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Candymaker Mars Inc. recently launched a massive Social Media campaign, cutely titled "Interweb the Rainbow". 

Rather than use one Social Network over another, they launched a full-on assault, using Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia.

Its Twitter account initially was bombarded with off-color tweets. But the online campaign also has drawn more than 1 million fans to Skittles' Facebook page, where they are trading thoughts on everything from Skittles-infused vodka to whether the tart candies are tastier than M&Ms.

The cleverness of the campaign is largely coming from its integrated and interactive approach to Social Media. First they created some catchy videos, then they stormed each Social Media site, turning their skittles homepage into a live feed from that social network.

Check out some of their videos
 

We interview Sydney locals about their use of Social Media and Social Networking sites
 

So, the US has a new President.  And one that is well aware of the potential of Web 2.0.

By targeting Gen-Y through the use of new Social Media platforms like Facebook, mySpace, youTube and Twitter, Obama has succeeded in effectively spreading support for his campaign across the Internet.

Make no mistake - Web 2.0, Social Media and Social Networking are a very real force in the world of PR. Harness those forces, and you will see very real results.

Obama has done just that. From social networking to his blog to his Fight the Smears campaign, Obama has made his Web 2.0 presence known. He has over 1.5 million friends on MySpace and Facebook, and he currently has over 45,000 followers on Twitter. This personal activity in social networks allows him to quickly get the word out across multiple platforms.

Obama has spent millions on his online campaign - from generating revenue indirectly by working out conversion ratios using GoogleAdwords, to sending campaign movements via SMS, and drumming up community support in online communities.

Chris Hughes, one of the founders of Facebook, knows a thing or two about social networking, and has been heading up Obama's campaign. Obama's wooing of the social networking whiz may not have made headlines at the time, but it's been a major factor in Obama's success.

On Oct. 21, for example, Obama raked in more than 84 million views for his YouTube videos while McCain posted 22 million, according to TechPresident, a site that charts Web 2.0 election statistics. Over the past six months, 13,702 Meetup members have used the site to organize offline groups and events to support Obama, while 1,472 members are using it to rally around McCain.

For the seven days ending Oct. 22, Obama was mentioned 10, 291 times in the blogosphere, according to Technorati - which tracks blogs - compared to 3,924 mentions for McCain.

And Hitwise - which tracks Web traffic - noted that Obama was pulling in 67% of all Web traffic directed to presidential candidate sites while McCain was pulling in 32% of that traffic.

Obama has also continued to dominate on Facebook, with 2 million Facebook supporters on Oct. 9, compared McCain's 564,000 for McCain. The Democratic candidate also leads on MySpace, with 749,000 supporters as of Wednesday compared to McCain's 190,000.

Using Viral Marketing can be an incredibly powerful technique to increase exposure for your company. The term was coined by a Harvard Business School professor, Jeffrey Rayport, in an article for Fast Company called "The Virus of Marketing" in December 1996.

The very nature of the internet actually encourages viral marketing techniques - eyegrabbing graphics and animations, and animations will engage a user with your Viral.

And the fact that everything is connected on the web, one corporate blog post, one photo, video or article can spread like a virus.  SO, if you create a campaign targeted to this specific end, your virus can become a very positive thing for your company!

Create something like a Flash Game to engage your user and encourage them to play again and again, then forward that game to their friends, and you've created your viral campaign, something that spreads through the veins of the communication paths of the internet.

Some Typical examples of Viral Marketing avenues and techniques:

+ Social Media channels, such as DIGG, Mixx, and Reddit
+ Social Network sites, such as mySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn
+ Viral Flash Games
+ Email Campaigns
+ Advertising Campaigns and games
+ Interactive Multimedia campaigns, using SMS, Telephony and Internet

These are all classic Web 2.0 techniques - every effective campaign will harness all the potential of the Web 2.0 world.