If you are a brand marketer thinking, “I’d better get on this Snapchat train before it leaves the station,” please slow down a second and make sure you know what you’re getting into.
With news of Snapchat’s $10 billion valuation, it’s easy to come down with a case of “Shiny Object Syndrome.” But it’s important to have a clear picture of where you’re putting your brand — after all, there’s a reason brands pay a premium to be adjacent to quality content. You are the company you keep.
When Snapchat came onto the scene, it was perceived as little more than a tool for sexting. The reality is that it’s a much more robust platform that’s used for all kinds of visual communication. The content problem, however, is the other advertisers you will be associating your brand with.
McDonalds’s, Taco Bell and even GE are just a few of the brands rushing to Snapchat in an attempt to stake their claim on 10 seconds of millennial mindshare. And Snapchat is now reportedly working on a service called Snapchat Discovery that will make it easier to get ads in front of Snapchat users.
I conducted an experiment and changed my settings to allow anyone to send me snaps on Snapchat. Sure enough, the ads started rolling in. An ad for a fake Rolex was the tamest of the bunch. Ads for penis enlargement pills and “fine big booty girls” were gems.
Snapchat is reportedly making the rounds with brands and agencies…
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