Marmite looks to replicate 2013 success by bringing back revamped ‘End Marmite Neglect’ campaign
Marmite is bringing back the “End Marmite Neglect” campaign in the hope of repeating its 2013 success, which saw it post double digit sales increases.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=WufZK3xpz0Y
It has launched a 60-second digital teaser on the brand’s social media channels which warns of an imminent “full-scale Marmageddon” ahead of next week’s official TV launch.
The campaign will seek to replicate the success of 2013’s “End Marmite Neglect”, which resulted in a 14% increase in value sales and a 15% volume lift year on year in the eight weeks following its August launch. According to Nielsen data, Marmite generated £37m in sales in 2013.
The £2m campaign for the savoury spread, which took home Brand of the Year at Marketing Week’s 2014 Engage Awards, parodied animal rescue programmes by sending teams into homes to seek out “neglected” jars of Marmite in people’s cupboards. The idea came from customer insight that showed a large amount of Marmite consumers were forgetting about the product at the back of their cupboards.
The campaign, featuring the brand slogan “Love it or hate it, just don’t forget it”, garnered over 500 complaints to the ASA stating that the advert distastefully made light of the work of animal charities. While the ASA recognised the ad as a spoof and did not launch an investigation, Unilever responded by donating £18,000 to the RSPCA.
This year’s 30-second TV spot will appear on 12 January and will run until the end of March. The campaign will be supported by a social media effort to raise awareness of “End Marmite Neglect”.