Auntie Anne?s is debuting a new campaign that will put one lucky customer in control of the brand?s Snapchat account.

The campaign is a part of the brand?s customer appreciation week. The move also shows how user-focused social media campaigns can have a positive effect on brand engagement.

"When 'Auntie' Anne Beiler opened a pretzel stand in 1988, she launched a pretzel revolution," said Carol Pasquariello, Vice President of Marketing for Auntie Anne's. "The catalyst for that revolution was the Original Pretzel. 

Social media presences are a ubiquitous marketing tactic in the modern age.

You would be hard pressed to find a brand that does not have a Twitter account, a Facebook page, an Instagram and all the other basic platforms that brands need to use to engage with customers today.

Auntie Anne?s is no different, but this brand is leveraging its social media presence in an interesting way with a new social campaign for customer appreciation week.

But instead of the more traditional social media accounts such as Twitter and Facebook, Auntie Anne?s is turning to Snapchat for this campaign.

The pretzel chain is asking consumers to go to the brand?s Facebook page and post the reasons why they should be crowned the ultimate Auntie Anne?s fan.

Once they have done so, Auntie Anne?s will pick the winner based on which response it deems the best.

Once picked, the ultimate Auntie Anne?s fan will receive free pretzels for a year and, more importantly, be handed over complete access to the brand?s Snapchat account for one day.

The campaign is an attempt to cash in on customer appreciation week that puts one lucky customer in charge of setting the brand?s message and tone for one day.

While Snapchat may still be mystifying to some advertisers and brands, many others have embraced the platform as a unique and immediate way to engage with customers.

It offers customers a direct line of contact with brands and brands an easy way to deliver quick, lightweight brand messages to consumers.

In fact, Snapchat Discover has been so popular that it I has been luring advertising and content from the media and publishing industries for months (see story).

Auntie Anne?s is tapping into the desire for more intimate Snapchat related engagements with its newest campaign, while also taking the bold step of putting customers in charge of the Auntie Anne?s brand message on Snapchat.

The move is reminiscent of a recent campaign from Subaru that recruited regular everyday Impreza owners to be brand ambassadors for the car (see story).

Similarly, Auntie Anne?s is letting a consumers be a brand ambassador in attempt to alleviate the divide between customer and brand in an interesting and engaging way.

?With legions of loyal fans worldwide, we know our pretzels are loved,? Ms. Pasquariello said. ?The love we have for our guests is just as strong, and we're showing it by offering everyone's favorite pretzel for just $1.99 during our first Customer Appreciation Week."