Let’s Be Real About BeReal

Question for you, have you downloaded the BeReal app yet? As of August 2022, the app has approximately 10 million daily active users which is a dramatic rise from the 10,000 daily active users they had a little over a year ago. So, let’s be real about the BeReal app because it’s growing, whether you’re ready to jump in or not.

SO WHAT IS THE BEREAL APP?

It’s an app that sends users a notification at a random time each day for them to share a photo of what they are doing exactly then. There are no filters, and it takes a photo from the front and back camera. The user has a 2 minute limit to post what they are doing at that exact moment. They CAN post late, but it notes that it was a late post.

What’s the point of this app? BeReal describes themselves as “Everyday at a different time, everyone is notified simultaneously to capture and share a Photo in 2 Minutes. A new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life.” The app is being described as being the anti-Instagram for its initiative to show the realness of life rather than the filtered content of Instagram where users decide which highs and lows of their life to share with their followers. Let’s be real, it’s an app that keeps things authentic.

WHAT’S THE IMPACT OF THE APP?

Potential impact of the app? BeReal shows consumers are wanting more realness with content.Instagram has already been rumored to be working on “IG Candid Challenges” where they will challenge users to post at a random time each day with no filters. 

“Oops I did it again” is what we imagine Instagram is saying right now. 

Businesses are also testing out the app. Chipotle joined the app in April and has used it to share promotional codes. They posted photos of a code where the first 100 people to use it would receive a free entree. These codes were consistently redeemed in less than a minute and are seeing high engagement with their content on the app. As the app rises in popularity, this could become a platform for businesses to post and market themselves in an authentic way that builds trust and engagement with their consumers.