Taste the rainbow

3 days ago, Skittles created a YouTube account and has already posted 5 videos. This is the most recent and most popular as it has already surpassed 1 million views.

I'm really impressed with how well Skittles is reaching the younger demographic - their Facebook page has over 15 million fans! I have never seen a product page receive that many likes, and I was surprised to see a few of my friends among the fans.

So why are they so successful? 

I think its because consumers never know what to expect with Skittles. I talked about this video and their TV commercial with friends, and the resounding comment was:

"How did someone come up with that?"

Skittles really seems to understand their target market. The younger generation has a short attention span - I know if a website or blog I'm interested in isn't updated daily, I lose interest immediately! People will keep looking at Skittles' Facebook page and Twitter because it is updated so frequently. They also have a big emphasis on interactivity. Their website is set up like a blog that you can contribute to. Skittles constantly asks for your opinion (love it or hate it, rainbro!). Links to social media sites follow you down the page, and you can upload funny pictures or videos to Facebook that may then be chosen for the website. Try scrolling to the bottom of the website. It automatically loads more content, which I love! I wish more websites would adopt this!

Despite Skittles' quirky creativity, they remain very consistent with their "Taste the Rainbow" message. All of the videos and commercials reference it, which helps consumers understand the message. Here are the most recent variations:

• Lick the Rainbow, Taste the Rainbow
• Reunite the Rainbow, Taste the Rainbow
• Outlive the Rainbow, Taste the Rainbow
• Ride the Rainbow, Taste the Rainbow
• Heartbreak the Rainbow, Taste the Rainbow
• Harvest the Rainbow , Taste the Rainbow

I think the real key to this campaign  is commitment. All of their different media outlets are working together to create a really strong, consistent message, and therefore they are effectively increasing brand awareness. Way to go, rainbow!