BeReal launched in 2020 and has quickly risen to a very popular social app within the past year. If you haven’t hopped on the trend of downloading BeReal, let us break it down for you. BeReal sends out a notification to all users at a random time each day to “Be Real”. Each user then has two minutes to share a simultaneous photo of themselves and their surroundings right then and there.
There is no opportunity for filters or editing, hence the name of the app. Users can view their friends’ photos as well as photos from users who decide to make their BeReals public. Now the question is, should businesses attempt to market on BeReal, or should this social app be left for non-business users only?
Some brands have already started experimented with marketing on BeReal, such as Chipotle. Chipotle posted exclusive promotional codes on the app such as the one below.
Chipotle tested these codes multiple times on the app, and most of the time, the codes were redeemed by users in less than one minute.
Could marketing strategies such as these work for other businesses too?
There is not a definite answer to this question yet. However, the point of BeReal is for users to escape the social media world of filters, editing, and ads. The last thing BeReal creators and users want is for the app to be filled ads and marketing schemes. Businesses, like Chipotle, have found ways to fit into the authentic and relatable images that are on BeReal feeds, but it may be difficult for all brands to recreate. As long as businesses do not interfere with the reason why the app was created in the first place, there may be potential marketing opportunities.
