Snapchat Adds Features to Augmented-Reality E-Commerce Ads

(Bloomberg) -- Snapchat is adding features to its augmented reality advertising, working to help retailers actually get a sale from using their camera-overlay tools.

Snap Inc. has been training businesses to introduce products via camera overlays in its Snapchat app, so users can digitally try on a new lipstick shade or style of shoe. Now the company says businesses can add more information on top of their augmented reality advertisements, such as item descriptions, prices and links to purchase. The new feature will also enable brands to receive more granular analytics about which products are gaining attention in real time, the company said Wednesday in a blog post.

Snapchat, a mobile app that caters to users in their teens and 20s, has been investing in augmented reality to offer more creative shopping experiences. As the spread of Covid-19 kept many would-be shoppers at home, advertisers accelerated their experiments with the format. Santa Monica, California-based Snap Inc. reports its earnings February 3.

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