Instagram has followed in its adopted father’s footsteps, and put originality to one side once again, in order to release its own copy of popular photo-message app, Snapchat.
Facebook launched its own rehash a few months ago named Slingshot, although in a minor difference to Snapchat, the user can only open the picture once they have sent one of their own.
It doesn’t seem to have encouraged users to download the app, released after Facebook had a $3 billion bid to buy out Snapchat rebuffed. The usual tactic for buying up any social media outlet with a rivalling user base was unable to find a way to work with the original creators of the app, and that has created much apparent consternation within the global giant, as in an apparent attempt to bury Snapchat entirely, they have now made Instagram (their $1 billion purchase from 2012) release its own special Snapchat app called Bolt.
It won’t be the first time that Facebook has initiated an Instagram tactic to attempt to put one over on a rival. Users will remember the video editing update which ensured that the growing popularity of Vine as a concept was taken care of before becoming too much of a threat.
Not Worth a Bolt
Unfortunately this time around, the “new” creation looks set to disrupt more than just Snapchat (although it is unlikely to disrupt the established original too much). A small tech firm which has been working for years to develop their brand is also called Bolt.
Despite the CEO, Andrew Benton, appealing to Instagram to reconsider the name which will most likely destroy any notion of a brand the original Bolt currently has, they have already released their Snapchat-like Bolt in New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa.
Benton’s company developed an app which allows users to make free calls using their data allowance, but in an apparently cost-effective manner. Benton has called upon Instagram to consider a name change, but the former independent is now part of an all-consuming machine with little regard for the little guy, and his appeals are likely to fall on deaf ears unless he embarks on what will be a gruelling and expensive court process.