Uncomfortable Questions

Uncomfortable Questions

Ad verification tech is under fire, as marketers question whether old-school tools can keep up with modern fraud.

BeReal Cashes Out

BeReal — the mobile app once thought to be a potential Instagram killer — has been sold off to a mobile apps and games publisher.

The app became popular for its take on authenticity. At launch, it only let you take one photo a day, there were no filters, and both the front and back images were taken. Everyone was prompted to take their daily photo at the same time, so it became a kind of unglossed look at someone’s life — a welcome counter to Instagram’s traditionally poised and polished look.

The app’s founders also said they wouldn’t put ads in the stream, which led some people to wonder how it would support itself. In time, the app tried to become a little more mainstream in its features and add some things that brands could do.

But in the end they could only get to 23 million daily active users and perhaps that wasn’t enough to keep chugging.

What’s next for the app

It’s not being shut down though — the new owner, Voodoo, paid a half billion Euros for it.

The news release had the usual spin — they’re excited… next step in the journey… blah blah blah.

The co-founder will sticl around for a transition period then leave the company.

It’s possible that Voodoo will sink some time into scaling it; but if the history of similar acquisitions are anything to go by, the next six months will make or break the app.