Starburst’s Facebook fan page had potential to be one of the best resources in the brand’s armory, but it floundered slightly with spam and irregular updates. Starburst wanted to create a community for fans to gather, engage and make Starburst part of their on- and offline lives.

The insight? Millenials don’t like a lot of “marketing” talk. They’re not dumb, and they don’t want to feel like they’re being told what to do. They respond well to a tone of voice reflecting their lifestyle. They want to be heard and, if encouraged, will respond in positive ways.

Using the theme of Starburst’s contradictory nature, we started releasing updates about anything Starburst-related: the various videos, links and simple conversation starters stirred up participation from all types of fans. Monitored comments made the page a safe place where people could share. We also left individualized responses from Starburst to positive comments. This direct channel to and from the brand garnered additional comments and “likes” from fans who wanted their own voice to be acknowledged.

Fan numbers jumped millions since we took control of the page, and every post averaged anywhere from 500,000 to over a million impressions. Participation also increased in a more visible way, with fans sharing photos and videos. Starburst—both the name, and hopefully, the candy—is now on the tips of over 7.5 million fans’ tongues.