Taco Bell has done it again. The brand, known for embracing new marketing technologies, used a Snapchat to announce the return of the Beefy Crunch Burrito to a cluster of consumers who added the brand on the mobile app.
Taco Bell, never one to shy away from popular new platforms like Vine and Pheed, just announced it was joining Snapchat, an app which allows friends to share photos that self-destruct in 10 seconds. The mobile app, which is especially popular among young people, was quick to support the brand.
The fast food chain is the first major brand to use Snapchat as a way to communicate with its fans. What does this tell us? Snapchat is not just a tool for scandalous communication anymore (read: “sexting”). Marketers can use it as a way to reach the increasingly important and tech savvy demographic of teenagers and 20-somethings. If brands are able to properly manage Snapchat, currently ranked #9 in the App store, then they’ll have a fun, new way to get in touch with and gain brand advocates. Take a look at the Taco Bell Twitter stream to see how many people tweeted their excitement upon receiving a snap from the brand!
The brand continues to be a favorite in the social space. It’s adopted a have-no-fear attitude when it comes to new social apps and technologies, and fans are happy to engage. Taco Bell’s director of social and digital said it best: “Sharing that story on Snapchat is a fun way to connect with the fans that we are thrilled to have. It’s all about treating them like personal friends and not consumers.”