• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, November 13, 2017

Snap is rolling out “context cards” for sponsored lenses and filters, the struggling social-messaging company announced Monday. Brands can now add context cards to lenses and filters for free in order to direct users to their websites, and offer other services.

Snap unveiled its context cards initiative last month with a host of brand partners — from TripAdvisor to Foursquare, Michelin to goop.

The cards can connect users’ within app experiences to an array of products, services and business information.

The cards also let users take simple actions, such as calling for a ride with Uber or Lyft, or reserving a table through OpenTable, Resy or Bookatable.

Snap has already integrated its popular Stories features into context cards, which was designed to make it easier for users to see more Snaps from places of interest.

If the rollout continues to go well, Snap said that cards could help transform Snapchat into a “visual starting point for learning more about the world,” according to a statement.

More broadly, the company that popularized disappearing messages isn’t doing well.  Once again missing analyst expectations, Snap reported third-quarter revenue of just $208 million and a net loss of $443 million, last week.

The company said it added just 4.5 million new daily active users during the period, which brought total DAUs to roughly 175 million.

Responding to Snap’s latest earnings fail, analysts had mixed feelings, last week.

“My optimistic side likes to think the past three quarters since Snap’s IPO are helping to set expectations regarding reasonable growth rates for new advertising-driven businesses -- expectations that have been thrown for a loop due to Facebook's unprecedented success,” said Forrester analyst Melissa Parrish.

“My pessimistic side is concerned that while I will always applaud a company’s efforts to improve and simplify the user experience, the complicated interface may not be the primary reason the app hasn't appealed to a wider audience.”