Capitalizing on Curiosity

Posted: January 22, 2015, 3:56 p.m.
by Haley Petrey.

Is Snapchat becoming the new hub for public relations, marketing and advertising? We’ve all seen the Snapchat stories of marathons in New York, the dog show in Philly, and recently, the Kite Festival in India. But, a new phenomenon is crouching around the corner and is ready to pounce: It’s the art of harnessing Snapchat as a medium for sponsored content. McDonald’s is one of the first companies to capitalize on this opportunity.

What makes this medium interesting is the lifespan of the ad itself. The principle behind Snapchat is the ability of your picture message to self-destruct within 10 seconds. But, wouldn’t advertisers, PR pros and marketing masterminds want their work to be perpetual?

In reality, the companies taking advantage of this new medium are playing the game with all the right moves. For example, companies are taking one of the cardinal rules of research, knowing your target audience, and using it to promote themselves and their products. According to AdWeek.com, Snapchat is asking interested brands for $750,000 per day for sponsored Snaps.

At first glance, $750,000 is an outrageous price to pay for a 24-hour sponsored ad that will most likely only be viewed once, right? But just think. That 24-hour ad is sent to every Snapchat user around the world. And according to Forbes.com, that includes about 26 million users. The mystery of “what’s behind this Snap curtain” gets

the best of most people, and they will open it just out of curiosity. How much is the exposure of your company or product worth?

Whoa, now. Let’s not get too aggressive here. Has Snapchat harnessed ads that users WANT to watch? Instead of forcing advertisements on consumers, our curious human nature does the work for them. Now that’s a new concept!