Apology Accepted: Discover how this candy brand turned years of hate into a marketing masterpiece!

From the desk of Miles Everson: Hi, everyone! Do you know why guerrilla marketing holds a special place in my heart? It’s because this marketing strategy thrives on out-of-the-box thinking. These campaigns create unexpected experiences that leave a lasting impression to your audience, fostering natural interaction and genuine reactions. Today, I will highlight how this iconic candy brand incorporated guerrilla marketing tactics to generate massive buzz online. Keep reading below.

Apology Accepted: Discover how this candy brand turned years of hate into a marketing masterpiece! In 2013, Skittles made the decision to replace its classic and beloved lime flavor with green apple. Unfortunately, this change upset thousands of fans, leading them to express their dismay as they felt a pang of betrayal about the flavor switch. The backlash was so bad that the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, the company that manufactures Skittles, received over 11,000 complaints about the switch. Additionally, for nine straight years, Skittles’ social media pages received an average of 47 mentions that expressed dismay over the flavor switch. So, in October 2021, after years of fan backlash, Skittles finally brought the beloved lime flavor back to its “SKITTLES Original” packs. … and that’s not all! In 2022, Skittles launched an “apology tour” to mark the return of the lime flavor! An Apology Nine Years in the Making With the help of the advertising agency DDB Chicago, Skittles came up with a creative way to mark the return of its beloved lime flavor and apologize to disgruntled fans. The first step the candy brand took was to air a 35-minute segment on Twitch, with actor Jeff Lewis delivering Skittles’ apologies to fans. Subsequently, apologetic tweets were sent out on Skittles’ X (formerly known as Twitter) account, with fans receiving personalized apologies to each of their tweets that talked about the disappearance of the lime flavor. Skittles also published its formal apology in gigantic screens located in Times Square, and through a 16-feet long open letter post where a total of 130,880 fans were mentioned. On top of all these efforts, the brand sent out lime-flavored Skittles to over 100,000 individuals, giving them a taste of citrusy and tangy nostalgia. Through all of these efforts, Skittles achieved sweet success, as the campaign achieved the following results: There was a 7.4% increase in sales for Skittles’ core offerings after the campaign. The brand experienced a 14.9% year-over-year increase in its core offerings. Mentions of lime-flavored Skittles on social media platforms surged by 162%, generating buzz for the brand. Skittles’ brand mentions on X grew by 400%. The campaign earned 28 million earned impressions and over 40 placements in publications like Fast Company, The Drum, Muse by Clio, Little Black Book, and Marketing Dive. Over 136,000 people watched the “apology” stream on Twitch and the segment gathered a total of 5,662,300 viewing minutes. Online searches for "lime skittles" went up by over 1000%. Sales for the “SKITTLES Original” pack went up by 21%. On top of these stellar results, Skittles and DDB Chicago bagged several awards: at the2023 D&AD Awards, 2023 Clio Awards, and 2023 Cannes Lions Award. A big round of applause to Skittles and DDB Chicago for a job well done! — Skittles’ guerrilla marketing campaign was more than just a re-launch of a fan favorite product. For fans, this unconventional campaign turned their nine-year long grief into a nostalgic celebration. By going out of the box and maximizing the power of social media, the brand successfully created a campaign that regained customer trust and loyalty. Remember: One of the best ways to boost customer loyalty and engagement is to make them feel valued through marketing campaigns. Keep that insight in mind the next time you plan your guerrilla marketing campaign! Hope you’ve found this week’s insights interesting and helpful. EXCITING NEWS AHEAD The world of work has shifted, and there’s no going back. The barriers to entry have never been lower for talented professionals to work independently, and today’s massive external workforce is hardly a pandemic-produced fad. Business owners can only survive in the new work landscape by partnering with this deep talent pool. With decades of experience in both small-business entrepreneurship and executive management at PwC, I truly believe that the future of work is independent. With that, I’m happy to share with you that my book, co-authored with Walter Scott Lamb, is now available for pre-order on Amazon! Free Birds Revolution: The Future of Work & The Independent Mind This is an essential read for both independent professionals and corporate executives. Here, we provide educational and practical guides to unpack the ever-growing workforce and offer you crucial ways to become a client of choice. Click on the link above to pre-order your copy. Let this book help you future-proof your career and organization in the new world of work.     Stay tuned for next Thursday’s Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing! Do you want to know how one fast food brand captured the public’s attention with clever beats and brand feats? See it in next week’s article!