Marmite launches Facebook group

by Darren Davidson, Brand Republic 18-Feb-08, 12:00

LONDON - Marmite is inviting Facebook members to declare their affection for the 'love or hate it' spread with the launch of a branded presence on the social networking website.

The group, which has already attracted 1,367 fans at the time of writing, invites members to make suggestions on how Marmite "can be made even better" and start their own discussions around the brand.

It also features photos, including the recent Paddington Bear ad by DDB London, and information on recent spin-off brands such as Lover's Marmite -- the Valentine's Day inspired spread with a trace of champagne.

Marmite's first foray into the social networking space comes as advertisers begin to sell their products on Facebook.

Earlier this month, Mars become the first advertiser to sell its products on Facebook via a service called Celebrate, which allows users to buy vouchers that can be redeemed for Mars goods at stores.

O2 created the most popular branded Facebook group, with an initiative that attracted more than 63,000 members.

The group, created by Agency Republic, encouraged students to generate "noise" on behalf of their university by uploading photos and comments, in a battle to be named the most popular university.

Facebook was the second fastest growing website in the UK last year, posting a 781% rise in total users to 8.9m, from 1.1m in 2006.

BeatThatQuote.com was named the fastest growing website in 2007, with a 1,165% rise to 392,000 users, according to Nielsen Online.