PR AGENCY DIARIES: BEREAL – CONTENDER OR PRETENDER?

If you’re Gen Z, you’re likely a daily user; a millennial – you may dabble; and if you’re Gen X and above, it’s probably not in your vocabulary. We’re not talking about iced coffee - we’re talking about BeReal, the “authenticity” social media app that only allows you to post real moments in real time.

But what is BeReal’s true appeal? How is it staying relevant? Does it have what it takes to thrive in today’s fast-paced social media environment? And can it help your brand?

Crowned Gen Z's favourite app of 2022, BeReal takes an unfiltered approach to cultivate authenticity and make social media real.  Currently sitting at no.8 on the App Store, the app that markets itself as “an app that won't make you famous” is steadily holding its own in the social media world.

Founded in 2020 by French developer and ex-Go-Pro employee Alexis Bareyat, the app was a bit of a slow burn initially, but gained explosive traction last year and has since been downloaded over 73 million times. 

Equally espoused as a “breath of fresh air” and “a daily hit of dopamine” by users, BeReal offers them the fantastical, strange and wonderful journey of creating a genuine online identity by weeding out highly curated and overly-aesthetic content.

For the uninitiated - what is BeReal? 

As the name suggests, BeReal is a photo-sharing platform that encourages users to furnish their friends' feeds with unpolished and in-the-moment glimpses of their daily lives. Unlike conventional social media platforms, Be Real has no filters, no influencers and no #ads. 

At one random moment every day, users are prompted with an ït's time to BeReal” gamified notification. When this notification pops up, users have only two minutes to take a photo with both their back and front cameras and post it to the app. This time limit ensures the photo can't be staged or edited in any way. It has to be wholly unplanned and candid (NO exceptions…kinda).

If users miss the deadline by holding out until their day looks a little more lively (anywhere other than at a desk with your work computer in front of you), a judgy little sub-title below your username will mark you as late. Keeping it even realer, if you take 50 selfies and only post the best one (as you do!), BeReal will expose you. Your best bet is to take the one-and-done approach and avoid “retake ridicule”. 

Another feature adding to BeReal's appeal is its no-peeping policy. We all have those followers on the ‘gram that haven't posted since 2017, but are somehow always in your story views. In a pay-to-play method, you have to actively participate in posting before surveilling your friends on the BeReal feed – which changes the game by eliminating those skulkers and rubber-neckers (AKA everyone you don’t remember allowing to follow you on social media). 

Why we rate it

In a time where our feeds are flooded by influencers well-versed in the dark arts of FaceTune, and algorithms that favour creators and sponsored content over the things we actually want to see, it comes as no surprise that we're enjoying an app that stays true to something we’ve espoused before - celebrating normalcy, honesty and even vulnerability. 

BeReal emulates the group chat you have with your mates, where you're not expected to be or look a certain way. You just need to be you - and share the unpolished, mundane moments of your life. BeReal relieves the pressure of posting and the draining effort it takes to ensure your feed is always up to par.

What significantly sets BeReal apart from other apps is its casualness. We've seen this across other apps with the return of the Finsta and the rise of the “Make Instagram Casual Again” movement, accompanied by the photo-dump trend with users attempting to put their most candid foot forward. But what makes BeReal different is that there are no upper hands; the playing field is fair. The app's imperfect and almost boring aesthetic is exactly why it’s so appealing.  

Is it time for your brand to BeReal? 

Right now, BeReal stands by its mission of creating a more authentic, unfiltered experience, so it doesn't allow it to be used for marketing or commercial purposes. But while brands can't directly advertise, there are ways they can highlight their presence, especially those looking for a platform to engage with users in a new and unique way.

Some brands are using the app to share behind-the-scenes content from photo shoots, meetings, events and everyday office life. To be accepted by BeRealers, you gotta be clever, spontaneous and obviously come to the party bearing gifts, i.e. free stuff. 

Joining the app as a brand isn't child's play; the secret ingredient is being super low-key. The main draw of rawness is what drove BeReal's booming download rates, so it doesn't come as a surprise that they are fending off the brands that have the advertising spend to disrupt that. But as we know, playing the anti-ads games is hard to sustain for a platform, and this revenue stream may appeal in the future.

Is it here to stay?

BeReal is evolving, which is always a galvanizing nod towards social media longevity. In April 2023, it added its first additional feature, the Bonus BeReal. Users can post bonus “BeReals” throughout the day if they make the initial two-minute post deadline.

It’s an interesting feature, as this potentially opens up more opportunities for clued up brands to sell or promote further if they make the two-minute deadline. On the other hand, it is a semi-return to the “showpony” aspect of social media, as it allows for the shinier moments of daily life to be posted.

Though it's too soon to say whether BeReal is here to stay, or if it has made a lasting impact on digital culture, what we do know is that social media is always defined by the youngest and freshest users, and this app is finely tuned in to the social needs of the hard to capture Gen Zers who have a strong desire for less glossy content from brands and a more unfiltered approach. 

But as the digital landscape continuously evolves, there's a pretty big possibility BeReal will eventually morph down a more commercial path, if it’s not completely bought altogether. The successful feature of the dual camera has already been nabbed by Snapchat along with Twitter and Instagram, encouraging users to interact less consciously with the introduction of “Twitter Circle” and “close friend stories”. 

While it would be unrealistic to think that BeReal is the next Instagram or Facebook, it's definitely giving the big players a run for their money, something we stan. And for the right brands, being able to make it on BeReal will be the ultimate flex.

We don’t have a crystal ball, but we do know a thing or two about emerging social media apps, what's trending and how you can use this to your advantage. Reach out here to harness the power of knowing what's on the up and up.