One Year In, What Does Snap Need to Do to Move the Needle?
More innovation will be the key to Snap’s survival, according to Mashable business reporter Kerry Flynn.
“They need to prove that they’re ahead of the curve,” she told Cheddar Friday, the one-year anniversary of the company’s IPO.
Her comments came on the same day that Cheddar’s Alex Heath broke the news that Snap is working on a [Spectacles “2.0”](https://cheddar.com/videos/exclusive-snap-to-release-new-spectacles-this-year) that could roll out later this year and be followed by a third version in 2019.
The news may be surprising, considering the original Spectacles didn’t quite make a splash the company hoped. Only 150,000 pieces were sold, leaving hundreds of thousands of glasses gathering dust in warehouses and resulting in a $40 million loss.
The second version, Cheddar has learned, will be available in new colors and have some minor updates. The third version will have two cameras to allow for greater depth in videos. It could cost $300, more than double the current option’s price.
But [Flynn doesn’t think these new products will do much to draw in new users](https://mashable.com/2018/03/02/snapchat-spectacles-2/#H8hIBXeKsiqA) or bring back ones that left.
“Maybe for some top creators...maybe like the GoPro audience we’ve seen before. But is that enough to really move the needle for Snapchat? I don’t think so.”
But the one thing Snap has going for it, Flynn says, is holding on its key teenage audience.
“When it comes to the teens and also the 18-24 audience, Snapchat does perform better,” she said. “That audience is so craved for advertisers.” And if the app can continue to hold on to those users, she said, it will stand strong.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/snaps-year-in-review).
Disney and Fortnite-maker Epic Games will collab on making new video games with Disney characters. Hopefully it will be more than Mickey Mouse hitting the Griddy.
Hershey is cautioning on its 2024 profit growth as the company contends with rising cocoa costs, leading to increased prices for chocolate. The company anticipates its full-year earnings per share being relatively flat, partly due to higher cocoa and sugar costs.
Prince Harry has reached an out-of-court settlement with a tabloid newspaper publisher that invaded his privacy with phone hacking and other illegal snooping. Attorney David Sherborne said that Mirror Group Newspapers had agreed to pay Harry’ “substantial” costs and damages.
An attorney representing passengers of an Alaska Airlines flight that lost a door plug in midair says a “whistling sound” was heard on a previous flight of the same Boeing 737 Max 9.
What do Arnold Schwarzenegger, Aubrey Plaza, and Tom Brady all have in common? You'll see them on Super Bowl Sunday, but not on the field. If you only watch the Super Bowl for the ads, here's a sneak peek.
The Federal Communications Commission knows (to loosely quote Drake) "when that [AI robocall] hotline bling, that can only mean one thing" — deception. The agency says bad actors have been using these voices to misinform voters.