Long before Martha Stewart and Ina Garten, home cooks turned to Betty Crocker. Created by a flour company in 1921 as a marketing persona, Betty Crocker became the most famous and most trusted advisor to Americans in the kitchen.
Traditional brand personas like Betty Crocker demonstrate the effectiveness of combining marketing with storytelling and the necessity of evolving as consumer values change over time. Many of these advertising techniques, developed over a century ago, continue to impact and influence consumers and culture today.
This fun illustrated lecture by historian Leslie Goddard, Ph.D., looks at how Betty Crocker was invented, why her cookbook has endured, and what makes her so iconic. It’s perfect if you’re feeling like cooking up some nostalgia.
