The New Face of Social Media? A Deep Dive into Geneva Marketing 

Another day, another app. 

Yet another app has bravely stepped up to try and become the next hot social media platform. However, this one is a tad different; and its already catching the eye of marketers. 

Attempting to cater to the growing need in consumers for authenticity, Geneva seeks to provide a space for modern users who are tired of the fakeness of platforms like Instagram. 

The app is picking up popularity, especially amongst beauty brands, who have quickly become staunchly invested in Geneva marketing. Big names such as Supergoop have taken up root on the platform, hoping to use it to foster brand loyalty and community. 

Will Geneva stand the test of time? Or, will it meet the same fate as so many other platforms before it? 

Read on to find out. 

GENEVA MARKETING: WHAT IS GENEVA? 

Created in 2019, Geneva is founder James Hauser’s answer to what he sees as a major shift in the world of social media. 

Hauser has been taking note for years of the shifting dynamics on social media, and the way in which consumers are reacting to it. There has been an ever growing demand for more private spaces, small communities where like minded users can gather together and relate. 

This is in direct opposition to platforms like Facebook and Instagram, which operate via algorithms and are filled with public metrics that foster stress in users. 

@geneva

find thrifting friends in nyc on geneva 👢🎀🛒🪩👚 #thriftnyc #thriftingtiktok #thriftgroup

♬ style – 🎧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

 Hauser is not the only one to notice this shift either. In 2017, Facebook launched its groups initiative, which aimed to create small spaces for users to group together. Around this same time period, platforms such as OnlyFans and Discord became more popular, with users drawn in by their intimate nature. 

Yet, on these platforms, there is still a notion of creator and audience; there is an obvious leader who speaks down to their fans. 

As such, Hauser sought to create a space built on community. A space where users can bond together over conversation, and not feel weighed down by follower counts or likes. Enter, Geneva. 

GENEVA MARKETING: HOW DOES IT WORK? 

In its most basic form, Geneva is similar to Discord, Reddit and Instagram all meddled together. 

Any user can create a “home” based on a certain topic. For example, ice cream. Then, rooms can be created that branch off of this central hub. Rooms can be audio, video, or text based. 

In this manner, the home is not based around a singular person or group like OnlyFans or Discord, but rather around a topic. Yes, popular influencers like Chrissy Chelpecka have homes dedicated to themselves within Geneva, but once inside the home, it is the conversation that draws users together. Creators do not spearhead the conversation in these homes, but rather, they provide a space for it to occur; a space that they too inhabit on the same level as other users. 

@geneva

this is kind of meta 🥲 nyc makingfriends meetingnewpeople @See Saw Map @emma dimarco @Letitia Asare

♬ Daylight – <3

At present, Geneva is free to use and does not house any paid ad tools for brands. Eventually, however, the company does wish to build monetisation tools that will allow communities to charge for experiences; leaning more into the Patreon way of things and likely enticing more Geneva marketing. 

Geneva naturally lends itself to customer service, heightened user experience, and customer feedback. As such, it has become quite a popular tool in the beauty industry, allowing brands to drive organic growth and reach new heights of success. 

One major success story of a brand thriving on Geneva and successfully engaging with Geneva marketing, is Bubble. 

GENEVA MARKETING: A BUBBLE CASE STUDY 

Bubble

Launched in 2020, Bubble is a skin care company that has positioned itself as a more affordable alternative to “legacy brands” for Gen Z consumers. 

Bubble gets tagged on TikTok 14,000 times a day, and has experienced 500% retail sales growth year over year. Needless to say, it is an incredibly popular brand that is only going up from here. 

Yet, this growth has been almost entirely organic, as has been its marketing. How? Geneva. 

Bubble joined Geneva in 2020, after its founder realised that Gen Z consumers should be included in the brand’s creation, rather than excluded from it. Bubble wants to make Gen Z a part of their design, a part of everything that makes them Bubble. 

Thus, Geneva was a natural next step for the brand. Through Geneva marketing, Bubble has been able to not only workshop ideas and gain a better understanding of what consumers want, but also to build excitement for upcoming products before they are released. This means consumers are more likely to purchase when the product comes out. 

@bubble

Gentle formulas 🤝 fierce results. Here’s our favorite nighttime routine for dry, sensitive skin 💤🌙

♬ Aesthetic Vibes – Megacreate

On top of this, Bubble has been able to create a community that is essential for brand loyalty and consumer retention. Through Geneva, the brand can speak directly with their audience, fostering relationships and promoting positive brand association. 

As a result, Bubble is in tune with its target audience’s needs, wants, and desires. It is dedicated to its audience, willing to completely switch up its strategy to suit what its community is wanting and seeking. 

Through Geneva marketing, Bubble is able to be the Gen Z centric brand that it has dreamt of being; and it’s not the only brand to do so. Other companies such as August, Supergoop and Rare Beauty have also built communities within the app, using its intimate nature to forge meaningful relationships with consumers. 

Rare Beauty has found that the app is particularly useful for amplifying the brand’s morals. The company’s Geneva home has turned into a hub of support and mental health education; a cause that the brand’s founder Selena Gomez has been persistently vocal about in the past. 

So, why does Geneva marketing work? And, does it have what it takes to be the next big thing? 

GENEVA MARKETING: WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF GENEVA?

Geneva works because it is user focused, simple, and does not feel like social media. Unlike its competitors, Geneva feels like a safe place outside of the pressures of Instagram and TikTok. It is a place where users can truly breathe, truly relax, and make genuine connections.  

As such, Geneva is primed to be the next best app, if it continues to meet consumers’ desire for intimacy in the face of the digital age. 

For years now, consumers have been preaching the message that they want more; more authenticity, more relationships, more organic interaction on the internet. We have watched an army of platforms try to meet this need, yet they have all ultimately failed; BeReal is just one of many examples. 

Geneva’s user driven dogma, its seeming dedication to what users want, could be what allows it to be the one app that lasts. If the platform is able to continue to create a space where users can go to have real conversations, forge real relationships, without the pressure of numeric factors, then Geneva may just be the next big thing. 

@whatscrackinkenie

@Geneva is my favorite app of all time. #ugc #genevaapp

♬ original sound – mckenzie

 Especially if the app continues to allow its users to interact on an intimate level with their favourite creators, without the pretence of payment. 

Users seem more than ready for this new era of social media, where the social aspect is emphasised, not the media. 

However, from the perspective of brands, it may take a bit more convincing. 

With no in-app marketing scheme set up, and no guaranteed return on investment, it is understandable that brands are wary of dipping their toes in the Geneva marketing pool. The app is still very much in its infancy, with major brands such as Rare Beauty still only having a few thousand community members. 

Yet, it is not a reach to state that Geneva marketing is worth it. Consumers continue to seek authentic relationships from brands. Users want brands that feel human driven and that listen to their demands. Geneva allows brands to foster this relationship with their consumers, by creating a space wherein communication can easily flow. 

@katiewelch

@geneva #genevaapp #careeradvice #beautyindustry #fashionindustry #careerinsight

♬ Aesthetic Girl – Yusei

In this manner, Geneva offers an invaluable opportunity to brands; the opportunity to speak directly to consumers on a level playing field. 

Thus, it is no surprise why so many beauty brands are jumping on the Geneva marketing bandwagon. Now is the perfect time to get involved with the platform and build a solid community, before it becomes overpopulated and monetised. 

Ultimately, much like the famous peace accords it is named after, Geneva has the opportunity to put human connection first and disrupt the market in the process. Whether it will go down in history like its namesake, or join the pile of dead apps that is growing steadily by the day, will only be revealed in time. 

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs.

@ Socially Powerful