Skittles and Arizona Iced Tea have become symbols in the most talked about news this year, the Trayvon Martin case, regarding a 17-year-old Florida teen who was shot and killed Feb. 26 returning from the store to buy candy and a drink. After being thrust into national media attention, both companies have expressed their condolences for the family of Trayvon Martin and addressed accusations of commercial gain stemming from his death.George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old neighborhood watch captain, shot and killed Martin with a Kel-Tec 9mm handgun in defense, as he believed the teen was up to no good, though Martin was armed only with Skittles and Arizona Iced Tea, found on him after he was pronounced dead.Since the story gained national attention through social media, even from President Barack Obama, Skittles and Arizona Iced Tea have been key symbolic elements in the many protests and demonstrations on behalf of Trayvon Martin. In many grassroots movements for Martin, Skittles and Arizona Iced Tea, along with the hooded sweatshirt or hoodie worn by Martin, have become iconic in the case.

Participants in the Million Hoodie March in New York City and Los Angeles carried the three items and were encouraged by celebrity Spike Lee to Send bags of skittles to the Sanford Chief of Police, demanding that George Zimmerman be brought to justice.Everyone Wear A Hoodie Tomorrow &' Bring Skittles &' A Arizona To Show Respect To Trayvon Martin . #SpreadTheWord, wrote Twitter user J_Marks_ThaSpot.This Trayvon Martin thing has got me eating Skittles> non-stop, wrote Twitter user anthonyjeselnik.Skittles and Arizona Iced Tea serve as comfort for some who felt the ruling in the case was unjust or as a tribute to Martin, posting photos of themselves on social media websites with the items. However, many have expressed aversion to the commercial nature of the symbolism, offering an explanation that the companies have profited from the death of the Florida teen....I bet throughout the entire Trayvon Martin case their sales increase. Google skittles> and see what I'm talking about. Free advertising, wrote Twitter user Melod1Q.This whole Trayvon thing just making Skittles and Arizona richer - That's all y'all doing - The black dude gets killed and ppl make more $$, wrote Twitter user Adisa_SF2D.

Thrust into the spotlight from critics who believe Skittles and Arizona Iced Tea have profited from the death of the teen, the companies finally spoke out regarding their roles in the case amidst accusations of commercial gain.First, Wrigley, a division of Mars Inc. and the maker of Skittles.We are deeply saddened by the news of Trayvon Martin's death and express our sincere condolences to his family and friends, Wrigley spokesperson Jennifer Jackson-Lut said in a statement. altair hoodieWe also respect their privacy and feel it inappropriate to get involved or comment further as we would never wish for our actions to be perceived as an attempt of commercial gain following this tragedy.boston bruins fleece fabric for saleSimilarly, Arizona Beverage Co. based in Cincinnati, Oh. best one urban wear temecula ca

addressed the case as well in a statement to HLN.Arizona Iced Tea would like to express our sincere sympathies to Trayvon's family and friends, global communications director Jackie Harrington told HLN. At this time, we will make no further comment as we wish to respect the family's privacy and grieving time and feel it is inappropriate to become involved in a private family matter.Still, others on Twitter are not happy with just a statement acknowledging the teen's death.@Skittles are you going to donate some of the money or start a foundation with the money you have made from this travesty? god tier hoodies for salewrote Twitter user ForTheByrdz.You have to wonder if @DrinkAriZona & @skittles would even donate a portion of the profits they've gained from this #TrayvonMartin case? boston bruins fleece blanket sale

wrote Twitter user AhmedistheOne.Food SweatshirtsGraphic SweatshirtsGraphic SweatersFood ShirtsSweater SwagSweater WellSweater 65Skittles SweatshirtSkittles SweaterForwardSkittles Sweater well i think i can buy this one just 65.00 dollars!!! lol to much money lol“You get trained if someone dies eating your product, but I don’t think anyone has been through training for something like this,” said Beth Gallant, a marketing professor at Lehigh University who has worked as a brand manager for Nabisco, Kraft, Pfizer and Crayola.mindless behavior hoodie Like Twinkies — whose poor nutritional value ended up as a legal defense in the 1978 murders of the San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone, and Flavor Aid, the powdered drink that the cult leader Jim Jones laced with cyanide to kill more than 900 people in Guyana that same year — Skittles has now entered the elite world of food products that have become symbols through no fault of their own.dope chef hoodie for sale

For its part, Wrigley has chosen to make only a subdued statement about its product, saying the company is deeply saddened, respects the family’s privacy and feels “it inappropriate to get involved or comment further as we would never wish for our actions to be perceived as an attempt of commercial gain following this tragedy.”A spokeswoman, Jennifer Jackson Luth, would not comment on the impact of Skittles’s sudden popularity on profits. Skittles was already an immensely successful product. The chewy fruit-flavored pellets began as a British import in 1979 and are now the most popular candy among teenagers and younger children, second only to Starburst in overall sales of chewy candy. But with a new level of popularity come problems.“There is this moment where as a brand manager you think, ‘Oh my God, this is bigger than we are,’ ” said Heidi Hovland, a senior partner at Fleishman-Hillard in New York whose client list includes Hyatt Hotels, Barnes & Noble and several food companies.

On social media sites like Twitter, people are suggesting that Wrigley is profiting greatly from the tragedy and should donate money made since Trayvon’s death to the family or causes that would help with racial reconciliation or underprivileged communities. Some African-Americans are even asking people to stop buying Skittles until the company gets more involved in the case and donates money.“I think we are at a dangerous position where we can make Wrigley richer,” said Rashad Moore, 22, president of the chapel assistants at Morehouse College.Weldon McWilliams, a professor of African-American studies at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, said Wrigley should invest in communities where “murder based on stereotypes is a reoccurring theme.” If they do not, African-Americans should not be promoting the product, Dr. McWilliams said. “I completely understand the symbolism, but let’s re-examine what we’re doing,” he said. “Will Wrigley’s reinvest that rise in profit that they see?

I’m highly skeptical of that.” For Deanna Smith, a retired teacher who brought her 12-year-old granddaughter to a march for the Martin family in Atlanta this week, it is merely about standing up against racism. She also brought a big bag of Skittles. She does not mind that the company is making money from her purchase. The cause is more important.“He was so innocent,” she said. “Just getting candy from the store.”And after the march, they ate the Skittles. “There was no reason to let candy go to waste,” she said.Crisis management and public relations experts who are watching the Skittles situation unfold say the company has taken the right initial stance.“Wrigley’s is playing it exactly as I expect they would — they make a quiet statement and just sit back and let this thing unfold,” said Amy Stern, vice president of Bender Hammerling Group, a public relations company that does work with several large food companies.“The fact is, this is bringing their brand name to the forefront,” she said.

“It’s becoming its own social media campaign, and that’s a windfall for the company. But you have to step carefully. It is too soon for Wrigley to decide if it will use money from its foundation to support causes linked to Trayvon’s death, said Stephanie Childs, a former crisis manager for ConAgra Foods who helped the company through the salmonella contamination of its Peter Pan peanut butter brand and has also worked with its charitable foundation.“Any time you are dealing with a legal case, it adds a level of complexity that is a challenge to work with, especially when you are indirectly involved,” she said.She and others say the company will take a hit no matter how it handles the situation. If it donates money, people will criticize it for being not enough. If it speaks publicly, people will say they are capitalizing on it. And it will all be played out so much faster because of social media. How well Skittles will fare is uncertain, but Ms. Hovland and others believe the impact on the brand will be short-lived.