Story: Ashley Wilde and Sarah McDowell
As part of Professor Alan Abitbol’s Online & Digital PR class
May 12, 2014
Since its creation, Snapchat has become one of the most popular mobile apps that can be downloaded to your iPhone or Android smartphone. According to a study by Sumpto, a company that works with approximately 50,000 college students on social media, shows that 77 percent of more than 1,600 college students surveyed use the Snapchat mobile app daily.
The mobile app is used to “chat” or “text” with friends through the use of photos and videos that disappear after around 10 seconds of reading the message. Many believe the main reason for the creation of Snapchat is for “sexting,” or sending nude pictures of yourself to another person. However, it has been shown that less than 2 percent of the student population actually uses Snapchat for this reason.
The biggest advantage of Snapchat is its “self-destructing” capability. No matter what you send, it is erased after approximately 10 seconds of being opened. Although, in some cases, you can re-play the Snapchat if the senders settings allow this option.
In an article titled “Opinion: Shapchat Obsession Distracting, Questionable at Times,” Muyao Shen said, “Snapchat is a no-regret-chat.” This would be true if smartphones did not have the capability of taking a screenshot of images on their phone. However, while you can take screenshots of a Snapchat message, the app actually notifies the sender when the recipient has done so.
In the past, Snapchat has only been utilized for the purpose of communicating with friends through picture and video-like text messages. This has all changed in the last couple of months. Companies such as Victoria’s Secret and Major League Baseball have started to utilize the popular app.
While the majority of companies have utilized the app to advertise their products, Victoria’s Secret has done more than just advertise. Over spring break, Victoria’s Secret decided to utilize Snapchat in a very smart and tactical way. Instead of just advertising its products, employees from Victoria’s Secret went around to popular spring break locations such as Panama City Beach, Fla., and Gulf Shores, Ala., to take Snapchats to let followers know where they will be partying this #PINKSpringBreak.
This idea was genius. It allowed for a company to get involved with college students in a way they never have before. The app allowed for Victoria’s Secret to be on the same level as college students, and it allowed a company to connect with college students and customers in a very personal and engaging manner.
February and March mark spring training for MLB teams and this year the MLB decided to utilize Snapchat. Instead of just posting pictures of spring training activities on Facebook and Twitter, MLB decided to send out videos and pictures of professional teams’ spring training practices to fans through Snapchat.
For the avid baseball fan, this is perfect because it gives fans the feeling that they are experiencing spring training, and they are there to watch and participate in their teams’ practices. Using Snapchat allows MLB to connect with their fans on a more personal level. Since Snapchat is popular within the younger generation utilizing it helps MLB connect with their younger fans.
While MLB utilized Snapchat for spring training, they are still using the app for regular season games. For 0pening day, the MLB Snapchat account sent fans a Snapchat of the Rangers during the game and events. For those who weren’t able to make their team’s opening day, they were able to see a picture and video of the game through the MLB Snapchat account.
The newest additions to the Snapchat bandwagon are colleges and universities. According to TIME, six colleges and universities have started Snapchat accounts within the past six months to impress prospective students. These universities have utilized Snapchat to, “publicize campus events, cheer on athletes in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and – at least in case of an unofficial account run by a college student – build a sense or community at a large, sprawling school.”
Another reason for colleges and universities to utilize Snapchat is to send that all-important “yes” or “no” directly to prospective students directly through Snapchat. Of course, Snapchat doesn’t take the place of a fancy acceptance letter, but to the new generation receiving that “yes” through a Snapchat message would be perceived as “pretty awesome.”
For companies, organizations and colleges/universities, Snapchat has become the newest way to advertise their products and engage with their fans and consumers. Snapchat has also become the best and most productive way to reach millennials. The social media app allows you to connect with this generation using their own language and technology.
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