Among other new features
and services rolling out this week, Snapchat will now let users delete messages after they’ve been sent.
The new “Clear Chats” feature -- which can be applied to individual
and group chats -- comes as consumers are demanding more control over their social experiences.
The safety feature does not apply to direct snaps, however, while recipients of messages can
still save them with a screenshot if they wish.
Separately, Snap is now offering its AR Lenses to advertisers on a self-serve basis. While the ad format has
performed well -- averaging 10-to-15 second play times -- it has widely been described as difficult to buy.
Depending on what targeting options buyers choose, Snap expects Lenses to sell on an
eCPM basis of $8-to-$20.
Snap has already shifted its three other ad formats -- Snap Ads, Story Ads, Filters -- to a programmatic, ROI-focused model.
The self-described camera company
is also launching a new AR ad offering dubbed Sponsored Snappables, this week.
That means branded versions of Snap’s new two-player AR selfie experiences leading to “funny
faces in public.” Launch partners include Bud Light and Dunkin Donuts.
Rather than simply optimizing for swipes, Snap is also expanding into goal-based bidding for ecommerce
conversions. Direct response objective range from sign-ups to actual purchases. In addition, Snap says it now has the ability to show brands to the total number and value of purchases driven
by their Snapchat campaigns.
In the coming months, Snap plans to add conversion lift measurement, which it sees as a way for advertisers to track the incremental conversions that Snapchat
drives.
Rounding out a busy news day for Snap, the company says it’s now selling the latest version of its Spectacles on Amazon -- at least in select countries, including the United
States. The video-capturing class has previously only been available on Snapchat.com.
Bigger picture, Snap continues to struggle.
Among other issues, research< /a> shows that
Snapchat’s “impression score” -- showing whether consumers have a positive or negative impression of a brand -- has plummeted since the release of its controversial redesign late
last year.
Partly as a result, Snap’s first-quarter earnings and usership missed analyst expectations.