Snap, parent company of photo-sharing, social media app Snapchat, is working to convince pharmaceutical companies to advertise products targeted for younger audiences on its social media platform, CNBC reports.
The company sent sales representatives to present on direct-to-consumer, mobile advertising opportunities at the DigiPharma Connect pharmaceutical marketing conference in February, according to the report. Snap's Director of Health Pete Muscarella and the company's health sales lead Kyle Avery both spoke at the event and highlighted Snapchat users' inability to leave comments on advertisements streamed on its platform.
Because Snapchat lacks the function for users to leave comments, the company said it can be considered a "more comfortable place," for users to talk about their health conditions, especially those they feel are sensitive such as sexually transmitted infections, CNBC reports. During the presentation, Snap representatives referenced its youth-focused audience, with 34 percent of its 81 million daily U.S. users between 18 and 24 years old, according to the report.
Snapchat's efforts to break into the pharmacy ad space is met by Facebook's current domination. The social media giant began advertising pharmaceutical companies' content in 2016.
"Facebook has been doing really well in our industry," Shwen Gwee, head of open innovation at pharmaceutical giant Novartis' innovation lab Novartis Biome, told CNBC. "It started with right-column ads — which were essentially like banner ads — but the industry quickly learned that sponsored posts in the News Feed were much more effective."
Snap declined CNBC for comment on its future efforts to pitch pharmaceutical customers, according to the report.