Chrissy Teigen is the latest celebrity to say they’re dumping Snapchat, announcing that its controversial update and a recent third-party ad asking users if they’d slap Rihanna has pushed her from the platform.
Teigen, whose considerable profile has largely been cultivated through her online presence, issued a tweet over the weekend damning Snapchat as “no bueno.”
I stopped using snap. The update, the constant complaints of people not being able to find me, plus the Rihanna poll…no bueno
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) March 24, 2018
In a subsequent message, Teigen said her decision was bolstered by Snapchat’s decision to double-down on the much maligned update despite an utterly mammoth user backlash.
Except concerns have been brought up for months and this isn’t different from any other company where quality affects sales. Everyone has been very vocal about the changes and frustrations. Consumers shouldn’t *have* to work with companies beyond that.
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) March 24, 2018
While celebrities vanishing from various social media apps isn’t a new phenomenon, the recent spate of messages from high-profile Snapchat users about the ditching app is notable for its apparent impact on the company’s share price.
Earlier this year, Kylie Jenner, one of the most influential voices in youth celebrity culture, tweeted that her Snapchat use was waning. The company’s valuation took a massive hit, likely over investor fears the tastemaker could persuade her massive following to ditch the app.
That was followed by the furore surrounding a third-party ‘Would You Rather?’ app ad hosted by Snapchat, which asked users if they’d prefer to slap Rihanna, or punch her convicted domestic abuser Chris Brown.
Rihanna remonstrated Snapchat for choosing to host the ad, telling her Instagram following that “all the women, children, and men that have been victims of DV in the past and especially the ones who haven’t made it out yet… you let us down!”
Snapchat’s valuation dropped by $800M in one day after Rihanna’s announcement, marking a 4% dip in its total share market worth.
It’s currently unclear what kind of share market chaos Teigen’s tweet could wreak on the app, considering her very different positioning to Jenner and Rihanna in pop culture. Still, it can be seen as another clear indicator that users are increasingly frustrated with what was once a skyrocketing success story.
