I am a college student. I live a college lifestyle with unpredictable sleeping hours, waking hours and nights where it is possible that I don't sleep at all. During the night, it's possible that myself and my friends (who are also college students) send these entertaining little pieces of technology called Snapchats. My classmate Julie Eley wrote a blog last week discussing some problems she had with Snapchat, including the anticipation of opening a purple box with a video and a limited character count to send photo messages. But when I opened a strange blue box this morning that had the video above in it, I knew that the Snapchat game had changed.
According to the official Snapchat blog, the strange blue box is a new addition to Snapchat called Snapchat Stories. Users can add snaps together to a story that includes photos and videos, merging the two mediums that snaps can be created from. But the most shocking part of this new update, other than the fact that iOS and Android were updated together for the first time ever? Snapchat Stories can be viewed for 24 hours.
Yes, you read that correctly. 24 hours.
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| Photo Credit: TechCrunch |
Snapchat demonstrated itself how this new technology revolutionizes the smart phone app. By teaming with different bands to announce the release of Snapchat Stories, Snapchat has officially introduced the concept of direct marketing to its users and changed how corporations and businesses will use the technology.
According to TechCrunch, businesses have used Snapchat to send coupons to users, but the 10 second view that Snapchat limited pictures to made the idea a little difficult to deal with. Now, businesses will be able to add their Snapchat Story to the timeline and customers will be able to access the coupon until the 24 hour time period is up. But will the use end there? Snapchat is now becoming competitive against Vine and Instagram, creating a timeline that is more than empty boxes that can never be accessed again. Businesses have adopted Vine and Instagram to communicate with consumers. The St. Louis Cardinals have created their own Instagram video series while Dunkin' Donuts and Trident Gum have used Vine to create entire commercials. Taco Bell and e-retailer Karmaloop have already been using Snapchat to interact with fans of their brands, sending videos and pictures of products to their ever-growing young adult fan base.
How long until other larger businesses adopt Snapchat as part of their strategy of accessing the 18 to 24-year-old demographic? Will this change how public relations professionals view Snapchat? If you are a Snapchat user, what do you think of this new technology?
Now, excuse me while I play with Snapchat Stories the rest of the day. Want to see my story? Add me on Snapchat, my username is bholland93.
I thnk that Apps like these are changing the relationship between the consumer and the company. It gives the consumer the freedom to post videos and express themeselves and they also get to see themselves on a commercial. I think that it's cool to be using popular Apps to create a better relaionships between consumers and companys.
ReplyDeleteI do think that larger businesses will adopt Snapchat as part of their strategy. I think that they will possibly send 24 hour coupons, much like a flash sale for users that follow them. I do think that this will change how public relations professionals view Snapchat because it has entered the competition between Vine and Instagram. As a Snapchat user, I love this new technology. Though, I haven't used it myself yet.
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