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Since we loved writing about Red Bull so much, we decided to do another company profile and this time we chose Skittles! Their social media presence is just as popular and they continue to see success, but they have taken a different approach in managing their accounts. While Red Bull maintained an interactive and entertaining site, Skittles uses the simplicity of Status Updates, Photos and Tweets as their form of entertainment.


Everyone knows the slogan “Taste the Rainbow” and most people have seen the unique personality of Skittles through their commercials like Skittles Leak and Skittles Midas Touch but until you visit their Facebook Page or Twitter handle, you will never truly see the madness behind Skittles. I don’t know who is sitting there thinking of these tweets and status updates but they are either a genius or partially insane. Reading through the endless number of unique posts I found myself laughing and confused at the same time. It may seem crazy, but it’s working for them since they usually see roughly 500-2,000 comments and 2,000-12,000 “likes” on their status posts! Who knew that 10-20 simple words could generate such a response?!

Skittles also does an amazing job with running contests and photo challenges to get their fans involved. Their contests usually involve a creative use of Skittles in a photo that is to be uploaded onto their Facebook Page. The most recent prize given away for a contest was a fully stocked Skittles vending machine. You would think that most people would not desire this prize, but you’d be surprised at how many entries they received.

Skittles have also recently started a campaign called “Rainbro of the Week.” Skittles proposes a photo challenge to its fans and then fans are required to post a photo in guideline with that challenge. Of course, since it is Skittles, the challenges are going to be a little out of the ordinary. The chosen “Rainbro” gets the honour of having their picture posted within the profile picture of the Skittles page. These contests encourage fan interaction and stick with Skittles’ unique brand image. It is a great way to keep fans coming back to check what the newest challenge is and who will be the “Rainbro.”

Rainbow Inventions is another unique aspect of Skittles’ social media adventures. Although the actual inventions are posted to a blog website, they are primarily promoted on the Facebook Page through posts. These inventions are not items that you would normally expect to see, but from what we have seen from Skittles so far, they are very suitable. Items range from a Boom Box Chainsaw to a Brief Case Slot Machine. And of course once again, Skittles receives a positive response from their fans who continue to be entertained by their unique personality.

What I want to commend Skittles on the most is their ability to determine a unique brand image and personality and stay consistent with it through all channels of media. This is an essential factor when marketing, especially when using a large number of advertising outlets. Consumers have grown to love the craziness behind the Skittles team and will continue to be loyal fans fighting over who will be the next “Rainbro of the week.” Way to go Skittles, whatever you are feeding your employees over there must be working!

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