Figure 1, BeReal ad graphic, BeReal
As a platform with no filters, ads, likes, follower count, or ability to curate, BeReal is the opposite to any other current social media platform. A place where users can share photos in real-time with a tight-knit group of friends?
You would think this would leave no place or want from users for brands to start using the platform. Nevertheless, multiple brands have started using the app to “form deeper connections” with consumers, but do the BeReal users want content from brands on the platform?
BeReal currently has over 10 million active daily users, a number which has been growing exponentially since January this year. With the recent surge in user-ship, brands are inevitably going to try and tap into this market.
BeReal has strict rules around marketing on the platform, currently,the platform does not allow for any marketing. Their terms of service state that users agree not to “use BeReal for advertising or commercial purposes.”
Brands like The Inkey List, Chipotle, Elf Cosmetics and Rare Beauty haven’t let this stop them joining the app. They are all finding unique ways of using the platform to connect with consumers or “friends” and market the brand.
Rare Beauty has kept to BeReal’s brand ethos by sharing casual behind-the-scenes photos from inside the office, teasing restocks and new product launches. It appears this kind of content was working for Rare Beauty, making their supporters on the platform feel special and as though they are getting an inside scoop. Other brands such as Chipotle and Elf cosmetics are making their supporters on the platform feel appreciated through posting voucher and discount codes with their images for a limited number of people (shown below). Blurring the definition of what qualifies as advertising.
Figure 3, Elf Cosmetics BeReal content, Ad Week
Figure 2 Chipotle BeReal content, Morning Brew
At the end of August, Rare Beauty ran into some technical difficulties where people were no longer able to connect with the company because they had “too many friends.” Rare Beauty posted a Tik Tok tagging BeReal asking for them to rectify what they saw as an issue, but BeReal has not publicly responded to them and you still cannot send a request to connect with Rare Beauty.
Many of the commenters see this as a good thing, stating that BeReal is for friends to post daily pictures of themselves and what they are doing, not to be a marketing tool for brands.
Although a lot of users have clearly been connecting with the brands on the platform, this could really alter the way everyone uses BeReal and in the long term could ruin what made the platform great in the first place.
It will be interesting to see how the platform develops over time. Due to the recent growth of BeReal, they have started to see an influx of large investments. It can be expected that they will need to start monetising the platform eventually. They will need to be careful and creative as to how they do this, as a company whose user-ship is built on the refusal to allow brands to market on BeReal.
As can be seen by many of the comments on Rare Beauty’s Tik Tok, BeReal users don't want brands to have free rein to push products as they do on every other social media platform. They appreciate BeReal creators standing their ground and not giving in to pressure from brands to loosen restrictions.
It's going to be difficult for BeReal to get the right balance between making sure the platform doesn’t lose what drew millions of people to it and making money from their business. I feel because of the nature of BeReal people are far less guarded with what they post because they only have their friends seeing what they post. If people start connecting with brands and influencers then they may start putting more thought into how they present themselves. Not only do you get to see the brands’ posts, but they can also see yours. It could be likened to having a celebrity or someone you don't know following your finsta (Fake Instagram) account.
If this happens it could be the end of BeReal altogether because it would turn into a second Instagram.
It will be interesting to see what’s to come for the platform. I’m keeping my hopes up that they continue to stick to their guns and don't allow brands, marketing and money to ruin their ethos.
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