2015: The Year of Snapchat?

Snapchat is already wildly popular with over 100 million daily users. But what makes 2015 the Year of Snapchat?

  1. Brands are eagerly jumping on board. The number one reason 2015 is the year of Snapchat is the popularity it has picked up with advertisers and brands. Snapchat continues to update the app to make it a medium through which brands can communicate to the millennial demographic. In the last week alone, the NFL, Burberry, and Goldman Sachs (yes, the investment bank) have turned to Snapchat to reach out Snapchat logo with sunglasses to a younger audience. While the NFL and Burberry have both joined Snapchat Discover, Goldman Sachs began placing geo-targeted video ads in the Campus Stories channel. Many of the universities targeted are schools they recruit staff from. According to Amanda Rubin, Goldman’s head of brand and content strategy, Goldman is going where their target market is consuming information saying, “We’re very focused on campus recruiting, they’re all using these platforms, with Snapchat being on one of the biggest platforms for millennial use.” With such big brands turning to Snapchat this year, it can be assumed that this app is here to stay.
  2. Snapchat is arguably the best medium to share significant experiences. Where else can you see point-of-view videos of the Republican debates and Coachella? The Snapchat Live feature of the app lets users easily see real (as in not shot professionally), continuous footage of global events. In the last year, Snap has covered everything from Ramadan prayers in Mecca to giant hats and gimlets at the Kentucky Derby. Other social media channels offer pictures and videos, but only Snapchat gathers them all into one continuous feed.
  3. The new update. The last, but not least, reason that 2015 is the year of Snapchat is its new update. In the last week, Snap released an update that lets users take selfies to the next level. You can now vomit rainbows, cry on command, or instantly age. Possibly the best result of the update is its resulting trend: applying them to the GOP candidates. Hilarity at its finest.

Three cheers to 2015, the Year of Snapchat.