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Would You Rather Eat M&M's or Skittles?

partysugar — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:30:39 -0700

Source: Flickr Users Shot_by_Cam and :: Suwaif ::

Skittles Ups the Ante With New Website

YumSugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:32:30 -0800

As the recession has affected consumer buying behaviors, the candy business is seeking to adapt. Mars-owned Skittles is no exception. In an attempt to reach out to the social media set, the fruity candy has completely rebranded its homepage.

Visitors to Skittles' main page are redirected to a search of the word "Skittles" on the microblogging service Twitter. The videos point to wacky Skittles commercials posted on YouTube; a "friends" section connects users to a fan page on social media giant Facebook; an image section leads to Skittles pictures on photo-sharing site Flickr; and those looking for information on Skittles products are connected to user-contributed online encyclopedia Wikipedia.

"Skittles lives in a world that is unexpected," said Carole Walker, VP of integrated marketing communications for Skittles. "We are leveraging what we think are the key consumer social media touch points."

The Skittles site requires users to enter their date of birth, as it doesn't advertise to users under the age of 12. Do you think this strategy to target older audiences will prove to be successful? Or is it too risky to depend on user-generated content? Does it change the way you view Skittles?

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We Tried Chocolate Skittles So You Can Buy Something Else Instead

YumSugar — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:13:51 -0800

Yesterday, my gal BuzzSugar surprised me with a packet of Chocolate Skittles. It was pretty exciting, because not only is it something new, it is also in time for chocolate month.

I heard about this new line of Skittles, but I hadn't actually seen them before. She found them at a local Walgreen's and picked up a pack for us to try.

I'll admit, I was really skeptical before eating these. I imagined them to be a bit odd and sort of so-so. Sadly, I was spot on. There are five flavors inside each pack, and none of them blew me away. They ranged from jelly bean like to Tootsie roll-like. To find out what we thought of each flavor, read more.

Vanilla: These tasted just like vanilla jelly beans (think Easter candy). Also, no one could understand how vanilla made its way into a chocolate mix.

S'mores: There's definitely a toasty marshmallow flavor in here, but I didn't taste the chocolate. It was decent tasting, but someone at the HQ thought it was "like a bad Jelly Belly flavor."

Chocolate Caramel: Once again, no real chocolate flavor. However it was the favorite of more than one person. There's a slight caramely flavor, that was just a tad artificial - although really, are any of these flavors going to be "natural" tasting?

Chocolate Pudding: A lot of people liked this one and thought it tasted just like a cup of pudding. Notice we said cup, like a store-bought pudding cup. Not like real chocolate pudding.

Brownie Bite: This was like the center of a Tootsie-roll pop, only without all the chewyness that makes a Tootsie-roll worth eating. Sort of fudgy, but not great.

Would I buy these again? No, but then they really didn't have much of a chance with me; I'd rather buy a bag of M&Ms or a bag of fruit Skittles, and couldn't see how these were an improvement over either. Yet I can see how, if you were a chocolate fiend, these might just hit the spot. Either way they're worth tasting for yourself, although if you hate them, don't say I didn't warn ya.

Carnival In The Office - Skittles Carnival Reviewed

YumSugar — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 12:13:18 -0700

When I heard about the new limited edition Carnival Skittles (thanks for the tip candyblog!), I knew I'd have to try them. Luckily my local 7-11 had them in stock, so I purchased a pack and rounded up the recruits for a quick taste test.

The pack was a nice bright yellow color with five flavors inside. Here's what we thought of them:

Red Licorice (red): Tasted suprisingly like red licorice, although the texture was wrong with that flavor. No one could figure out why you'd want to eat red licorice skittles over actual real red licorice. Quote that sums it up: "Why would you make candy that tastes like candy?"

Bubble Gum (pink): This one tasted exactly like what you'd expect. It also has a similar texture, and is a bit odd when it disappears. Quote that sums it up: "Tastes exactly like Bazooka Joe bubble gum."

To see what we thought of the other three flavors, read more

Cotton Candy (teal): I thought it shouldn't have been blue, but was out-voted. It was nice like spun sugar, but I couldn't quite figure out which flavor it was. Quote that sums it up: "Tastes like a circle lollipop." (You'll have to ask Molly to explain that one)

Green Slushy (lime green): We all agreed, this one should have been named "Margarita" instead. Quote that sums it up: "When's happy hour?" Oh and surprisingly, although a geek did not know the flavor choices, he was able to identify it as "slushy" flavored.

Candy Apple (pale yellow): This was my personal favorite. It was sweet, yet slightly tart, sort of like apple flavored mentos. However, I'm not sure it was "candy apple" flavored - candy apple makes me think of those sticky red apples that are sort of just sugary tasting - but it was delicious. Quote that sums it up: "I could eat a whole pack of those."

In the end we thought they "nailed it" - the flavors definitely tasted like the flavors they said they were. Our biggest complaint that was if you took a handful, the flavor combo wasn't so great. However I personally thought that meant they "nailed that" too. I mean, have you ever mixed stuff at the carnival? Not exactly pleasant either.

Overall we'd eat them again, but we wouldn't choose them over the regular flavor. If it was a bag of the candy apple only, well then that might be a different story...

Yummy Link: Carnival Flavored Skittles

YumSugar — Tue, 08 May 2007 02:08:19 -0700

Seems like there's a new "limited edition" candy flavor just about every day. This time it's Limited Edition Carnival Flavor Skittles. There are five flavors: Cotton Candy, Bubble Gum, Candy Apple, Red Licorice and Green Slushy. - Candyblog

10 Nostalgic Candies to Remember

YumSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:50:31 -0700

This time of year, it's impossible to walk into any office or store without candy bowls full of M&M's, candy corn, or homemade candy begging to be eaten. Skittles and Starburst may dominate doorsteps today, but that wasn't always the case; an entirely different subset of confections were popular in the first half of the 20th century. Although many of them have faded into oblivion, a few old favorites can still be found on candy shelves today. Here are a handful we can't resist reminiscing about.

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Happy Hour: Jade Cocktail

YumSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:00:45 -0700

Last week's candy corn cordial and slime rickey were such a playful way to get in the spirit of Halloween that I couldn't wait to continue on with the fun.

This drink's day-glo-green hue hints at just the right amount of macabre without being too kitschy. It's also a last relic of the now-defunct Jade Bar, formerly one of my favorite haunts in San Francisco.

With a punchy melon flavor that resembles a lime Skittle, it'd be a great adult substitute for trick or treating. Interested in this ghoulish gulp? Then keep reading for the recipe.

Who Put Gum in My Candy Bar?

YumSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:11:19 -0700

This morning Mars Inc - makers of M&Ms, Snickers, Skittles, and more - announced that it would buy gum manufacturer Wrigley for $23 billion. If you recall, the Wrigley company recently announced new packaging and flavors, in order to help sluggish gum sales.

The deal will create the world's largest confectionary company, and could possibly force Hershey's and Cadbury to join forces - there's been previous rumors of these two combining in the past.

The Wrigley portion of the company will continue to run as an independent unit, and it will be helmed by current Chairman Bill Wrigley. The deal is seen as a win-win on both parts, as Wrigley will now have a bigger infrastructure to help them with marketing and distribution. The interesting foodie tidbit is that current nonchocolate Mars brands - Starburst, Skittles, etc. - will now become part of the Wrigley portfolio.

So tell me, what do you think of these two powerhouses joining forces? Do you care if it is one giant company? Do you think it will affect the way the candy tastes?

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Fabulous Favor Idea: Color-Coded Candy

partysugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:00:35 -0700

Last night I went to a fashion party at Carrots with FabSugar, and I came across the cutest favor idea: color-coded candy! The boutique always decorates in orange and they carried the theme over to create a gorgeously delectable candy spread. I plan on re-creating the idea for an upcoming party. You can, too! To learn how, read more.

Start by collecting an assortment of clear, glass vases in different sizes and shapes. Cheap vases can be found at Michaels and Ikea.
Pick out a bunch of candy in the same color. For example, if red is the color for your bridal shower get skittles, red M&Ms, red starbursts, red malt balls, Hot Tamales, red licorice, etc. Heading to a local candy shop is a great way to get inspired or check out the Halloween aisle of your favorite drugstore.
Fill the vases with the candy, one sweet per vase.
Arrange the vases on a large table. Place some on stacks of magazines or turned-over bowls to add depth to the display.
Stack empty white Chinese takeout containers nearby.
Invite guests to take home a container of candy!

Wouldn't a color-coded candy display be fabulous fun at a baby shower or wedding?!

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What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 08:03:31 -0800

This week we talked about food and films, we tasted chocolate Skittles, and we cooked up some tasty treats. If you missed anything then check out the week that was, just click "Start Slideshow" below.

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