• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, July 26, 2015

It seems with the departure of former COO Emily White and former VP of Partnerships Mike Randall, Snapchat is facing a bit of a challenging re-org according to several ad agency executives.

One executive, speaking to Business Insideron the condition of anonymity, said: "When they speak to us, it feels very ad-hoc. We wanted to do something with them that would make headlines — like McDonald's did with its geofilter but they were not equipped to do that and respond to our pitch and think of ideas. It seems to me like the McDonald's geo-filter came from the brand and agency, who asked them: 'Can you do this?' And the sales side says: 'Yes, we can, if it's not too hard for us to do.' It feels like they're saying 'We don't have time to do that now.'"

Another agency exec added: "There's not a raft of case studies from an advertising point of view. And those that are there feel very limited. It's like the early stages of Facebook and Twitter, mostly talking about engagement and likes. We're at the start of a shiny new toy. From a brand perspective, Snapchat offers great access to a young audience and it's getting to the point where it feels unparalleled, like a deeper version of Instagram. What they need to do now is demonstrate they are a relevant and a credible advertising player."

Of course, it is natural for a startup to experience growing pains, and Snapchat points out the amount of repeat business they have experienced from brands and agencies is a healthy sign of success. Of course, it could simply be shiny new object syndrome. And yet, Mondelez CMO Dana Anderson is pleased and said: "I love the fact that they're getting into the space and becoming an avid marketing partner." 

Universal Pictures EVP of Digital Marketing Doug Neil added, "We were very satisfied with the experience," regarding a promotion they ran with Snapchat for the movie Ouija .