Say hello to Snapchat; the app where you can stalk celebrities, view
seconds of your friend’s life, create your own story, video chat, text
and even read the daily news. Originally seen as a sexting app, the
multibillion dollar valuation has evolved tremendously over the years.
At first, I didn’t find Snapchat that amusing: I mean, all it did was
take pictures and send them to friends…and that’s what Instagram was
for. But with all of the new updates, it’s hard not to become obsessed
with it. In one small app, you can view someone’s life just as it is
happening without even having to hang out with them!
Now,
Snapchat is taking their success to the next level and is advertising
with companies such as McDonald’s, Taco Bell, General Electric and South
Patch Kids, showing movie trailers and airing live music festivals all
over the world. One example comes from last week’s Father’s Day. Thanks
to the Ted 2 geofilter on Father’s Day, I’ve known for a week
that Ted 2 is coming out on theaters June 26th. Imagine how many people
are going to be lined up Thursday night to watch the talking teddy bear
movie sequel due to this small addition to Snapchat. Let’s face it, Gen Y
barely watches television anymore. With Hulu and Netflix, we are
limited to movie commercials. Ted 2 definitely took advantage of a way to reach their targeted demographic.
Over
the weekend, I also discovered the new McDonald’s geofilter that is
available whenever you’re near the golden arches. The raining fries and
“Lovin’ Summer Fun” instantly caught my attention. With 45 percent of
Snapchat users between the age of 18 and 24, McDonald’s knows just how
to capture their audience.
Snapchat has risen to the top of the
social media spectrum. The company is said to have about 30 million
active users and claims
that people send and view more than 700 million pictures and 500 million
“stories” that allow brands to create longer narratives that last 24
hours a day. Something that once seemed so limited has turned into an
unlimited branding opportunity. What’s next – free giveaways for lucky
Snapchat winners?
~ Stephanie Chasi, Summer Associate, The S3 Agency
