Snapchat Will Now Enable Brands to Sponsor Its Creator Education Events

Snapchat’s rolling out a new ad option which will enable brands to sponsor Snap’s own creator education events.

Which might sound a little strange, but it could hold appeal for brands looking to find new content partners, and extend their reach in the app.

The new option will enable brands to sponsor “Snap Schools,” which are educational events for Snap creators.

As explained by Snapchat:

“Snap Schools are fun and interactive workshops, hosted in-person or via webinar, where creators can learn the latest Snapchat best practices, connect with peers, and deepen their engagement with the Snapchat app. Since launching in 2022, we’ve hosted over 50 Snap Schools across the US, MENA, Europe, India, and Mexico. We also tailor sessions for a variety of audiences, including talent reps, conference attendees, college students, and brands.”

So they’re really, like, “Snap Classes” or “Snap Workshops”, with the reference to “Schools” being a little confusing. I mean, it sounds like Snap’s going to let you advertise to school kids, or that it has some sort of relationship with actual schools, which is not the case.

“Schools” in this context, are workshops, primarily aimed at creators looking to make the most of their opportunities in the app.

And now, brands can sponsor these events.

So how does that work in practice?

As explained by Snap, it’s already run an initial trial of this offering with Clinique, which saw the beauty brand sponsor two Snap School events.

“In February, over 75 creators participated in a Clinique-branded game show where they learned about Clinique’s dermatologist-guided approach to skincare, in addition to activities like candle making and (of course) networking. Clinique was organically integrated throughout the event, including through augmented reality (AR) Clinique Lenses in our Snapchat AR mirrors, the Clinique gameshow, and logo placement throughout the venue.”

So in this context, the event is aimed at educating Snap creators on how they can integrate the brand’s products into their content. So it’s also a bit of a re-shaping of the “schools” concept in this respect, providing more of an opportunity for brands to connect with creators for their future promotions, as opposed to Snap using this as an educational vehicle for its own tools and options.

Snap says that it’s running 22 Snap School events this year, each of which will include a brand-sponsored element.

“This will provide brands with a cost-efficient, experiential marketing opportunity that enables them to connect in real life with creators, and place products directly in their hands, and extend their brand’s reach through organic content creation on Snapchat and beyond.”

It could facilitate new monetization opportunities for creators, while also incorporating a branded content sponsorship opportunity with Snap.

It’s a higher-end offering, which may appeal to recognizable brands that are looking to drive more branded content partnerships. But for smaller brands, it might not generate enough response for the cost, so it’s unlikely to be of great appeal to a broad spectrum of ad partners.

But it could be another consideration, which may help to drive better, more resonant promotions in the app.

You can learn more about Snap’s “Schools” sponsorship promotions here.