Ready or Not – It’s ⚠️Time to BeReal ⚠️

Today, social media is governed by filters, algorithms, and influencers – authenticity is something of the past and gone are the days when our feeds were full of our friends’ and family’s candid snapshots. Instead, we have brands battling it out for our attention via sponsored ads and overly curated content across every established social media platform.

But all is not lost, with the rise of apps like BeReal, promising “a new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life.” (Tufts Observer)

Is this the start of a new, unfiltered social media era?

The Antidote to Imperfect Perfection

It’s no secret that BeReal prides itself on spontaneity – it’s the anti-Instagram approach on how we present ourselves to the world through social media. Every day, users will randomly receive a notification, asking them to take a photo from their front and rear camera and share it within a brief two-minute window. Wherever they are, whenever it is, it’s a moment of real life.

Say goodbye to filters and pre-planned photoshoots, this new photo-sharing app gives people the opportunity to BE REAL, which is what the world needs now more than ever.

The Gen Z dream come true

According to Apptopia, BeReal has been downloaded over 43 million times since its launch in December 2019, with a whopping 41 million of those installs having taken place in this calendar year alone.

Who is the demographic most likely to be fuelling these downloads? None other than Gen Z, with over 80% of its iPhone user base aged 16-24 – it’s clear that there is now less demand for Meta’s once popular platforms.

Given Meta’s track record of replicating key features from its competitors, it’s only a matter of time before we see these BeReal-style filters across plenty of other social media platforms.

Will it fizzle or rise to fame?

Of course, for Meta to incorporate BeReal’s unique approach to photo sharing, the rising star of social media will first have to prove it’s not just another short-lived trend.

We all remember Clubhouse, the audio-only app that rose to fame in 2020, when lockdowns were still a thing and a new way to connect was welcomed by many. The invite-only app gained popularity at rapid speed, and BeReal is set to copy this quick ascend to social stardom.

Just like Clubhouse, the interest in Gen Z’s new favourite way to share their everyday lives could fizzle out quickly. Users are reporting many technical issues, and there is a chance that the monotony of mundane snapshots will soon lose its appeal and users will go back to their filter-fuelled ways. For now, however, it’s a bandwagon worth jumping on for many – especially for brands looking for ways to connect with a younger and more influential audience.

Authentic connections

In a recent study by Meta, it was revealed that Millennials and Gen Z suffer from a serious case of “perfection fatigue.” Polished, big-budget marketing campaigns are a thing of the past – brands are advised to “embrace a lo-fi, mobile-shot style that's more human, relatable and imperfect” to resonate with a younger target audience.

BeReal’s candid nature lends itself to this refreshing approach. In fact, there are currently no paid advertising options on the app that prides itself on being the antidote to modern day social media. It seems brands that want to use the platform in a promotional manner need to come up with creative yet subtle ways to do so that grab people’s attention.

Take fast food chain Chipotle, for example. As one of the first big brands to join BeReal, it has come up with unique ways to engage with their audience. In order to inspire purchases through the Chipotle app, they have taken to posting candid snapshots of their food with promo codes for free entrées, which proved a huge hit among their followers – or “friends” – on the platform.

The Human Touch

Overall, BeReal is a great platform for brands that want to engage with their audience in a way that feels relatable and authentic with no fluff. It’s the perfect opportunity to create behind-the-scenes content or short-lived promotions and can help humanise brands that are open to showing themselves in an unpolished way. We believe this authenticity is the way forward for anyone that values realness over glitz and glamour.