Technology

Thursday Buzz: A Snappy Release Strategy

Snapchat’s new photo-taking sunglasses draw buzz for their offbeat release strategy. Also: How one association got in on the Mannequin Challenge.

The future of augmented reality might look a lot more like Snapchat’s Spectacles than Google Glass.

Or, you know, it may not—we’ll have to see how it ends up selling before we can make any bold claims about the photo-taking sunglasses.

But one thing we can definitely say about Spectacles is that the release strategy is nearly as unusual as that used by Google Glass. There’s no Explorer Program in Snapchat’s case—instead, the firm is selling its devices out of colorful vending machines (Snapbots) for one day in different spaces around the country.

Today, the Snapbot will be hiding in Venice, California, near Snapchat’s headquarters. Tomorrow? Who knows.

But whatever the case, it might be worth taking notes on the buzz-building strategy being used by Snapchat, because this idea has people talking and trying to grab the devices in whatever way they can.

Keeping Still

The National Confectioners Association isn’t afraid to get involved in the latest social craze. Check out the group’s offering in the Mannequin Challenge, which took only one take. The New York Times has a piece on the phenomenon that’s quickly becoming the new Ice Bucket Challenge.

Can leadership be taught? Neoterica Partners CEO Kerry Stackpole gathers a variety of thoughts on the matter in his latest blog post.

Want to stop your attendees from leaving early? At Event Manager Blog, Christina Green offers some tips.

They make connected suitcases now. Emily Price of Fast Company traveled around with one recently—here’s what her experience was like.

(Handout photo)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

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