Snap Inc. announced the launch of Promoted Places, a new platform update that brings sponsored locations directly to the Snapchat Map, enabling brands to drive measurable in-store visits at scale.
With more than 400 million Snapchatters using the Snap Map each month, and users in the GCC opening the app more than 45 times per day on average, Promoted Places allows advertisers to show up during high-intent discovery moments, when people are actively exploring where to go and what to experience next. Unlike traditional navigation-first maps, Snap Map is built for social discovery, helping users see where friends are and explore places that feel relevant and meaningful.
Through Promoted Places, retailers, shops and quick-service restaurants can feature their physical locations as sponsored pins with enhanced visibility, including optional custom 3D animations. When tapped, users are directed to a dedicated Place Profile labeled “Sponsored,” where advertisers can showcase a Snap Ad, link their Business Profile so Spotlight and Stories appear in the carousel, include a custom Map Effect, and allow users to save the location for later.
Advertisers receive core performance metrics, including Promoted Place Impressions, Place Opens, and aggregated Promoted Place Actions, providing clear visibility into engagement and intent. The new Place Partnerships model further expands access, enabling brands without retail footprints to collaborate with partners that operate 200+ locations.
“Across the GCC, discovery is deeply social and often translates quickly into real-world action. Promoted Places allows brands to show up at the moment intent forms, turning digital engagement on the Snap Map into measurable, in-store impact. It’s a powerful example of how we’re building solutions that reflect how our community explores, connects, and experiences the world around them,” said Hussein Freijeh, Vice President of MENA & APAC at Snap Inc.
Promoted Places represents a shift from passive digital awareness to actionable, location-based engagement. For brands that prioritise in-store traffic as a KPI, it offers a full-funnel, always-on solution that bridges online discovery and offline conversion. By combining Map visibility, immersive creative, Snap Ads, and organic amplification through Public Profiles, brands can create integrated ecosystems that drive awareness, consideration, and physical visits, all within a platform built around authentic connection.
In a first-of-its-kind global execution, Almarai became among the first brands to connect Promoted Places with a dedicated AR Lens, seamlessly transitioning Snapchatters from map-based discovery into an interactive Harat ALYOUM experience.
Through a custom 3D neighborhood presence, immersive AR storytelling, and a weekly episodic content series, the campaign demonstrated how location, creativity, and platform-native behavior can come together to create a unified, culturally resonant experience on Snap Map.
Similarly, Starbucks, operated by Alshaya Group, launched Promoted Places as part of its Ramadan campaign, in Saudi Arabia, spotlighting its limited-edition Ramadan Cup and Cardamom Latte.
More than 350 Starbucks locations across the Kingdom were activated on the Snap Map, helping drive awareness and consideration by making nearby stores instantly discoverable to users. Snapchatters exploring nearby areas were greeted with a custom 3D rotating cup and coffee bean rainfall effect, designed to capture attention and drive store discovery.
As brands across MENA look for more measurable ways to connect digital engagement with real-world impact, these campaign real-world discovery, visits and moments that turn into results.
