The many user reviews are indicative of a major evolution of the social network. What if we had to thank Snap instead?
No offense to Kylie Jenner, Snapchat's new interface is not only disappointed. For several days, the social network is under fire from critics following the new version of its application, separating the contents in two. Petitions, insults, calls to remove the application... The reactions are numerous and sometimes cruel for a service that tries above all to survive. It would be wrong to say that the new Snapchat is not an upheaval. But once the time of adaptation passed, his contributions are mostly positive.
So much has been blamed on Instagram or Facebook for copying Snapchat that it's hard to understand why the yellow ghost would want to get away from what made it so successful. What's more natural than the fear of change? At each redesign or major change, Facebook or Twitter have flee users who after days of relentlessly returned to the cradle admitting that in fact "it's not that bad." If it's a safe bet that the phenomenon will eventually reproduce with Snapchat, we must admit that users are particularly raised against the application this time. Despite an official response from Snapchat to the petition and some concessions, the old Snapchat is still desired.
The old Snapchat? It is not hard to find. Just go to Instagram , Facebook or Messenger to find a clone that did not even have the respect to change the name of the Stories . Everything is there: ephemeral images, the addition of stickers, or filters that have made Snapchat famous. For the social network, the saying "copied but never equaled" is not appropriate. By dint of attempts, the competition has easily reached its level, or even exceed it. Why Snapchat would stay on an area where he is sure to lose while he can do otherwise?
With its new interface, Snapchat makes an interesting turn: get away from what worked so much that others stung him. As Evan Spiegel said : "Celebrities are not your friends" . All the hypocrisy of social networks is there. By selling you close to your favorite stars or brands, these applications lose their soul and become platforms of commerce. This is all the more serious as Snapchat is the preferred social network of young people . By mixing innocent selfies of college students with commercials for a high-end headphone worn by a footballer, social networks put ethics aside by advertising for content.
Instead of blaming Snapchat for robbing us of the special relationship we had with celebrities, we should perhaps thank him for bringing down the curtain.
Since its IPO, Snap has only been losing money. With $ 514.6 million in losses in 2016 and $ 3.4 billion in 2017, the company is taking risks that could be fatal if there is no rebound.
To survive, Snap is betting on a business model oscillating between YouTube and Facebook. On the Discover section where we now find celebrities and brands, the social network will highlight content influencers, responding to YouTubers by Snapchatters . Discover will also display content produced by partner media . The mini-series for young people there will also be broadcast and sports content like the Olympics Pyeongchang with competitions broadcast live. Discover is a hybrid section that aims to be a youth portal, mixing news, videos and social networking, and that brings in money.
Where Snapchat differs the most from its competitors is that its monetized content is separate from the messaging service. A user can seamlessly use the social network to chat with friends, make video chats, or send stories without ever seeing any sponsored advertising or content. Snap bet on the attractiveness of its Discover section to bring its users without having to constrain them, contrary to what others do when everything crosses. A different and ambitious approach.
If Snap fails to attract in Discover , it's a safe bet that the application will quickly collapse. But if successful, Snap could very quickly earn money and reverse the trend by placing in a category that does not exist in the current offer of social networks. The new interface does not please everyone, we can only salute the courage of a company that abandons a model yet admired by others.
