO’s Al Crawford argues that Marmite offers a lesson to all marketers in how to make the most of a setback.
Over the last few days, some of our friends across the ditch have had to contend with a looming famine. The threat of ‘Marmageddon’ has bounced around national and international press and has even got the PM advising people to spread it thinly so they can eke out supplies as long as possible.
Whilst my heart goes out to the army of Marmite lovers at this difficult time, I want to focus on something else: namely, that this is yet another great example of brands turning disadvantage into fantastic opportunity.
Wrong Marmite jar in this article. Shouldn’t you use the NZ one?
Wrong, wrong, wrong Marmite.
Completely wrong Marmite.
Apparently that’s the wrong marmite.
Yeah, they do sell that brand in NZ, but it’s re-labelled as My Mate – Sanitarium jealously guard their local trade make ownership.
Don’t the Kiwis spell it “Marmuuute”?
Correction, the British version is cockneyfied to “Me Mate”
Don’t waste the Marmite people!
Love the 4th Best ad. It’s a perfect example of our love of imperfections. I’m not perfect and I just love brands that recognise their limitations and own up to them.
“Scraped out of Beelzebub’s wazoo” – love it
Avis try harder?
Lemon?
Not everyone’s perfect?
Come on Al, you weren’t the first – and you worked at DDB as well.
Embrace the imperfections. Story of my life.
Stop this Marmite Blasphemy!
The english version of Marmite is imported under the brand Our Mate.
The term My Mate comes from the ads of the 90’s. Not really sure why they changed the brand name to Our Mate though, seems to me it would of made more sense as My Mate, but who am I to question the Marmite gods.
Sanitarium make an AU/NZ Marmite, but it’s not a patch on Our Mate, Marmite.
Absolutely right, it’s Our Mate, not My Mate, my bad. Should have looked in the cupboard rather than the memory. Anyway, the real hard stuff is now sold in the UK as Marmite X.O. (Extra Old) – 250g of serious flavour!