STC (Saudi Telecom Company) has become the first brand in the world (along with ASOS in the UK and France, and HBO in the United States) to innovate with Snapchat’s new Promoted Story format.

There are over 7 million daily Snapchatters in Saudi Arabia, as per the latest figures available for April this year.

“Stories are the most expressive format on mobile offering advertisers access to this engaging Story format used by millions of Snapchatters, combined with the reach and placement of our premium content,” Snapchat said in a statement shared with AMEinfo.

In Saudi Arabia, STC is raising awareness of the MySTC application by running a story featuring Sallouhi, a famous comedian engaging with people through funny questions and putting a spotlight on the app.

Peter Sellis, Director, Revenue Product, Snap Inc. said, “Our advertising partners have been asking for ways to tell deeper stories on mobile. Promoted Stories offer marketers access to the same Stories format used by our community, combined with the reach and placement enjoyed by publishers on the app.”

What is a Promoted Story?

 – Promoted Stories consist of three to ten Snaps that auto-advance to tell a long-form story.

– They appear via a tile, similar to existing premium content on Snapchat.

– They’re made-for-mobile, meaning fullscreen with sound on.

– They’re currently purchased as one-day takeovers by country.

What do Promoted Stories look like?

Promoted stories can have the look and feel of either a Publisher Story or a user Story, allowing brands to tell a cohesive story — through three to ten Snaps that auto-advance, so brands can create a long-form narrative.

Each Snap can also offer a ‘swipe up’ to view a website, article, or app install, and the tile and Snaps feature an ‘Ad’ mark.

Why purchase a Promoted Story?

“This format is the best way to reach Snapchatters at massive scale while telling a deeper story,” the statement noted.

In marketing terms, it drives mass reach and awareness, as well as product consideration.

Pricing: At launch, advertisers purchase a tile as a one-day takeover, prominently displayed in the Stories’ content section.

Measurement: Buyers receive robust metrics — total tile impressions, total Story opens, earned impressions, unique impressions, conversions, and eCPM (although the price is a fixed takeover).