Mercadona never spends on advertising: the invisible campaign

Mercadona doesn't spend on advertising: the myth of the invisible campaign

Can a supermarket chain sell without advertising? The claim circulates widely: Mercadona has supposedly never bought a major TV spot or a radio ad. The curious thing is that its brand dominates the public conversation more than any other retailer. The trick lies not in the absence of marketing, but in its disguise.

Advertising that doesn't look like advertising

Recollection of a classic Mercadona campaign in the press, radio or television is close to zero. Yet the media publish, with suspicious frequency, articles explaining how well the company treats its staff, how efficient its logistics are, or how wonderful a new product turns out to be. Call it news, advertorial or a simple brand magnet: there is an invisible cost line.

Not all advertising goes through paid placements, as the most sceptical analyses point out. There are paid formats disguised as journalism and press releases dressed up as store openings. And there is the little jingle that ends up stuck in your head without anyone being able to put a price on it. That, dear reader, is also a campaign.

Prices that advertise themselves

The most direct argument in favour of advertising silence is the oldest: if the price convinces, the customer does the work. One example doing the rounds: boxes of 6 to 8 kilos of tomatoes for just over three euros, around 1.5 euros per kilo. With that image of a bargain, the chain doesn't need to bid for any ad slots. Customers come on their own and even boast about having found it.

The Roig name already works as a brand in itself. And when a brand works like that, the media cooperate without anyone forcing them. The phenomenon described as "Mercainflujo" sums up that tide of spontaneous news that no paid campaign could ever buy. There are, however, those who claim the company pays to keep uncomfortable matters from surfacing. Another way of investing in image, no doubt.

That Mercadona doesn't spend on advertising may only be true on paper. Because having the whole country talk about you, whatever the reason, isn't bought with a spot: it's built with prices, fruta and a self-interested pinch of silence. And that is worth more than all the ad slots in the world.