Snapchat discontinues ‘Brand Stories’ as it looks to redevelop the ad platform

Unilever and Lynx were some of the first UK brands to use the ad platform, which delivers opt-in ads to users as shareable photo ‘stories’. The ads would last for up to 24 hours and were accessible through a users’ friends list for multiple viewing.

Speaking to Marketing Week, a Snapchat spokesperson confirmed the accuracy of previous reports, which suggested that the service is currently in re-development and the app in a state of “fine tuning” to ensure it delivers the best possible experience to its users.

“Snapchat is very new to the paid product arena and is going to need to test a few models before they get it right,” explained Adriana Matyaskova, UK head of display for technology marketing agency DigitasLBi.

She says it isn’t unusual for social media platforms to update their ad formats.

“While there is likely to be a short term impact on advertiser investment, I don’t expect this to have a long term impact,” she added. “Those brands already vested in this platform are likely to review the alternative products until a replacement is announced.”

Since the launch of Brand Stories, its debut ad service, Snapchat has added other ad platforms for brands. In January, the photo-sharing app launched ‘Discover’, an editorial section of the app that features photos, videos and advertising from publishers such as National Geographic and Vice.

Snapchat has seen a various changes to its ad strategy this year, with ad executives Emily White and Make Randall both departing the business under controversial circumstances. Alex Willimott, a planner at TMW Unlimited, believes Snapchat is increasingly looking to move in-line with wider market changes around content.

“With the influx of other ephemeral content tools like Meerkat and Periscope, and the departure of two key people in the ad unit, it’s likely there’s a need to re-align Brand Stories with a longer term strategy,” he concluded.