Dive Brief:
- Snapchat tried showing off its media and storytelling abilities throughout the World Cup Final by crowdsourcing photos and videos from users at the game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- That media was then distributed to users, unsolicited, as a way to highlight the messaging app's media distribution capabilities — something that advertisers may be able to use in the future, though there are currently no ads on the platform.
- The stunt was met with mixed reviews and many Snapchat users took to Twitter to explain their annoyance or delight in the World Cup story.
If I wanted Rio Live I'd have added it, life is too short to watch a 248 sec snapchat story
— ellie✨ (@elliecurwen) July 14, 2014
That Rio Live thing on snapchat was actually really cool!
— Kieran. (@KieranWilson18) July 14, 2014
Dive Insight:
Although Snapchat hasn't confirmed anywhere, there's a really good chance the World Cup story was a test run for what advertisers could do in the future. The app continues to grow its userbase and will eventually have to find an avenue for revenue. Snapchat will need to be careful navigating those waters, of course, so it doesn't alienate users.
