Skedaddle from a Skittles No-Win

There are public relations situations in which a retailer could make things worse no matter what the retailer does or does not do. Often, the least bad alternative in such situations is to promptly move away for a while. This gives time for emotions in the marketplace to cool so that when the retailer does take action, the public’s response will not be so reflexive or extreme. Moving away also gives you, the retailer, time to strategize.
     A recent New York Times article provides an example of this sort of thing from the world of candy. It’s the case of Trayvon Martin’s Skittles. Mr. Martin is the teenager killed by a Florida crime watch volunteer. The case has drawn broad accusations that racial prejudice is behind the killing and the subsequent police response.
     At the time of the shooting, one of the few items Mr. Martin had with him was a package of Skittles. Now people are buying Skittles to display as a protest. Those selling the candy are profiting. Shouldn’t they be giving the extra money to racial reconciliation programs?, some people are asking. A professor of African-American studies at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is quoted as saying that, because of the added publicity for Skittles, Wrigley should donate funding to communities where, “murder based on stereotypes is a reoccurring theme.”
     According to the NYT article, Wrigley has not responded to these demands, instead issuing a statement saying, “…we would never wish for our actions to be perceived as an attempt of commercial gain following this tragedy.” A spokesperson for the business declined comment about the impact on profits from the involvement of Skittles in reports of Mr. Martin’s death.
     Considering a consumer psychology perspective, the Wrigley response is wise. Later, Wrigley’s might do well to donate money to causes logically related to the Trayvon Martin incident. How much money would be seen by consumers as enough, while not exploiting the situation? That decision might depend on the degree to which the death ends up being viewed as racially motivated.
     Prior to serving as the name of an import from Britain which has become a highly popular candy treat among American teenagers, “skittles” referred to a British game many of us would call “bowling.” Handle a “Skittles No-Win” incorrectly and your profitability might get bowled over. Handle it with a deft skedaddle and you might strike it richer.

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