It’s official. From your Facebook group chat to the text messages from your roommate, one thing has become clear — Bitmoji has taken over digital communication.
For those who are unfamiliar, Bitmojis are personalized emojis made by Bitstrips CEO Jacob Blackstock. Created in 2014, they are customizable and hilarious emojis that can be incorporated on various forms of communication including text message (as a keyboard on Android and iOS), Slack, Facebook Messenger, Gmail and much more. They are eerily accurate, easy to use, and most importantly, very shareable.
Bitmoji is a form of digital communication perfectly combining personality with convenience. And it’s here to stay.
Toronto-based Bitstrips was recently acquired by Snapchat, closing the deal with an offer valued at $100 million. But what does the widely-used social media platform see in a silly cartoon avatar that’s primarily used by internet-crazy high schoolers and digitally inclined millennials? An opportunity to change and personalize the way we communicate online.
In the same way that Uber has changed the transportation and service industry, Bitmoji is on the same path to success — innovating the way we communicate online and on our smartphones. Here are the reasons why the two are so similar.
1. It’s available on demand and instantly satisfying.
The convenience and seemingly endless supply of various reactions and feelings on Bitmoji is one of its best features. Ranging from relevant pop culture memes like “Damn Daniel” or relatable feelings like Garfield the Cat’s dread of “Mondays,” there’s an appropriate and readily available reaction to anything that comes your way.
Bitmoji is fast, convenient and ready when you are — just like Uber. Plus there’s the instant user gratification of having something ready precisely where and when you need it. There are some things that are better said over Bitmoji than over text.
2. It has cool partnerships we can all get excited about.
When Uber announced UberPuppies in partnership with Save Our Scruff or UberEats with local restaurants, everyone was thrilled with the possibilities that were opened. Bitmoji offers this same opportunity for collaboration, showcasing clothing for your character from brands like Steve Madden and Calvin Klein. It even has free character packs for recent movies like Superman vs. Batman or Zootopia for cross-platform promotion. Partnering with notable brands gives the company credibility and opens a variety of new options for users to explore.
3. It’s personal and requires minimal effort.
Another desirable thing about Bitmoji is how simple it is to use and how personal it feels. All you need to do is customize your character once and your keyboard is instantly and frequently populated with new versions of yourself doing different things. It’s very little work for how custom-tailored it feels. Like being greeted by your Uber driver with your first name, Bitmoji makes it easy for the user to feel special and like an individual.
4. It stays relevant with holidays and is time-conscious.
When it’s Valentine’s day, UberEats offers roses and chocolate delivery; when it’s lunch time, it offers a featured local restaurant. This sense of time and smart delivery of relevant materials is something that Bitmoji also emulates. It includes bitmoji reactions to celebrate all holidays from Holi to Easter and even provides choices for days of the week like “Hump Day” for Wednesdays. The company even shared that it releases six new Bitmojis a week! Understanding that different times call for different reactions creates an experience that has users coming back for more.
5. It has multiple avenues for growth.
When Uber announced UberPool and UberHop, it became apparent that there are many more ways for the business to expand. The same goes for Bitmoji. The company recently launched a clothing line and is using the app to promote it, leveraging the strong user base it has and monetizing their service through a retail avenue. In addition to the option of purchasing special Bitmoji packs, the company is on it’s way to making some serious money.
Any guesses for what Bitmoji will feature next?
About the Author:
Vicky Liu is a Canupy content creator, blogger and social media enthusiast. She studied RTA Media Production at Ryerson University in Toronto. Her interests include digital design, concert-going and stalking assorted bakeries on Instagram.
