Given that Snapchat is largely used by a millennial/Gen-Z audience, it’s the perfect platform to connect with these groups, creating brand affinity from a young age, says Sarah Mayo, marketing director at FreemanXP EMEA.
“At the same time, it’s important to consider whether Snapchat is relevant to the guests you’re looking to target,” she says, explaining that other similar video-led platforms may be more suitable.
May Au, business development director at MCI Hong Kong, suggests that event planners can take advantage of Snapchat’s 24-hour story function, where stories can be viewed within 24 hours before they expire, to share exclusive promotions and perks to followers.
She adds that companies are also taking advantage of the platform to offer ‘behind-the-scenes’ footage to followers, enabling them to promote the element of ‘exclusivity’ by offering a first look at new products or remote access to trade shows.
Planners can also take advantage of Snapchat’s pre-designed filters or customise their own. “This allows you to promote your event, message or brand to your delegates, so whatever your message, you can creatively weave this into a medium that requires active participation, driving engagement,” says Cate Carpenter, global head of marketing at cievents.
Michael Kaltenhauser, executive creative director at digital marketing agency Astronaut, a member of the Pico Group, highlights how brands have used the app successfully by focusing on being fun and creative, not taking themselves too seriously.
“This means it is better to keep branding low,” he says. “One example of this is the Taco Bell filter, which did not feature any logo but just let people change their head into a taco.”
He adds that using time or geolocation-related functions for Snapchat activities can also drive engagement. “There are great examples of filters triggered only at a certain location or at a certain time, like the latest Mission: Impossible campaign which had 24-hour challenges and, of course, self-destructing messages.”