No, Snapchat didn’t kill itself
I usually don’t talk on these things often (or that late). But a heated debate and a split Internet around discussing whether Snapchat’s re-branding and introduction of smart spectacles was a brilliant or a suicidal move prolonged itself so thought of plugging in.
I am not an avid user of Snapchat and I am not sure whether I will appear with a Pow sunglasses to a boy’s night any time soon. I study business models instead.
From what I have seen Snapchat’s latest step is definitely one ahead in the right direction. And I happen to have few arguments to back that up. Feel free to shoot back.
Competing head-on with companies like Rayban Calvin Klein and others
No it doesn’t. You know what Rayban is. Ask your daughter what Rayban is. She will not have a clue. Ask her what Instagram is and see the stars in her eyes as she reaches out for her smartphone.
That’s who Snapchat’s target audience is — young millennials, a second generation of digital natives who don’t have a clue what CD is. They grow with Snapchat so they are likely to stay with Snapchat later on. That’s because Snapchat is not just an app, it is a way of life.
Why did Pokemon Go enjoy such blasting success? Because most of us adult grew up with Pokemon. It felt good to get back to our good old days.
Not to mention they are anyways cheaper than Rayban.
And not to mention that the move comes from a person who turned acquisition offer worth $3 billion at the age of 23 and is now dating a former Victoria’s Secret model.
Positioning
This is a mistake that we keep repeating and constantly forgetting. Don’t look at what the company does. Look at who the company serves. Today it is no longer about products but brands. Ask Nike.
When you build absolute trust in loyalty in your brand, you can sell all sorts of complimentary products and services under that brand, for a complete holistic experience. Brand management 101.
If you misunderstand Snap Inc you are also misunderstanding Apple Inc. The company has literally screamed in our faces and yet only few of us get it. Apple is not a tech company. It is a maker of fashion items that happen to connect on the Internet. Feel free to fill the lines in the case of Snap Inc.
Google Glass didn’t work, so Snap won’t work either
Who is brand’s best friend? Design!
Observe Google Glass design. Do you think anyone who is not a geek or a computer programmer or someone thinking he is a secret agent could possibly wear this sort of face computer? You can build the most awesome product in the world but if it makes you look shady in front of your besties it is as good as nothing. Google Glass was never built for the masses hence putting them both in perspective is flawed.
Snap Inc on the other hand has put a masterpiece here. Beautiful and swag, just the way teenagers like it.
All said I think that Snap Inc folks are playing their cards well. They are building the habit first and then launching design driven products to support these habits.
Well played Snap!
