Snapchat is undoubtedly the rising star of the Social Media world, with their unique blend of ephemeral content and news stories, they’ve tapped into the needs of millennials in a way no other platform has – no matter how hard they might try (Instagram Stories, we’re looking at you!).By 2021, Snapchat usage has been predicted to outweigh that of Facebook’s, showing just how strongly performing the platform is. In the UK, 69% of us send at least one private message per month using the platform, 10% higher than the average in the rest of the world. UK users are also more likely to drink alcohol but less likely to drive; we must love showing off about our nights out rather than our travels.With the rising debate of Snapchat vs. Instagram Stories, we heard from two brands, Adidas and Pepsi-Co, on how they’ve been utilising the exposure that Snapchat can bring and just how important it’s been for their brand.Adidas have been focusing on three ways to utilise the channel; paid media advocacy, open sourcing influencers and publishing stories. The first of these, paid media advocacy, can be gained through geo-filters, paid lenses and paid filters. For example, Adidas have a geo-filter at their flagship store on Fouberts Place, which has gained over 100,000 views. They’ve also used sponsored lenses to promote the launch of the Olympic kit and have integrated paid filters into their campaigns.A large part of Adidas’ social media strategy is to on-board influencers, gaining exposure through their links with high profile sportspeople or advocates of the brand, e.g. Stormzy. On Snapchat, they regularly place products with these influencers, but get them to post genuine content where the brand isn’t necessarily at the forefront. Adidas strongly believe that a brand is what people say it is, not what the brand themselves or influencers say it is.To gain maximum exposure, Adidas combine strategies, creating geo-filters for influencers, for them to use during specific events which are linked to the brand. Here, there is no need for a brand Snapchat channel to be set up, but you can capitalise on the opportunity of exposure whilst on-boarding influencers.Finally, Adidas have brand channels for Adidas Originals and Adidas Football, and they have utilised these specifically to create momentum for campaigns, giving users more live content and a behind-the-scenes look. Here, content is planned out using story boards before the event to ensure that all key images and moments are captured. Although this takes more investment, Adidas have seen that organic views can be tough to build but retention on Snapchat is really high in comparison to other channels.Pepsi-Co have taken a slightly different approach to Snapchat, and have instead focused on sponsored lenses, using these to gain exposure for a variety of their brands and products, including Pepsi Cherry, Lipton Ice Tea and Doritos. They’ve worked closely with the Snapchat development teams and have been one of the first brands to trial technology on a sponsored lens, such as having two movement CTAs in one lens. Here, they’ve found that Snapchat can have huge reach, allowing them to add another dimension to their marketing campaigns.It’s interesting to note that two brands have found that even without a brand channel, they’ve utilised opportunities to gain exposure and reach on the platform. Considering this in the Snapchat vs. Instagram Stories debate, where many edge towards backing Instagram Stories as they already have a pre-built audience on the channel, but perhaps the real opportunity lies in the un-tapped audience on Snapchat.
