As major companies like Apple, Google and Meta implement privacy changes that upend how businesses market and advertise online, Claim holds promise for reaching potential customers—particularly Gen Z college students who want to get authentic recommendations.
Claim sets itself apart with a social-first rewards experience and every Thursday, college students on over 70 campuses across the country are invited to get a reward from a brand they haven’t tried before. With the viral social shopping app, users can see what friends received in The Drop, offer trades and even send their rewards as gifts in group chats.
Claim recently announced a $12 million Series A funding round led by VMG Technology, and participation from new and previous partners brings its total funding to $20M.
Viral Social Shopping Apps
The Claim App Helps Gen Z and Brands Authentically Discover One Another
Trend Themes
1. Social-first Rewards - Claim's innovative approach to blending social interaction with reward acquisition disrupts traditional loyalty programs by creating communal sharing experiences.
2. Privacy-driven Marketing - The shift towards privacy-centric marketing, as exemplified by Claim, paves the way for apps that prioritize user trust and authentic engagement over data exploitation.
3. Peer-influenced Shopping - Apps like Claim foster a shopping environment where peer recommendations and interactions drive consumer behavior, challenging conventional advertising methods.
Industry Implications
1. Social Media Platforms - Claim's focus on social-first rewards could influence the development of social media platforms that incorporate shopping and reward functionalities directly into their ecosystems.
2. Adtech - The rise of social shopping apps amidst privacy changes presents new opportunities for AdTech firms to develop tools that emphasize authentic, user-driven marketing over traditional ads.
3. E-commerce - Innovations in social shopping, as seen with Claim, are driving e-commerce sites to integrate more social validation and engagement features to enhance user experience and trust.