The Innovation of Snapchat Advertising

By Anna Barden | @awbarden

Where consumers go, advertising will follow. That’s why it takes less and less time for social media platforms to go without being decorated with advertisements these days. Instagram and Snapchat, though already a few years old, are still programming ways to make advertisements fit best among the apps. For Snapchat, this meant announcing the launch of a new advertising API (application programming interface) in June of this year, which brands are now cashing in on big time.

The long-awaited API will now “hook up” more than 20 tech-minded companies. For the first time, the app allows ads to be sold by third parties, and will have two kinds of collaborators: ad partners and creative partners. Ad partners will develop software for buyers, and creative partners will have content experience and expertise of Snapchat’s vertical screen format. Some ad partners include Social Code, Unified and Adaptly. Creative partners include Matte Finish, Stun Creative and The 88, to name a few.

Snapchat’s chief strategy officer, Imran Khan, explains, “different marketers have different objectives, and we just want to make it easier for them to buy ads on the platform.”

Some of the first brands to take advantage of the new API include Nordstrom, McDonald’s, Gatorade and Unilever. The technology and analytics of the API allow companies to see who is viewing their ads and how they can more personally target them, which many more brands are now seriously cashing in on.

Photo Credit: AdWeek

In addition to the new API, Snapchat has teamed up with brands like NBC and Chipotle to produce what can best be described as Snapchat television. The NBC shows “The Voice,” “Saturday Night Live” and “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” have been featured on the app with short spots as well as Chipotle, which has launched a series called “School of Guac,” which is set to air on Tuesday afternoons.

Credit: AdWeek

These interactive innovations in marketing via Snapchat are beneficial for both Snap, Inc. and the brands associated, as they are unique to the platform and tell more of a “story” than advertising on other platforms...and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

Which brand would you like to see more of on Snapchat? Tweet @socialmediadel and let us know!