Last week I published a piece in MediaPost asking, is this the end of disposable content? I wanted to expand on the implications for brands with these three points:
1. Native Content Repository: Having easy access to historical Snapchat content means that brands can instantly put a fresh take on a past Snap. This opens up new ways for brands to creatively express themselves my mixing and matching past and current Snaps to tell stories on the platform.
2. Production Investment: The stakes for brands are becoming higher now on a platform that, by design, had discouraged brands from heavily investing when creating original content on Snapchat. Now that brands have the ability to save and reuse Snaps, will they feel compelled to put more effort and dollars into their production approach? And of course this comes with the risk that brands may now overthink, overprocess, and overproduce their Snaps and Stories.
3. Widening Age Demo: Features like Memories are appealing to an older demographic by aligning Snapchat to something coveted in their lives: nostalgia. In addition to its current base that’s already aging, brands now need to consider how their content strategy evolves and diversifies as a result. And while Snapchat has traditionally taken a “mass media” stance on its ads and content, it will need to continue to expand its level of personalization and targeting given a widening age bracket.
Make no mistake, Snapchat Memories is a big shift for the company and its users as the company shifts from ephemeral to forever.
