But that didn't stop them from issuing nifty booklets, free to customers throughout the 1920s and '30s.
The Metropolitan Cook Book opened:
"It is sometimes difficult to feed the family nourishing food and at the same time give it the variety which quickens the appetite.
"This book has been prepared to help the housewife in her ever-lasting question, 'What shall I have for dinner tonight?'
"We hope that you will find it useful and helpful."
Brand journalism, as the boys at MetLife instinctively knew, gives customers value and spares them the product pitch.
In 2010, smart marketers are still using booklets like The Metropolitan Cook Book to provide customers value.
But they're also using blog posts, Tweets, ebooks and mobile apps to accomplish the same end.
Imagine if the MetLife boys had Facebook.
And while we're on the subject, what shall we have for dinner tonight?
