Dive Brief:

• Creator partnerships with brands can help boost not only awareness but also purchase intent across Snap’s platform, according to research released by the company.
• Among the findings was that creator ads received 12% more attention and 8% longer playtime than standard brand ads. When both types of ads are combined, it resulted in a 35% increase in brand recall and a 25% lift in unaided brand awareness.
• The assessment of how consumers aged 13-49 in five markets (U.S., U.K., France, Canada and South Korea) view creator content versus regular promotions within the app is based on quantitative research conducted in partnership with OMG and eye square.

Dive Insight:

Near the bottom of the blog post outlining the study’s findings is a claim that consumers, on average, value the recommendations of creators on Snapchat 13% more than the recommendations of creators “on other platforms.” Which suggests the study is a bid to position Snapchat as a viable alternative to TikTok should the Chinese-owned platform be shut down in the U.S. in the near future. TikTok was given a reprieve last week after failing in appeals.

“Creators on Snapchat came off as more likable, relatable, genuine, reliable and they were more likely to feel like a friend,” according to the post.

Snap is trying to present itself as a viable option for brands and creators for good reason. According to Goldman Sachs, the global creator economy will generate nearly $500 billion in revenue by 2027. More than two-thirds of consumers (68%) of Snapchat users say they’ve seen brand-sponsored creator content on the platform.

Moreover, global consumers indicated they felt Snapchat’s creators’ opinions were relevant throughout the shopping journey, particularly in the consideration (71%) and purchase (70%) phases. A portion of the study included a simulated shopping exercise where consumers went to an online marketplace to search for products and add them to carts. In that portion of the study, when consumers viewed a creator’s ad prior to a product-focused ad this drove “significant lifts” in visits to a product’s details page and brand purchase, according to Snap.

Creators can also build a halo effect for brands. When consumers were exposed to creator ads followed by product ads, brands saw increases in likability, trust, interest and authenticity compared to when they were only exposed to product ads.

“Creators may have only been thought of as an awareness play, but research proves that they can help drive purchases and boost brand reputation,” according to the post.

To that end, the company had some advice for brands:

• Collaborate with creators on full-funnel marketing efforts. Creators can be leveraged to authentically showcase products in sponsored content and support lower-funnel commerce goals.
• Weave creators more deeply into campaigns, ensuring the creators are authentically aligned with the products.
• Lean on the connection creators have with their followers. Genuine connections carry more weight with the audience and recommendations mean more.