Snapchat is a mobile-only, photo-based, youth-oriented and fast-growing social media network. It reportedly has reached 200 million users. The average user visits the app anywhere from 14 to 22 times per day.
Its uniqueness is its ephemeral nature. Users have 10 seconds to view a photo or video. Posts vanish after they are viewed and there’s no archive, a feature that’s popular among teen-aged girls snapping nude photos of themselves. Brands that start building a fan base on Snapchat now will have a head start, some experts predict. As happened with other social media networks, Snapchat will inevitably improve its services for advertisers.
Here’s some creative examples curated from around the Web of how brands have used Snapchat.
Taco Bell. The company launched its Spicy Chicken Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos with one of the first Snapchat Stories. It filmed its six-minute mini-movie of a scene on the red carpet of the MTV Movie Awards. As the first shots were being posted, other shots were still being photographed. The combination of Snapchat, Doritos tacos, MTV and movie stars made an extraordinary success.
World Wildlife Fund. Its campaign, designed to raise awareness about endangered and threatened species, turns the fleeting Snapchat images into a metaphor for endangered species. The photos include messages like “Don’t let this be my #lastSelfie.”
In an integrated campaign, marketers described the campaign in a YouTube video.
NBA. The National Basketball Association used the Snapchat Stories feature to boost interest in Kevin Durant’s Most Valuable Player award. With three photos, the NBA created a story to encourage fans to watch Durant accept the award on NBATV.com and NBA.com
GrubHub.com, an online food ordering company, promoted an intern with “Snapchat Skillz.” Using the Snapchat Stories feature, GrubHub posted a six image photo slideshow to explain how interested candidates can apply with a snap of their best doodle.
Audi. During Super Bowl XLVIII, Audi worked with satire website The Onion to post humorous photos and captions of people and pets during the Super Bowl. The photos may not have directly sold more cars, but they reportedly increased Audi’s Snapchat following by more than 5,500 during the game.
Mountain Dew. Mountain Dew promoted the launch of new flavors of its Kickstart Morning Drink just before the Super Bowl. The day before the game, it launched Kickstory, a real-time, “fan-driven,” Snapchat story featuring web celebrities Jerry Purpdrank and D-Trix. It also posted content on Vine, YouTube and Twitter. Fans were encouraged to vote for what happened next in the story by taking screenshots.
McDonald’s. McDonald’s advertised its “Pay With Lovin” promotion during the Super Bowl. The company launched simultaneous Twitter and Snapchat during the game, synchronizing them with its television ads in what may have been a marketing first.
The short Snapchat promotion showed three friends on a couch watching football and reflecting on the Pay With Lovin’ promotion. The friends were doing what most McDonald’s customers were doing at the time: sitting on a couch.
Bottom Line: The unique attributes and ephemeral nature of Snapchat visuals require original marketing approaches. The campaigns of early adopters haven’t produced a truly breakthrough success. In due course, some brand will create a truly “wow” campaign on Snapchat – prompting others to utilize Snapchat for marketing. As in most all marketing channels, one-off ads are unlikely to work well. Only a sustained campaign will produce measurable success.
Resources
5 Creative Ways Brands Are Using Snapchat
Convince & Convert
Here’s What Innovative Brands Did on Snapchat for the Super Bowl
Marketing Land
How 12 Brands Used Snapchat
Fast Company
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
