WeAre8, the sustainable social media platform which pays users to watch ads, has reached 100,000 users in its first year of operation in Australia as new advertisers grow, alongside rebookings and campaign sizes.
Australian CEO Lizzie Young says the app’s unique experience has achieved a model of “incredible attention versus other social media platforms,” which is leading to a strong balance of new and returning advertisers using the platform. Among those returning are heavyweights such as Unilever and American Express – which is running its fourth campaign on the app.
“Getting that balance of rebooking and new is really critical,” says Young. “What’s exciting for us is that average deal sizes are up, average campaign size that we can deliver in any one month is up. “We’ve got clients now who are on their fourth campaign with us, we’ve got some clients that are always-on with us. We’re still always trying to bring on new clients to help test and learn. And we think we’ve got a really nice spread now.”
Young credits the app’s high attention metrics – WeAre8 ads achieve 4.7x the average attention than other social apps, according to Scope3 data – along with the brand’s sustainable positioning and mission to do good.
“We’re seeing great results all the way through the marketing funnel, both at top line, brand building, as well as conversion. And of course, those business results and key metrics happen, whilst also delivering more ethical, sustainable media strategies which are carbon neutral and help brands deliver on ESG goals.”
Young says the conversation around brands behaving sustainably has evolved, as evidenced by the market and moves like SBS positioning as an ESG media buy.
“We’ve moved through the phase of understanding the problem, and I think now we’re in the phase of exploring the quick things that we can just get done. And next comes looking at the longer term path. I do think that the time of looking at the entire way a brand behaves in terms of sustainability is coming and not that far away.
“I feel it won’t be a novelty that brands have good ESG metrics and strategies in the not too distant future.”
“I was on a call with a global brand and their positioning is that the days of endless reach are numbered, if not over. The relationship that a brand builds with a consumer is much more important, and creating that stickiness between them. And that’s certainly what we’re seeing when we ask people at the end of the advertising experience, what they thought of, or questions about the brand, they do feel closer to the brand, because of that relationship.”
WeAre8 launched into the US earlier this year adding to its UK and Australian operations. Globally the app has more than 1.5 million users and has big ambitions to hit 8 million in Q2 of 2024, with the US market to be a strong driver of that growth.“
“Everything is pointing in the right direction and we’re certainly seeing the growth out of the US support that support that number,” says Young.
See Also: BBC Studios and WeAre8 partner up on a distribution deal for BBC Earth content
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Top Image: Lizzie Young