Fact: The Seattle Seahawks are currently still in the Super Bowl hunt.
Fact: This is a great marketing opportunity for Skittles to take advantage of.
Skittles has a fantastic opportunity this weekend (and possibly the Superbowl) to set up a promotion. I am disappointed they didn't do anything noteworthy this past weekend when the Seahawks played the Saints. Marshawn Lynch scored a touchdown after which followed a shower of Skittles from the stands:
I mean, how much more obvious should it be? Skittles dropped the ball. They at the very least should have known that "Beast Burgers" were being sold which included a bag of Skittles as a side dish. It especially hurts considering they are one of maybe a few brands that has a native (and real time) marketing opportunity in an NFL game; which is incredibly difficult to come by.
Obviously Skittles should want to run a promotion. Free exposure on one of the highest rated (live) televised events should warrant such an activity. Last years NFC Championship game garnered 42 million viewers, while the Super Bowl had 108.4 million viewers tuned in. I fully expect these two upcoming weekends to have an even larger audience, considering the storyline (old school [Brady/Manning] vs. new school [Wilson/Kaepernick], which is an absolutely phenomenal storyline for the NFL.)
Considering that this weekend will be the only opportunity for a game to be played in Seattle, Skittles needs to act fast.
Here is my proposal:
First off, let me say there are a ton of different ways for Skittles to spin this off, the following is only the first thing that came to my mind. Also, I am not sure how content the NFL will be with such a promotion, but that can hopefully be figured out.
-Get as many Skittles as you can into CenturyLink Field during game time.
-If Marshawn Lynch scores a touchdown, the fans will make it rain Skittles*
-Capture a hopefully amazing moment
-Have social media posts ready
"Real time marketing" is a phrase often thrown out a lot these days, and it is a very real possibility with your brand this Sunday. You will have no better chance at owning a moment in front of 40+ million people at home. I can't think of an "endgame" to this proposal (such as how to get the viewers at home involved and ultimately make your brand money), but I'm sure something is there. If the Seahawks end up winning Sunday's game, then you have another major opportunity at the Super Bowl to highlight the brand in a creative way.
THE CONTEST:
One idea I thought of was a "How many total Skittles will be on the field by the end of the game?" contest, with the assumption that Marshawn Lynch scores at least one touchdown. A crew will pick up all scattered Skittles throughout the event, and at the end of the game they will be counted. This gives Skittles an opportunity to divert attention to the brand AFTER the game as well.
In order to qualify for a guessing number, one will have to purchase one of your products (say a $10 product) before this Sundays game online to get a code which is used to "unlock" the ability to have a guess at the end amount of Skittles on the field. Winner receives two Super Bowl tickets? that they can either use or sell.
I'm a big math guy, so I think the use of numbers/data/statistics should also be used. Since the contest revolves around guessing a number, I think it's only fair to show consumers other interesting numbers.
According to Ask.com, there are approximately 65 Skittles in each regular sized bag. CenturyLink Field has 67,000 non-club seats. If one bag was sold per customer (at $1 each?), there is a possible 4,355,000 Skittles in the stadium. Assuming people run out after Lynch scores a touchdown, and there is additional time left in the game where Lynch can score again, there should also be vendors walking up and down aisles so people can "refill" at a cheap price.
* * * * *
There is an absurd amount of creativity that can go into this promotion, but the most important part is that you act fast. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. In my opinion, it is an exciting opportunity for the Skittles brand to showcase their creativity, and maybe most importantly get some great exposure and make the brand lots of $$$.
Tyler Yearian
@KizmitSolutions
847 650 5319
*While I am not advocating fans throwing Skittles and potentially causing injury to anyone, it can't really be prevented. This past Saturday's game is evidence. If Skittles wants to do a safer route, then there are definitely alternatives. Additionally, Marshawn wears a visor, so at the very least no Skittles would hit his eyes. Also, if the Seahawks (and Lynch) had advanced notice of this, there can be a protocol on what is to be done if Lynch scores.
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