When we talk about talking selfies and stories on our socials, which side are you on? Instagram, Facebook or… Snapchat? When Facebook attempted to buy Snapchat recently, they were rejected despite a whopping bid of $3 billion. In response, Facebook leveraged on their acquisition of Instagram to compete against Snapchat, by launching Instagram stories or what’s widely known at Instastories.
Talk about life’s regrets.
With the purchase, Instagram’s platform soared in terms of the number of users and ads, while Snapchat struggled to keep up. Facebook also launched Facebook Stories to add options for the avid social media users. From there, Snapchat started to look more and more like an Instagram copy instead of the other way around, as they struggled to innovate to pull ahead of its ‘successor’.
Until now.
Snapchat recently launched a gaming platform, similar to WeChat, in an attempt to improve user engagement and move ahead of their rival. They released a series of Snapchat filter games and Augmented Reality (AR) games that users can play on the platform.
Most notably, the AR Tennis game against Serena Williams is a clear sign that Snapchat’s advanced AR technology is going to become their selling point.
Y’all seeing this? Get your chance to battle @serenawilliams – you wont win 😂 but try your best and share your high score. pic.twitter.com/sXuxtImgJI
— Alexis Ohanian 🧠 (@alexisohanian) July 2, 2018
Credit: Alexis Ohanian Sr.
Snapchat games provide an additional tool for businesses to adapt. (YAY!) That is always welcomed for creative people (*wink wink*) to adapt for marketing.
Does Snapchat still matter?
Well, it really depends.
Snapchat numbers have risen steadily over the past year, with more and more youths adopting the platform. We’ve to admit, they’ve got really nice filters. Heh. This means any strategy or business targeting youths have to take Snapchat into serious consideration.
Incorporating gaming has given other platforms (aka Facebook) a boost before and it should do the same for Snapchat.
What can businesses do with this information?
Consider playing around with Snapchat’s functions and ads viewing if you are unfamiliar with the platform. Businesses can also start looking into adapting filters and AR games to help their own cause.
Do keep the demographics of Snapchat in mind while developing and utilising them and tie in to your branding. It will be a waste of marketing dollars otherwise.
If you want to utilise them, and you are having trouble with incorporating into your brand, consult an agency to help you.
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The digital marketing industry has seen massive changes over recent years and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rising factor. Because of the expansion of AI, we are able to study and identify consumer trends when crafting marketing strategies. This is vital, as an effective partnership between AI and digital marketing results in a boost for performance and revenue.
In line with the AI rave, Facebook has acquired the genius startup, GrokStyle. Yes, the social media goliath has acquired the entire team behind the savvy invention. By emerging with a one-of-a-kind invention, Grokstyle has helped multinational corporations communicate with its consumers effectively. Their point-and-search functionality earned recognition when it was added to Ikea’s mobile application, Place.
Beyond enhancing its AI inventions, the social media platform is on a roll to get new technology to contribute to their AI capabilities. Brands and companies can continually adopt new technology to always be ahead in engaging its audience while exploring and tapping into new territories for digital marketing in the near future.
To fully maximise the use of existing social media features, speak to professionals who can craft a thorough strategy just for you.
So how should I utilise AI in my marketing strategies?
AI has evolved to be beneficial to many industries, as seen by Facebook expanding on AI’s creative abilities to enhance their consumers’ experience. How about you?
Rebranding is becoming a more common marketing strategy, which can range from changing business models to a simple logo rebrand. Whether it is to stand out from your competitors or to remove negative associations, rebranding is essentially executed with the purpose to change attitudes and perspectives.
Logo rebranding is a small aspect of rebranding, where brands revamp their logo by changing the name, typeface or visual icon to establish a fresh identity. While it can be simple, there have been questionable attempts that have occurred.
One recent example would be Zara’s recent logo change, that has raised a few eyebrows. By reducing the kerning of the logo, it became less appealing to users, akin to a ‘typography bus crash’.
That being said, there are successful logo rebrands out there that have drawn raves and positive reviews. If you are looking at a logo rebrand, here are our 4 favourite successful examples: