Well, another Valentine’s Day has come and gone. This year, Skittles and its army of Facebook followers schemed up a special surprise for one lucky lady—and she really could’ve used it. It’s part of the brand’s ongoing Mob the Rainbow experiment. This was a way to mobilize the candy’s 3.7 million fans for fun, on-brand web antics, actively engaging this base without forcing it.

The plot was simple: bombard an unassuming meter maid (loathed on a daily basis) with boatloads of love. The “mob” was encouraged to make her day by creating valentines either online or sending them through the post office. Skittles delivered more than 3,000 messages en mass on February 14th, camera in tow. The brand, no stranger to quirky new media tactics, caused a stir in the past with its heavily social web efforts.

Skittles not only knows how to corral a large audience, it knows what to do with one. A fan base on Facebook can’t be overwhelmed—the interruption becomes irritating. Instead, it must be groomed and maintained through activities and other engaging features. So spread the love—to a meter maid and to your audience.

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