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USA Today: Snapchat geofilters could become the new hashtag

by: Jefferson Graham, USA Today (Excerpt)

Some are calling geofilters the new hashtag.

The tailored graphic frames for smartphone photos on Snapchat are popping up at summer weddings, family reunions and birthday parties. Brands like McDonald’s and Starbucks are using them at concerts and sporting events. […]

Businesses have jumped onto geofilters as a way of plugging their wares to the Millennial audience, Snapchat’s core customer base. Ben and Jerry’s, Samsung and Gatorade are some of the brands who have accessed the “on-demand” geofilter online tools, as well as political candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

But “some of the best innovation is coming from consumers,” says Brian Solis, an analyst with the Altimeter Group. “People are putting up these amazing filters as a way to one-up each other.” […]

The surge in popularity raises the likelihood that the other big social networks will develop or acquire a similar geofencing concept. Facebook and its messaging apps have pursued features that echo Snapchat’s, such as disappearing messages on Messenger and funny filters and masks with Facebook’s purchase of the Masquerade f app.

“Facebook will absolutely emulate this,” says Solis. “Facebook takes the best of the rest, and adds the value to keep users engaged.” […]

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