1. Introduction:
With the ever-changing landscape of social media, it can be hard to keep up with the latest trends. But one trend that’s here to stay is authenticity. Consumers are craving connection and brands that embrace this will be successful.
BeReal is a social media app that encourages its users to portray their most unfiltered and authentic selves. This has resonated with users, and the app has seen meteoric growth. Many brands are now using BeReal as an opportunity to connect with their customers authentically.
Chipotle and E.l.f Cosmetics are two brands that are using BeReal to great effect. Chipotle uses the platform to connect with its fans and stay ahead of culture. E.l.f Cosmetics uses it to stay ahead of the competition by clicking with their target market, Gen-Z consumers.
2. What Chipotle Uses BeReal For:
As one of the first brands to join the BeReal app, Chipotle is leading the pack when it comes to connecting with its target audience of Gen Z and millennials. According to their CEO Brian Niccol, “We want to be a brand that’s visible, we want to be a brand that’s leading culture and then also in culture, social media applications. What better way to do that than being active on a social media platform that’s all about real, unfiltered content?”
Since joining BeReal, Chipotle has launched several initiatives, such as exclusive promo codes and the Boorito Challenge. As a holiday tradition at Chipotle, customers dressed in Halloween costumes with Chipotle Rewards memberships are eligible for $6 entrees if they visit a US location on October 31 from 3 PM until close.
In 2022, Chipotle upped the ante to its annual tradition by adding a BeReal Challenge. Customers who posted a pic of themselves during their visit on BeReal were eligible to enter a special contest. 10 lucky winners won a free burrito a week for an entire year. Other BeReal initiatives Chipotle has tested include giving away exclusive codes for free meals.
However, industry experts such as Katherine Black, a partner in consumer practice at Kearney, one of the largest global consulting firms see several different ways BeReal can be used by other franchises to engage with their audiences on a deeper level.
Live shopping and having employees share their favorite products are other ways they envision the app being used for consumer brands.
3. How E.l.f Cosmetics Uses BeReal:
As one of the most popular make-up brands amongst Gen Z, E.l.f Cosmetics flocked to BeReal to meet their customers where they were. According to a recent interview with E.l.f’s Chief Brand Officer, Laurie Lam, on Net Influencer they saw BeReal as the next new app to share, learn and innovate the way they connect with their target audience. Plus, the BeReal app’s mission was aligned with Elf’s mission to be a real, authentic, and unfiltered brand.
With the help of their creative agency, Movers+ Shakers, E.l.f created a BeReal channel that will provide glimpses of day-to-day life at E.l.f. Product drops, sneak peeks, and photo shoots. This is an excellent way for E.l.f to stay ahead of the competition by connecting with its target market on a deeper level and providing authentic and unfiltered content.
Below is an example BeReal post created by an e.l.f employee showing how the company’s skincare swatches on bare skin.
4. The Meteoric Growth of BeReal:
Due to the app’s success, many brands are flocking to BeReal as an opportunity to connect with their customers authentically. Evan Horowitz, co-founder and CEO of Movers+Shakers, has said that the appeal BeReal has to Gen Z is that “Gen Z wants to know what is really happening in each other’s lives,” “They’re tired of fake, overly planned and edited content on other social apps. BeReal allows people to share their unfiltered, real lives, and now brands can offer fans the same level of transparency.
As a result, BeReal has been downloaded 43.3 million times, according to mobile app analytics firm Apptopia. Of those 43.3 million downloads, nearly 41 million have come this year.
Given the app’s popularity, numerous companies have jumped at the chance to use BeReal as a platform for creating genuine connections with consumers.
5. Conclusion:
The trend of authenticity is here to stay. Brands that embrace it will be the ones that thrive in the long run.
Ultimately, authenticity is more important than ever in today’s social media-driven world. Consumers, particularly Gen Z, are looking for genuine and transparent brands, and they’re using social media to find them.
This shift towards authenticity is changing the landscape of influencer marketing. Traditional influencers are being replaced by everyday people who are more relatable and trustworthy. Brands that want to stay ahead of the curve must adapt their strategies to reflect this new reality.
Community building and genuine storytelling will be key to success in the years to come.
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