Marmite launches new product following social media campaign

Marmite XO is described as an ’extra-mature,extra-strong’ version of the yeast spread that is famous for its ’love it or hate it’ brand positioning.

A group of consumers who love Marmite were recruited by agency We Are Social, partly by targeting fans and bloggers and then by inviting people to prove their love of Marmite by creating a film, writing a poem or taking a photo.

These people were dubbed the ’Marmarati’ and invited to test a prototype of the new spread. Footage of the hardcore Marmite lovers tasting the new Marmite XO is being uploaded to the Marmarati website, and now the public are being invited to submit their own reactions to the new product. The incentive to do so is the prize of a lifetime’s supply of Marmite.

Tom Denyard, marketing manager for Marmite, said the campaign had helped the Unilever-owned brand “gain access and build relationships with our most devoted and vocal fans”.

Vegemite, the Australian version of Marmite, ran into trouble recently when it asked the public to suggest names for a new variant. The winning entry, iSnack 2.0, lasted only a matter of weeks after public reaction against the name was so strong that it ended up as a trending topic on Twitter.

This story first appeared on newmediaage.co.uk