Beyond the Rainbow: How Skittles Created a Pride Campaign with Impact

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Good morning. I’ve been spending a lot of time talking about email marketing on Threads lately. Most of the time small business owners will respond to a post asking, “Isn’t email marketing dead?”

No. It’s not. In fact, people typically check their emails 5x per day. And, even though we’re all subject to spam every now and then, most people only subscribe to the things they’re actually interested in.

So that means, if you spent a little extra time building out your email marketing strategy, you’d have a direct line to potential customers who want to hear more about and purchase your product or services.

In a few weeks (July 18th), I’m launching a course dedicated to helping you create your own email marketing strategy and drive more sales. Join the waitlist here to be the first to purchase (annd, get special bonuses that are only available to those on the waitlist.)

Here’s what you can expect in today’s newsletter:

• The Top 5 Email Marketing Platforms for Small Businesses

• 3 Things That Caught My Eye This Week

• Beyond the Rainbow: How Skittles Created a Pride Campaign with Impact

Sales
The Top 5 Email Marketing Platforms for Small Businesses

Like I said above, email marketing remains a powerful tool to connect with customers, nurture leads, and ultimately boost your sales.

But with so many platforms out there, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming.

To help you navigate this email marketing jungle, I'm breaking down the top 5 platforms and highlighting their features to help you identify which would best suit your business’ needs.

Here’s what I had to say about Mailchimp, ConstantContact, ConvertKit, Hubspot, Beehiiv, and Kajabi.

Ask Me Anything
3 Things That Caught My Eye This Week

So if you’re not on Threads yet, I wanted to let you know that… It’s actually kind of lit over there.

And I must admit, the algorithm is doing a spectacular job of actually putting the things you care about the most on your timeline.

I’ve been taking the platform seriously for about a month now and my feed is wonderfully curated with small business owners and marketing coaches that are all helping me get smarter with the work that I do.

Here are 3 things that caught my eye on Threads this week:

1. I’m in the process of creating my YouTube channel. I’ve gone down a rabbit hole of finding creators that I think are doing an amazing job and researching their strategy. One creator that I’ve become semi-obsessed with is Nicky Saunders and her AI hack for creating more YouTube content is everything.
   

2. A simple reminder that this is your life and your business. You can do what you want.
   

3. I needed a little motivation to get back into this content marketing game. Who has all the motivation around content marketing? Gary Vee. I’d seen people bragging about his new book, Day Trading Attention: How to Actually Build Brand and Sales in the New Social Media World, so I grabbed the audio version.

BIG STRATEGIES, SMALL BUSINESS
Beyond the Rainbow: How Skittles Created a Pride Campaign with Impact

In this section of my newsletter, I share some of the coolest marketing tactics from larger brands and give insights into how small business owners can do something similar.

As we already know, cultural holidays and important causes are a great way to connect with your customers.

But let's be honest, throwing up a filter on your social media and calling it a day isn't exactly groundbreaking… not does it give people any real reason to shop with you.

The key is to activate in a way that feels genuine and has a real impact for the community you’re targeting.

Take Skittles' recent LGBTQ+ campaign, for example.

Skittles did 3 things that set them apart:

Skittles went beyond the rainbow logo: Yes, they had beautifully designed rainbow packaging that celebrate Pride Month. BUT, they also partnered with Meetup, a platform that connects people with shared interests, to create a directory specifically for LGBTQ+ groups, events, and resources. This provided genuine value to the community and showed Skittles' commitment to fostering connections.

Skittles thought beyond donations just for the month: Skittles pledged to donate a portion of their Pride candy pack sales to GLAAD, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization. They also offered incentives for further donations, creating a multiplier effect for their contribution.

Skittles amplified local voices: Skittles sponsored five different LGBTQ+ community groups across the country which allowed them to connect with a wider audience and showcase the importance of community building.

So what can your small business learn from this?

There’s an even bigger impact that your business can make when you partner with local causes and organizations that resonate with your customer base.

• Pick a cause you genuinely care about: Your audience base is diverse and multifaceted. I’m going to tell you right now, your brand can’t be everything to everyone…and it shouldn’t. Pick 1-2 causes that represent your audience base and focus on making a deeper impact there.

• Build Partnerships: If you’re not a part of the community or the cause you’re targeting, don’t try to speak FOR them. Instead, bring in people who are. Team up with a local influencer or organization to make content or host a workshop, panel discussion, or social event that benefits both of you.

• Get creative with incentives: If you’re supporting a nonprofit, offer exclusive discounts or rewards to customers who donate alongside you. This encourages engagement and boosts your impact.

Remember, authenticity and building genuine connections are key to building long-term customer loyalty.

Click here to read the full article of how Skittles and other brands activated around Pride Month.