A Marketer’s Dream: Snapchat’s New Object Recognition 

Snapchat’s ability to forward think and evolve is impressive to say the least. Their new use of object recognition is about to change the game even more, giving both consumers and marketers a new, closer relationship through their lens.

First of all, I always underestimate Snapchat.

Right when I think I have the app all figured out, and am getting a little bored…BAM! Smart filters emerge that can tell the temperature outside, my current location, or my altitude at any given moment.

(Peep our video from Pinckney’s trip to the White Water Center here! Spoiler Alert: It was cold.)

Then some time goes by and I think…hm, maybe I should switch to Instagram stories and BAM! Enter Bitmojis, and 3D Bitmojis, filters that change your voice and your face, and before you know it…Snapchat even gets me dancing in a custom flower suit.

 

And the experts at Snapchat are already introducing their next era of evolution.

What’s the latest? Object Recognition 

Snapchat has recently launched new personalized filters that recognize what’s being snapped–object recognition.

Your snapped picture will be categorized based on the object in the photo (items commonly associated with concerts, beaches, pets, sports, or food).

  

For example, the Snapchat filter above, “Dig In,” only showed up when I was pointing at my delicious food. But if I had aimed it at my adorable puppy, I would have completely different filter options in my carousel such as “Tricks for Treats.” Spooky, right?

What this means for Marketers

Digital marketing has already been moving towards an inbound mindset to be less pushy.

It aims to speak to people who want to hear about the company’s topic, when they’re ready to hear what the company has to say. So, this Snapchat recognition will be a dream for marketers to be able to find people who are interested in their products/lifestyles and will want to add relavent art to their pictures. 

This will help their bottom line, too. As a dog lover, if I snap a picture of my puppy, and Petsmart sponsers a custom dog filter with a clever pun, they will be top of mind next time she needs a new leash.

Likewise, if someone is at the bar with their friends and chooses a Tito’s Vodka filter, it will be top of mind for them when it’s time to order their next drink, and anyone viewing their story (who likely has a similar interest in vodka).

Ten years down the line…

This might be a stretch, but think about what this new technology could mean for the future of marketing.

If a company can know, based on objects in your snap, where you are and what you’re doing, it could have promotions based on those objects.

You could see a filter “Show the employee at the register your SnapStory with our filter for a chance to win x or a 10% off discount x.”

Knowing specific objects in your pictures, companies could cotarget you–”you love puppies and often take pictures with the color blue, here is a blue puppy scarf.”

My point is, if pictures really are worth 1,000 words, and snapchat has figured a way to interpret these pictures down to what is in the picture, and automate filters accordingly…then they have the ability to know more about you and your trends than you think.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Ten years from now, maybe we will all be able to take a selfie, and within minutes our amazon shipment of products (we didn’t know we needed) will be at our houses.

Dare to dream, right?

If you’re interested in learning more about social media, and the idea of bringing people in with content they are already searching for, take a look at our free Social Media Handbook by clicking the button below!