Snapchat launched in late 2011, and by April 2013 over 150 million snaps were being sent each day. Now, Snapchat has approximately 100 million active daily users sending over 400 million snaps each day with an estimated 6 billion daily video views. In the US alone, more than 60% of smartphone owners between the age of 13-34 use Snapchat; making up 86% of Snapchat’s US user base.

Burberry’s partnership with Snapchat has been among the most interesting brand executions of the platform. To promote their fragrance Mr Burberry, some physical in-store items were marked with Snapchat’s QR-style Snapcode. When users scanned this Snapcode they were directed to Burberry’s Snapchat channel, which offered grooming and tailoring tips, a special cut of the campaign ad (directed by Oscar winner Steve McQueen) and a behind the scenes video. Burberry has previously partnered with Snapchat and Periscope for 100 million impressions when they live streamed a 2015 fashion show.

Universal Pictures is another company using Snapchat with great results. Snapchat reported that 93% of users responded positively to a campaign integrated into Snapchat Discover for the film Fast 7. Following this success, the films Pitch Perfect 2, Mad Max: Fury Road and Jurassic World have also been promoted. The promotion for Jurassic World is particularly interesting, with different clips running on different Discover networks, and each clip chosen to appeal to that network’s specific demographic.

Live Stories is another feature of Snapchat that is attractive to brands. Users in a specific geographical location have the opportunity to share their images to this Live Story, which is viewable by any Snapchat user.

The NFL and Snapchat partnered to take advantage of Live Stories by selling advertising space within their Live Story. Partnering with Marriott, Budweiser, Pepsi and Amazon, the two companies netted ad revenue in “the low seven figures”. While the NFL had used a similar system throughout their season, it’s particularly interesting that Superbowl advertising, which has become a pop culture phenomenon of its own, has expanded beyond the traditional TV broadcast. It’s not inconceivable that this partnership could be a sign of things to come for the way brands utilise Snapchat.

McDonald’s is another brand that has taken advantage of Snapchat partnership as the first brand to sponsor a set of geotagged filters. These geographical tags aren’t new for Snapchat, with users being able to use filters related to their location for cities, suburbs, landmarks and the like. But the ability for a brand to sponsor these Geofilters is new, and presents an exciting opportunity. For McDonald’s, this means that every Snapchat user near their restaurants, if they have their mobile location enabled, is given the option to include branded imagery in their snaps. While the initial run of McDonald’s themed filters was a trial; on-demand Geofilters are now available for people and businesses, allowing for everyday users to incorporate and distribute branded promotions.

Taco Bell uses Snapchat to encourage one on one connection with fans, noting that they see more engagement on Snapchat than they do on their other social media accounts. Initially Taco Bell used their Snapchat to tease new products. Now, it creates short form video stories, real time games and quizzes and even uses the platform to recruit interns. Taco Bell is different to other brands that use Snapchat because it hasn’t presented users with paid advertising, rather it has developed an organic reach.

Snapchat has proven a versatile and valuable platform for brands and advertisers, with brand promotion and advertising being a less intrusive and more authentic experience for users. When approached with creativity and an understanding of the platform, Snapchat presents a unique opportunity for brands when compared to other forms of social media.