I went to a high school friend’s baby shower a few weeks ago, and enjoyed catching up with her dad. It has been a while since her and I first became friends. I will leave it as our reunion is currently being planned, but I will not say which one it is. I spent many hours over at her house growing up, and it is always fun to reminisce and see what the family has been up to. Her dad had many fun stories to tell, but carried one regret that he shared with me. He never got to see my friend dance live, as he was always videotaping all of her performances. He never realized this until it was too late. He missed out on that experience and others, since he was always designated as the official cameraman. I now wonder if he would embrace the new Spectacles from Snap Inc.?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=30&v=XqkOFLBSJR8
SnapChat is an app geared toward young Millennials who converse using pictures on the social media platform that automatically disappear. It boasts 15 Million users of the app which confirms its popularity (Murphy, 2016) and one of the main reasons why it is of interest to numerous brand marketers. SnapChat is growing and is venturing into a new space, hardware.
At the end of last month, SnapChat announced it is re-branding itself to Snap Inc. plus is launching a wearable camera called Spectacles. These are big changes for the company and this may lead to a challenging road ahead.
Starting with the glasses, one may be thinking, didn’t Google already attempt this and fail? Not only were the glasses expensive, $1500, but ignited concerns about being recorded without giving consent as one example of possible misuse (Newton, 2016). In contrast, Snap Inc.’s Spectacles are marketed as a toy and are priced at $130, making them more accessible to its demographic. They are bright, fun, and fashionable. Also, it is obvious when the glasses are recording. Does this help fears dissipate? Is it any different than someone filming people on a street with their phone without permission?
Why are the glasses necessary if they work just like the smartphone camera? According to Snap Inc., the glasses record with 115 degrees circular first person format which is closer to how humans view the world (Constine, 2016). Is this enough of a differentiation from a smartphone video? I would venture to guess it depends on how different the results are in comparison to one another. This will also help predict whether the re-branding will work and establishing Snap Inc. as a camera company. It hopes to change behavior and allow the evolution of the physical camera as opposed to the being contained in a smartphone (Stevenson, 2016). Will these glasses be the answer?
Now, these glasses will record 10 – 30 seconds of video and can be shared on Snap Inc. The current format which the users tend to embrace and protect is the videos will disappear once shared, although there are ways to keep the captured media. If Spectacles do become a hit and do provide a more immersive way to record, I would bet my friend’s dad would purchase these glasses. I know he isn’t the demographic, but it would help eliminate his one regret moving forward with his grandchildren. In addition, I think he could pull them off!
References
Constine, J. (2016 September 24). The hopes and headaches of Snapchat’s glasses. TechCrunch. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/24/more-than-just-specs/
Murphy, M. (2016 September 30). Quartz. Retrieved from http://qz.com/794920/the-most-genius-thing-about-the-snapchat-spectacles-is-their-130-price-tag/
Newton, C. (2016 September 24). Snapchat unveils $130 connected sunglasses and rebrands as Snap, Inc. The Verge. Retrieved from http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/23/13039184/snapchat-spectacles-price-release-date-snap-inc
Stevenson, S. (2016 September 24). Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/snapchat-releases-first-hardware-product-spectacles-1474682719
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