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Augmented Authenticity: How Snapchat and AR Are Helping to Redefine Brand-Customer Relationship

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Talia Klopper brand-customer relationship

By Talia Klopper

It’s not just the way that brands promote their products and services or communicate their value that has changed over the last decade, but also where they do it. Driven by both advancements in technology and continuously changing consumer behaviour, marketing has undergone a dramatic transformation – shifting to a more digitally connected environment.

In fact, 60% of marketing is projected to be digital by the end of 2024, with a 10% increase in digital marketing spend recorded just between 2023 and 2024.

One thing that remains unwavering and unchanged, however, is just how foundational building meaningful and authentic relationships with customers is to market your brand. A strong relationship with customers will always be paramount to any brand’s success as it forms the foundation of trust and loyalty between the two. Simply put – it doesn’t matter what you’re saying, or what the quality or relevance of your messaging is, if your customers don’t feel you’ve built an authentic connection with them they’re unlikely to even listen to what it is you have to say.

According to the latest marketing statistics from Linearity, 81% of consumers require trust in a brand before purchasing them, 90% say that brand loyalty is crucial to purchasing decisions, and around 59% of consumers prefer purchasing new products from brands they are already familiar with. Authentic brand-customer relationships engender empathy, understanding, and mutual respect which in turn leads to increased brand advocacy, repeat purchases and recommendations.

It’s clear that investing in authentic relationships enhances brand perception, ultimately driving sustainable business growth. But, relationships take time to build, and in a more digital environment where face-to-face meetings, facial expressions and first impressions have been replaced with photos, posts and video screens, it can be tricky to do so. And, while social media platforms offer brands a way to digitally represent themselves and communicate to customers, they’re also a communication vehicle that limits a brand’s ability to personalise that communication as you’re trying to speak to as wide an audience as possible.

Luckily, there’s one platform that offers a unique opportunity to engage with customers on a personal level and foster deeper and more authentic relationships through community building – Snapchat.

Unlike traditional social media platforms where interactions occur with a wide and varied audience, Snapchat offers a more intimate setting. Despite being long misunderstood as just another social media platform, Snapchat differentiates itself by enabling an environment of closeness and authenticity as users instead curate their friend list to whom their Snaps are shared, creating a network of individuals they know and trust. As such, tapping into this more personal space in an engaging and meaningful way could be key to enhancing customer experiences, personalising interactions, and deepening brand engagement.

Leveraging Snapchat’s most unique feature – Augmented Reality

Taking this sense of intimacy to the next level is Snapchat’s integration of Augmented Reality (AR) through a wide selection of lenses which users can play around with including AR facial filters, location-based overlays, countdown timers, quiz generators and so much more.

You might wonder how this capability can help a brand foster deeper connectivity and relationships with customers but just imagine the possibilities. Imagine a furniture store brand that builds an AR Lens that allows customers to see what a small selection of sale items might look like within their own space at home just by looking through the camera of their mobile phone, or, an optical retail chain enabling customers to try on different designs, styles and colours of glasses and sunglasses wherever they are and whenever they want.

By superimposing digital information onto the real world around you, placing virtual objects into the real world and turning it into a digital interface, this immersive technology is a powerful marketing tool that is already playing a key role in consumers’ perception of brands, confidence in the quality of a product, and their purchasing decisions.

A recent Snap Inc study, in collaboration with MAGNA Media Trials, found that AR represents an opportunity for brands to reach the right audience when it matters most. According to the study, consumers found AR ads to be 5% more informative than pre-roll ads and 6% more useful than pre-roll ads. Additionally, AR ads helped consumers feel closer to the brand, got them excited about the brand, and helped to establish positive opinions of the brand by leading consumers to think of the brand as more up-to-date. Interactive Entertainment AR Lenses in particular were observed to boost memorability by 9%, enabling consumers to see the brand as 9% more innovative and 8% more unique than brands who don’t use them.

Essentially, AR ads are helping to capture consumers’ attention. But, that’s not where the benefits of AR ends.

Transforming attention into action

While AR can play a significant role in captivating an audience, AR marketing can also translate directly into action. Whether this manifests itself in increased website traffic, app downloads, or boosting sales, brands can leverage Snapchat’s AR capabilities to achieve tangible business objectives.

The Snap Inc study found that not only are AR ads impactful throughout the branding funnel, but most importantly, they drive intent to take the next step in the purchasing journey. For example, Shoppable AR Lenses compel consumers at the end of their journey, driving search intent up by 8%, World Facing AR Lenses impacts those in the middle of the journey and results in an 8% higher purchase intent and 7% increase in brand relevance, and Front-Facing AR Lenses help lift brand image for those closer to purchase with a 5% higher lift in brand uniqueness and 4% lift in relevancy.

These immersive, engaging, memorable and shareable experiences are allowing users to engage with brands in ways that help not just build relationships but long-term relationships in an age where authenticity and engagement reign supreme. By creating personalised AR experiences on Snapchat, brands can transcend traditional marketing boundaries and reach their customers where they are.

So, it’s time for brands to pivot from only shouting into the void of social media and instead speak directly to their audience, with intention, in their language.

Talia Klopper is the Partner Director for Snapchat Sub-Saharan Africa at Aleph

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First Cohort of MTN Cloud Accelerator Kicks Off

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MTN Cloud Accelerator

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The first cohort of high-potential startups selected for the newly launched Cloud Accelerator Programme of MTN Nigeria has officially commenced.

The accelerator is designed to help founders overcome growth bottlenecks by refining their business models, improving their operational efficiency, and creating investor-ready pitches.

The small firms were chosen from across Nigeria and other African markets through a rigorous selection process for their bold ideas and proven traction in addressing key challenges across fintech, health tech, agritech, edtech, AI, and cybersecurity.

The selected companies will embark on a 12-week journey of mentorship, technical integrations, and funding opportunities, powered by MTN’s expansive ecosystem and cloud infrastructure.

In addition to technical support, startups will receive access to funding networks and exposure to key investors, policy-makers, and ecosystem leaders.

Over the course of the programme, the selected startups will participate in intensive workshops led by industry experts, one-on-one mentorship sessions with leaders in the African tech and venture ecosystem, and hands-on support integrating MTN’s cloud APIs into their platforms.

The programme will culminate in a high-profile Demo Day in December 2025, where participants will pitch their refined solutions to an audience of investors, industry executives, and policy leaders.

This event is expected to attract significant interest from local and international venture firms looking to back scalable African tech ventures.

The Demo Day is not just a pitch event, but a showcase of Africa’s capacity to innovate and create solutions that resonate beyond our borders.

“This cohort embodies the resilience, creativity, and ambition of Africa’s tech ecosystem. By providing access to mentorship, cloud technology, and go-to-market support, we are positioning these startups to compete globally while solving uniquely African problems,” the Chief Enterprise Business Officer of MTN Nigeria, Ms Lynda Saint-Nwafor, said.

She described the MTN Cloud Accelerator as “a unique blend of infrastructure and opportunity,” noting that, “By hosting this programme locally, supported by the state-of-the-art Sifiso Dabengwa Data Centre, we are demonstrating our commitment to strengthening Africa’s digital backbone.”

Ms Saint-Nwafor also said, “The future of African innovation will be written by founders who are supported with the right infrastructure and networks,” adding that, “With the Cloud Accelerator, MTN is helping to create that future today.”

Applications for the next cohort of the MTN Cloud Accelerator are expected to open in early 2026, signalling MTN’s long-term commitment to building a robust pipeline of African tech companies equipped to thrive globally.

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NCC Laments 1,100 Fibre Cable Cut Incidents Weekly

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Fibre Optic Cables

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has raised alarm over the increasing damage to telecommunications infrastructure nationwide, revealing that Nigeria currently records an average of 1,100 fibre cut incidents weekly.

The Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, said during a Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) and Sustainability Conference in Lagos on Thursday that the commission also recorded 545 cases of access denial and 99 cases of theft on a weekly basis.

The event was organised by the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) in collaboration with the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) themed Critical National ICT Infrastructure and Industry Sustainability, Way Forward.

Mr Maida, who was represented by Mr Edoyemi Ogoh, Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity Department, NCC, said that these incidents threatened service delivery, operational stability, and national security.

“These are not just numbers. They reflect a national emergency. Every fibre cut, every theft, and every case of sabotage contributes to dropped calls, failed transactions, interrupted emergency services and economic losses.

He added that the damages had become a major barrier to sustaining the country’s digital economy, which relied heavily on resilient telecom infrastructure.

“We are ensuring Nigerians understand that damage to telecom infrastructure affects not just big companies, but ordinary people who depend on mobile services, ATMs, hospitals and security alerts,” Mr Maida said.

He added that collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) was key to aligning telecom infrastructure protection with the nation’s broader security architecture.

The NCC boss further identified access denial to base station sites as a growing challenge, noting that in many cases, operators were prevented from conducting essential maintenance and operations, thereby prolonging network outages.

He noted that the situation was further compounded by Right-of-Way (RoW) bottlenecks, complex and delayed permit processes, and the rising cost of operations due to heavy reliance on diesel-powered generators, stating, “The security situation in parts of the country also poses a real barrier to safe and timely maintenance of telecom sites.”

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Truecaller’s Monthly Active Users in Africa, Middle East Hit 100 million

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By Aduragbemi Omiyale

A significant milestone has been reached by the leading global platform for verifying contacts and blocking unwanted communications, Truecaller, as its monthly active users in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region have surpassed 100 million.

A statement from the organisation disclosed that the figures were 19 per cent more than its active monthly users in August 2024.

It was also stated that numbers are from its users who downloaded the Trucaller app on their Android and iOS devices.

Some of the largest markets in the MEA region for Truecaller are Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Algeria, Ghana, and Jordan.

Typically, Truecaller is used on 20-45 per cent of connected smartphones in these markets, reflecting its massive adoption for blocking unwanted communications.

Commenting on the this development, the chief executive of Trucaller, Mr Rishit Jhunjhunwala, said, “With the Middle East and Africa experiencing significant growth in smartphone adoption and mobile data adoption, we’re really happy that we’re able to solve communication problems for individuals and businesses in that region.

“MEA, like India and many other markets, are mobile first markets with your mobile number being the primary identifier and Truecaller has always grown organically in such markets.

“We’re continuing to strengthen our organization and our partnerships in the region, because we believe that the MEA is poised for significant growth for many years ahead.”

Trucaller, which has its headquarters in Sweden, was listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm in 2021, and has over 450 million active users, with more than a billion downloads since launch and close to 56 billion unwanted calls identified and blocked in 2024 alone.

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