There goes the neighborhood!

The biggest kick any technology blogger, especially an advertising technology blogger, can get is affirmation that their insights are on the right track! In one of my earlier articles “(Location! Location! Location!” – July 28, 2009) I espoused the virtues of Internet “Real Estate”. In order to grab more of the public’s eye in cyberspace you have to go to where they go, i.e., the web sites with the most user density. By establishing relationships with sites like Google, Yahoo, MySpace, etc., you simply stand a better chance of getting the eyeballs you need, to see the things you want them to see.

Well it seems the candy mogul Mars Incorporated, nee Wrigley, have been technology pundits since “modern” advertising was invented. There’s a reason why every healthy red blooded American for the last 4 or 5 generations knows “they melt in your mouth, not in your hands!” How many ad campaigns you know have lasted for over 65 years (MMs were introduced to American GIs during World War II precisely because it was chocolate that melted in your mouth not in your hands).

To their credit, the Mars Corporation have been pioneers in technology for years. But their latest and greatest idea deserves special kudos for both insight and far-sightedness. Their Skittles website takes my concept (unbeknownst to them) and took it one step further. Instead of just cozying up to prime cyber-space real estate, staking out a claim and building their own, they use everybody else’s stake in the ground. Rent free.  In other words, instead of building thier own from scratch, they use other sites as their own.

At first this my seem unethical but in 3D cyberspace, its just the opposite. Its a “win-win” for everybody. Not only am I bowled over by that delightful concept but there is double affirmation of my own views to boot. The key that Mars/Wrigley used to open the door to Internet Nirvhanna is our old friend the “widget” (“We’re off to see the Widgit” – June 23, 2009).  For approximately 320×260 pixels of flash real estate, skittles.com provides access to the ulitmate chat group (Twitter), the ultimate friends page (Facebook) and the ultimate product catalog (Wikipedia) and the ultimate media-center (YouTube). In so doing, Skittles has not only leaped onto the Internet’s “beachfront” property but did it all for the cost of a simple “widget”. Its “win-win” because now, not only does all those skittle lovers have access to those hundreds of millions of Internet users, the Facebookees, Twitterers, and Wikipediates, but Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia now have all those “Skittelites” as part of their world as well.

Unfortunately, with such a low price tag for such valuable real estate, the beachfront is bound to get awful crowded awful fast! But thats a future consideration. For now, bon chance Skittles!