Advertising: Persuasive techniques blog task

Advertising: Persuasive techniques blog task

Create a new blog post called 'Advertising: Persuasive techniques'. Read ‘Marketing Marmite in the Postmodern age’ in MM54  (p62). You'll find our Media Magazine archive here.

Answer the following questions on your blog:

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

All publicity works on anxiety; Advertising seeks to make us dissatisfied with our present selves and promotes the idea that we can buy our way to a better life... The magazine specifically quotes him saying "Publicity is always about the future buyer. It offers him an image of himself made glamorous by the product or opportunity it is trying to sell. The image then makes him envious of himself as he might be.

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

We refer, either knowingly or subconsciously, to lifestyles represented to us (through the media or in real life) that we find attractive.

3) How was Marmite discovered?

German scientist Justus von Liebig discovered that brewer’s yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten.

4) Who owns the Marmite brand now?

the Sanitarium Health Food Company.

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

> Marmite’s 2003 ad featuring Zippy from the children’s television programme Rainbow
> Paddington Bear advert in 2007
These characters would invoke nostalgia and emotional appeal

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

High culture is the consumption patterns of the 'elite' in society vs pop culture targeting the masses. Marmite plays on this by juxtaposing the Royal Warrant of Appointment with common, popular culture.

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

Not only does it stroke the audience's ego, but a post modern audience may be fully aware of the technique of basically being groomed by brands and play into it.

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

The use hyper-reality in its #marmiteneglect campaign which communicates how the brand is self aware by using recognisable scenes and documentary/police show style editing in its advert.