BeReal's New Advertising Strategy to Stay Competitive

BeReal, the social photo-sharing app, is launching ads in the U.S. to monetize its platform. With 40 million monthly active users, it aims to stay relevant in the competitive social media landscape by targeting Gen Z with unique ad formats.

BeReal, the social photo-sharing app that gained popularity for its unique dual-camera post style, is now taking a significant step to ensure its profitability. After its €500 million acquisition by French mobile publisher Voodoo, BeReal is introducing advertising in the U.S. market. This move marks a strategic pivot as the app, which initially thrived without ads or memberships, seeks to monetize its platform. The new advertising strategy includes in-feed ads that align with the app's distinctive dual-camera style and full-day brand takeovers. BeReal has already tested these ad formats with major brands like Levi's, Nike, Netflix, and Amazon, and is now launching a comprehensive U.S. advertising platform.

Leading this initiative is Ben Moore, a former executive at TikTok, who will spearhead a U.S. team dedicated to sales, partnerships, and growth. BeReal's appeal to advertisers is bolstered by its reported 40 million monthly active users, with 5 million in the U.S. alone. The app claims that 85% of its user base belongs to Gen Z, a demographic highly coveted by advertisers. In its top markets, including the U.S., France, and Japan, 50% of users reportedly engage with the app six days a week, although these figures have not been independently verified by TechCrunch.

Since its founding in 2019, BeReal has navigated the challenges of a rapidly changing social media landscape. The app's rise to fame occurred in 2022, following a $30 million Series A funding round led by a16z and Accel. Its viral success even caught the attention of industry giants like Meta and TikTok. By October 2022, Sensor Tower estimated that BeReal had been downloaded 53 million times, although only 9% of active Android users opened the app daily.

Despite its initial success, BeReal faces the ongoing challenge of maintaining relevance as social media trends evolve. The app reached a cultural milestone when it was parodied on Saturday Night Live in October 2022. According to Appfigures, BeReal has been downloaded 115 million times across iOS and Android, with a significant portion of these downloads originating from the U.S. However, the app's download rate has slowed since its peak, with 2023 seeing 31.5 million downloads worldwide, a 60% decrease in 2024 to 12.7 million.

As BeReal embarks on this new advertising journey, it aims to solidify its position in the competitive social media market. By leveraging its unique user base and innovative ad formats, BeReal seeks to create sustainable revenue streams while continuing to engage its core audience.