Snapchat’s Latest Influencer Overture Lets Creators Helm Their Own Sticker Packs

After launching its Storytellers initiative last week linking top Snapchat creators with marketers to create vertical ads within Stories and Discover, Snapchat has unveiled yet another feature targeting its influencer community.

And while quirky, the latest update is far less lucrative: Snapchat will enable select creators to make their own sticker packs, Digiday reports — with users GeeOhSnap and cartoonist Harry Hambley (of Ketnipz fame) pioneering the new ability. Stickers are animations that users can affix to their Snaps by means of decoration, and the new influencer-created stickers are available under the ‘Star’ tab. Other packs are coming soon from CyreneQ (featuring one of her popular characters, Ele), Decalex (showcasing his calligraphy skills), Cakes1ToDough1 (of cats), and Metz044 (corgis).

“Being able to include our own branding as a native part of the platform is incredible for us creators,” Metz044, né Mike Metzler

, told Digiday. “The fact that Snapchat is partnering with creators to roll this out is another way to show they are investing in the creator community.”

Snapchat hosted its first-ever Creator Summit in May after having long turned a cold shoulder to the community. That’s because the company initially saw itself as a means for ‘IRL’ friends to connect, as well as a hub for premium content on Discover. In recent months, however, the company has sought to ingratiate itself with influencers via creator-made augmented reality lenses, collaborating with more digital stars on Discover programming, and even experimenting with ad-sharing, according to Digiday.