Print and digital media publisher Gannett announced today that it has partnered with Snap Inc. to distribute Snapchat ad products to SMBs. This follows Snap’s recent ad bundle evolutions that signal a clear local play. It’s uniquely positioned to connect SMBs and Gen-Z, while Gannett has the last-mile sales reach.
Specifically, the arrangement brings Snapchat local ad products to the sales bundle of Gannett’s LOCALiQ division. This is Gannett’s local digital ad play, constructed from its acquisitions of ReachLocal and WordStream. The LOCALiQ sales team will deliver Snapchat advertising to 100,000+ SMBs in the U.S. & Canada.
To clarify what we mean by “Snapchat local ad products,” they include Snap Publisher and LOCAL’s dashboard. The latter is purpose-built for SMB marketing, including Local Place Promote campaigns on Snap Map. This carries unique access to demographically-attractive and increasingly buying-empowered Gen-Z.
Drivers and Dynamics
So what’s driving this union, and what does each side get out of it? Starting with Gannett, it gains a new perk in LOCALiQ’s SMB marketing bundle. As noted, this carries unique access to Gen-Z. Breaking that down, Snap has 92 million active users in North America, reaching 90+% of 13-24-year-olds and 75+% of 13-34-year-olds.
“LOCALiQ’s mission is to help local businesses succeed and thrive”, Gannett CRO Kevin Gentzel told Localogy Insider,” which includes making marketing efficient, effective and innovative. We’re excited to bring Snapchat advertising to our clients and help them reach an engaged millennial and Gen Z audience locally.”
Meanwhile, the deal brings Snap more distribution and reach to Main Streat. Readers of this publication know the importance of feet-on-the-street — Local advertising is largely something that is sold rather than bought. In that sense, the deal brings the best of both worlds — Snap’s technology and Gannett’s SMB touchpoints.
“We are excited about our partnership with Gannett which will allow Snap to provide our advertising offering to Gannett’s network of 100,000+ local businesses in North America,” Snap Head of Global Sales Partnerships, Alex Dao told Localogy Insider.
This local play continues to be a big initiative for Snap, as Dao told us at Localogy 20/20. Beyond talk, evidence can be seen in Snap Moves over the past year, including Social mapping, Local Place Promote and Local Lenses. These collectively signal Snap’s emergence as a true local media and marketing player.
