DUBAI: Snap Inc. has announced the beta launch of a feature for brands called Brand Profiles, which will serve as a permanent home for brands on the app.
“The Brand Profiles are built around a brand’s unique investments in the app — whether it’s AR Lenses, native commerce stories, or other content highlights,” said the company in a statement.
At launch, Snap has partnered with 30 global brands, including several from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), across various categories, from beauty and fashion to technology and food and beverage.
Some of the brands are Ben & Jerry’s, Candy Crush, Dior, Gucci, L’Oreal Paris, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Target, Tim Hortons, Too Faced and Universal Pictures.
“The beta launch of Brand Profiles introduces exciting new ways for Snapchatters to engage with their favorite brands and discover more AR-inspired content,” said Hussein Freijeh, general manager of Snap Inc., Middle East.
“Ultimately, our aim is for the Snapchat community in the MENA region to better enjoy the variety of products on our service from businesses of all sizes.”
After subscribing to a brand, users can find all of its Stories and Lenses in the subscription section of Snapchat.
The feature is the beginning of allowing Snapchatters to find and engage with brands organically on the platform in ways they are familiar with on Snapchat.
This creates an opportunity for brands to house all their campaigns and content in one place without any time limit.
“Profiles ultimately incentivize deeper investment in Snapchat platforms like AR. Instead of disappearing, content and experiences can live in perpetuity after a campaign — ready to be redeployed or simply played with later on,” the company said.
The new Brand Profiles will include four components. The first is AR Lenses, where brands can save and showcase their Lens, which is discoverable through both Snapchat Search and Lens Explorer.
Profiles may also include a Native Store experience that enables Snapchatters to browse and purchase items directly within the Snapchat app, powered by Shopify.
New Highlights are made from Stories or Community Snaps that a brand has already shared with the world, and are ideal to showcase a brand to a new customer.
Brands can post what they are doing through Story Posts, inviting interaction with Snapchatters who already know who they are.
