Advertising: Persuasive techniques blog task

 'Advertising: Persuasive techniques'. Read ‘Marketing Marmite in the Postmodern age’ in MM54  (p62). 


Answer the following questions on your blog:

1) What does John Berger suggest about advertising in ‘Ways of Seeing’?

John Berger suggests that "all publicity works in anxiety" this means that advertising challenges the way we buy and consume things to their advantage. This means that we prey on consumers to thinks the product we sell is at value to their lives and will make it better. 



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

Psychologists suggests that in order for advertisement to be persuasive they hint at their products at being beneficial to consumers lives as they use narratives in adverts that relatable to the majority of values held by their customers or potential customers which means that they will met with positive responses as consumers would buy the product due to feeling like the business is selling them something consciously that is of value. This can be seen as positive manipulation to get consumers to buy their product. 



3) How was Marmite discovered?

Marmite was discovered in 19th century by a German scientist Justus Von Liebig. However, it was formed in 1920 in Stafford-shire.     

4) Who owns the Marmite brand now?

Before it was family owned business however it had been transferred by 1990 to subsidiary of Brovril Limited. 

5) How has Marmite marketing used intertextuality? Which of the persuasive techniques we’ve learned can this be linked to?

Marmite had used intertextuality in their marketing scheme as in 2003 their advert which featured Zippy and paddington which cross-referenced the fans of each of notorious cartoon characters. This means they had used the emotional appeal to cater to their audience as they use a nostalgic appeal of these characters which will link Marmite to the throwback sense. 




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

The difference between popular culture and high culture is that popular is the dominant ideology shared the majority and works in their favour. whereas high culture is the ideology is shared only the the elite as they are undervalued as it's only shared by the minority for a certain product. Marmite uses this by having the queen's motto "By appointment of majesty the Queen". 




7) Why does Marmite position the audience as ‘enlightened, superior, knowing insiders’?

Marmite positioned their audience as "enlightened, Superior and Knowing insider" as they know that their audiences are being manipulated by marketing however they give customers a sense of fulfilment as they feel empowered and reconsigned. 


8) What examples does the writer provide of why Marmite advertising is a good example of postmodernism?

The writer provides another example as to why Marmite advertisements has a well established form of postmodernism. This would refer to their polarised responses such as "Mr marmite Football". This means that it uses Monumite as consumers can interact and would post it around which will gain more sales.