Social Networked Genius or Giving Up the Brand?
Or, just a very clever viral marketing gimmick? Skittles (www.skittles.com) has launched a new website that may be a harbinger of things to come as the web evolves from destination to distribution. The Skittles brand is now represented in the digital world by an amalgamation of all things social networked and crowd sourced. The home page itself is the Wikipedia listing for Skittles. A chatter tab takes you to the twitter page for Skittles. Another tab takes you to the Skittle Facebook page. Even video is supported off-page via a You Tube channel. And pictures? Flickr, of course. (Interestingly enough, there seem to be quite a few people who name their pets Skittles.) All of these off-page resources are managed fairly cleverly by a branded navigation bar to keep a visitor grounded. What’s a marketer to make of this integration of relevant and credible content sources that are shaping the Skittles brand through grass-roots discussion, debate and consensus? More importantly, what’s a consumer to think? Is it credible, or are we going to find out later all the passionate posters of Skittles pictures on flickr are actually employees of a PR firm working incognito a la Lonely Girl? The Wikipedia entries seem to be coming from trusted sources exclusively within the Skittles organization and its digital marketing firm. Plus, the opt-in content disclaimer up front is a little creepy for a candy brand. Regardless, it’s a shot across the bow on how marketers think about the interaction of customers and brands in the digital space. Most marketers have already been thinking about how best to leverage the power of viral content and crowd sourcing to improve customer engagement and keep brands timely and credible. Skittles has launched an aggressive approach, which has basically handed the brand over. It may be a well-executed gimmick, but a thought provoking one in the integrated marketing space. (Photo credit: PiccoloNamek)
Posted by Tim Whiting at 3/8/2009 4:28 PM 
Categories: Evolution of the marketing mix
Tags: crowd sourcing social networking
Categories: Evolution of the marketing mix
Tags: crowd sourcing social networking
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