Dive Brief:
- Snapchat and Fox teamed up for Snapcode activations that went live during the broadcast of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" Thursday night, unlocking exclusive filters for viewers, according to a report in Adweek.
- Tying Snapcode activations to live TV is a first for Snapchat. Fox aired different Snapcodes three times during the program as bumpers between the show and commercial spots.
- Snapcodes rolled out last month as a way for marketers to distribute and unlock national filters purchased by brands, much in the same way QR codes work.
Dive Insight:
Snapchat’s partnership with Fox adds another layer to the app's second-screening capabilities. "Rocky Horror" seemed a good fit to test out the live activations, as the cult movie has a storied history of audience participation, something that can now extend remotely via social channels.
"It was obviously a great platform to reach them, and the creativity allowed us to lean in what we love — fan participation," Angela Courtin, Fox Broadcasting EVP and CMO, told Adweek.
Snapchat is beefing up its integration with live TV at a time when Twitter is working hard to shore up its role there. While Twitter was an early leader in second-screen engagement, Snapchat now has more users and could eclipse the micro-blogging site.
Integrating more live social components to TV could further help retain viewers increasingly turning to streaming options on social platforms like Facebook and Twitter, a trend that's hurt linear television ratings almost across the board this year.
Courtin said Fox is likely to use Snapcodes again, as TV networks have become interested in working with Snapchat in general to reach a Gen Z- and millennial-heavy viewer base of 150 million. As Adweek notes, Nielsen data shows Snapchat reaching 41% of 18 to 34 year olds in the U.S. daily.
