For so long, social media has been about curation. Whether it was decking out your Myspace page with custom wallpapers and music (maybe I’m showing my age here) or agonising over the aesthetic of your Instagram feed, platforms have long encouraged users to present an idealised virtual self.
Enter BeReal, which upends the status quo by giving users little control over what they post and the persona they portray. By giving people a limited time window to share a picture –giving them little notice for when this window will open – users lose the ability to carefully manufacture content and are instead forced to share what they’re really doing at a particular moment in time; picturesque and edited images don’t exist on the app.
Built upon the promise of driving real connection through authenticity, BeReal presents users with a unique proposition, one that will be an interesting puzzle for brands to solve. Few have taken advantage of it yet, but as adoption grows the app will present an exciting opportunity for them to break new ground and tap into a new set of customers.
Fashion brands will likely be the first movers. Producing authentic content will still be key, otherwise, they may as well stick to Instagram, TikTok and other similar platforms. Imagine brands handing control of the app to individual store managers, who could then share the best staff outfits of the day or their latest in-store arrivals. Or posting promotions exclusive to followers. So, brands aren’t merely promoting their product, they’re building small communities where loyal customers are rewarded.
Influencers are already making their mark on BeReal however, and much like elsewhere in the social media-verse they will play a major role in the way businesses engage with the platform. By posting images in a brand’s clothes, they show they’re real fans of the company’s designs, so much so that they just so happened to be wearing them when it came time to post their daily picture.
The fashion industry, with high levels of social media adoption, both among brands and customers, has had success in finding authentic voices on platforms like TikTok. However, for as much opportunity as BeReal presents, brands must be cautious with their strategies. They must set their unique tone of voice and not change it for the sake of the app, which goes against the authenticity the platform promotes. Jumping in headfirst without a plan wouldn’t be worth alienating BeReal’s rapidly growing audience.
While BeReal takes the notion of authenticity further than the other popular platforms, the general shift towards online ‘realness’ long predates the app. Instagram has mandated sponsored posts to be labelled for a few years now, a change implemented against a backdrop of changing advertising standards in the UK and elsewhere.
The app’s rapid expansion highlights this evolution. It suggests that users are valuing authenticity more than before, an important lesson for brands to take on board. Customers are becoming more sensitive to disingenuous personas, and they’re conscious of brands and influencers trying to fake being real.
The lesson here for brands is the importance of being truly authentic. Presenting an ‘unfiltered’ front for the sake of it won’t cut it with consumers and will only lead to long-term reputational and financial damage.
