This new social networking app was created by Dom Hofmann, the co-founder of Vine, and since its release less than one week ago, has already made it into the App store’s top ten social networking apps. A mix of Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat, Peach lets users post updates to their timelines throughout the day, with the ability to share images, GIFs, videos and links too. And image-based and video media is even presented in a looping format with a six-second duration, making visual posts feel very Vine-like. But the unique aspect of this is the app’s “Magic Words”, which if typed by the user, generate certain posts. For instance, typing the word “shout” to accompany your update, will enlarge text, while “weather”, will add the weather to your post too. Then there’s “move”, which the user can use to share the number of steps taken that day, while words such as “movie”, “TV”, “game” and “book” can be used to show what he or she is watching, playing or reading at that given time, and all of these commands feature playful emojis too.

When it comes to interacting with others, the app is more like Snapchat, as opposed to Facebook and Twitter, with users only able to see posts from friends and those they follow by clicking on the person in question. Therefore, instead of a feed to scroll down, users are presented with a list of friends, like on Snapchat, who are highlighted and pushed to the top of the timeline when they have posted something new. Users can then comment on or like each others’ posts, and take fun actions such as “wave”, “send a cake”, “blow a kiss” to, and even “quarantine”! In addition, there’s also a “friends of friends” feed too, which enables users to see what others’ are posting, offering a great chance to connect with others outside the immediate network.

Although a very socially connected app for individual users, do we see any way in which brands could adopt Peach as part of their marketing strategy? The answer is certainly yes, as the app’s playful nature makes it a great platform to connect in a fun and engaging way. For instance, Asos, (being the trendsetters that they are), are already established on the app, with the staffers testing it out for themselves, and sharing the results on their blog. Merriam-Webster have also been using the app, posting trending “word of the day” posts, while global B2C brands such as J Crew, Starbucks and Taco Bell have set up accounts too. We certainly see frequent status updates, questions, and media-rich posts from businesses being a great way to draw in interaction, in the same way that Twitter and Snapchat can. And at this early stage in the game, Peach offers a creative platform for brands to experiment with a variety of posts, and to find out what works for them. However, the downside of the app is that there’s not much to offer for brands in terms of biographical or informative content- unless a brand is already well known, we see smaller brands struggling to make a mark without being able to describe who they are. While engagement has been popular so far on Peach, especially when it comes to social connecting, we wonder if the app will be long-lasting. It will certainly be interesting to see whether it grows in popularity, or suffers a similar fate to previously hyped platforms such as Ello.

Have you been using Peach yet? Do you think it’s here to stay as a successful social platform, or simply a novelty at this stage? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please tweet to us @PracticeDigital and share your comments on our Facebook page.