Since the dawn of man, brands have been trying to attract attention.
Well, you know what i mean… a LONG time. With the advent of social media and mobile screens, a brand now has to do more than attract… it has to INVOLVE you.
So, enter sponsored Geo Lenses on SnapChat. Simply, the ability for you to add some nifty graphic or feature to your Snap, courtesy of some very thoughtful brand who wants you to have a great story, get a laugh and empower you to wow your friends. All while willingly promoting their brand, initiative or product.
During the Superbowl, Gatorade let Snappers get the Gatorade Shower. Something that only a winning coach used to experience.
This simple addition (while costly to a brand) puts the consumer in a branded wrapper, willingly, so that they can either one up or be like their friends and followers. Thats why it matters.
A brand who wants to succeed in social media needs to understand what empowerment and value mean. A simple Geo Lense, like the one below lets me participate, as well as have a brand experience, something that was once relegated to a photobooth at an event that i probably didn't get invited to.
Now, add the lastest news that Viacom will have exclusive third-party rights to directly sell advertising surrounding Snapchat’s owned and operated content. This will include pop-up “Live Stories” that cull together posts from users in specific geographic locations or during a holiday. This is huge. Branded experiences are a hit, advertising is a miss. So, let the games begin with branded content, blended with our pressing need to selfie our every move.
I’m @broadbandito just about everywhere online, (except on Snapchat) follow me and let me know how you are interacting with branded content and how it makes you feel.
Snap.
Tracy Shea is the Chief Digital Officer at Lippe Taylor.
