I know what you are thinking not another Snapchat blog but it’s hard to not cover this social media maverick when they continue to innovate at the rate they do, and their latest innovation is not digital it’s physical.
If you asked me 10 years ago “do you think we will be wearing social media camera glasses in the future?”. I would have told you to jog on, but here we are in 2016 with computer watches and camera glasses (Again!).
Taking a leaf from Apple’s book Snapchat has created an artificial scarcity to cause hype, but CEO Evan Spiegel has taken this tactic one step further, by making getting them a big game for ardent fans. Rather than letting anyone buy the Spectacles online, Snapchat has been dropping Snap Bot vending machines around the USA, providing a countdown and map on its website for awaiting fans.
The buzz has been further fueled by its other social channels. Their twitter channel @Spectacles is cataloging all the ups and downs of the quest, retweeting happy owners and frustrated hunters still waiting for a Bot to land in their town. Their proactive community management has people queuing to give them user-generated content, and you don’t see that every day.
@Snapchat @Spectacles finally got a pair of #spectacles pic.twitter.com/ky4jRXNKK5
— Christian Powell (@cspowell7) November 28, 2016
But why does Snapchat a company the fraction of the size of Google think they have what it takes to try wheat Google Glass has struggled?
Google glass aspired to be a snazzy bit of tech on your face for let’s face it, nerds. Snapchat doesn’t want their glasses being thought of as a traditional tech product, their CEO Evan Spiegel even referred to them as “a toy,” and they cost a considerable amount less than the $1500 price tag of Google Glass . They’re a fashion accessory that lets you capture content; essentially a pair of Ray Bands with a built in Go Pro.
Google marketed Google Glass’s functionality and capabilities, Snapchat on the other hand, is selling the fashionability. The Spectacles have fewer functions than Google Glass’s, but that’s because their audience doesn’t want a computer on their face and they definitely don’t want to look like someone from Startrek.
How could you use Snapchat glasses for your marketing efforts?
- You could use the Specs as part of an influencer campaign. That influencer can then give their audience a first person experience of your product or service.
- Hand them out at events and collect them at the end of the night (the ones that haven’t been stolen that is). This would be an awesome way to create a huge bank of content that is authentic and truly unique for your brand.
Admittedly the list is short but I challenge you to come up with more. No seriously if you come up with more ideas share them and I will add them to this blog and reference but wait it gets better you will also receive a digital high five from me via Twitter
