Get real: how brands can tap into the power of relationships to drive influence this shopping season

Cutting through the clutter at this time of year is no small feat for marketers - but if they can get it right, they can benefit from a unique opportunity to build and maintain customer loyalty far beyond the retail peaks. By harnessing the power of real relationships and connections that already exist on social media, brands can be a welcomed part of an environment where there’s potential to have real influence.

A place to get ‘real’

As the ‘antidote to social media’, Snapchat has carved a unique position as a place where people can communicate with friends and family without the pressure of having to appear popular or perfect. In fact, a 2022 Neuro-Insights study commissioned by Snap Inc shows that 75% of people go to Snapchat to interact and connect with their closest circle.

These real relationships create an environment where people are more likely to share what‘s on their minds and what they’re seeing in the world around them.

“The desire to stay connected to our closest friends and family isn’t something that ebbs and flows with the latest trend, hype or news cycle - it’s a constant, because it’s part of what makes us human,” explains Fintan Gillespie, director of large client solutions at Snap Inc. “It’s why our unique, engaged audience continues to grow with 21 million monthly app users in the UK, with the average Snapchatter opening their app 50 times a day.”

Influencing the influencers

It’s in this happy environment and safe place, where ‘real relationships‘ can lead to ‘real influence‘. Research shows that Snapchatters see their friends as some of their most powerful influencers.

The NRG study also shows that three in four Snapchatters say Snapchat is the best way to shop with friends and share what they bought, and 91% of them trust recommendations from friends and family as a source of information about brands and services.

In this Snapchat world which has been built around their friends and family, users are in a happy place (say 91% of Snapchatters). This mindset and environment means that they are more likely to trust what they see, more likely to pay attention, and more likely to engage.

Letting brands into the circle

This year presents an opportunity for brands to think differently about how they connect with consumers this peak shopping season, embracing the real relationships fostered on Snapchat in a positive environment where consumers are constantly sharing with and influencing each other. “That makes them more likely to trust what they see, pay attention, and act on it in response,” adds Gillespie.

For brands to be part of all these different moments where memories are made and have real influence, they must give them reasons to celebrate, by providing inspiration and creativity to create stronger emotional ties to consumers and become valued brands.

“Brands can play a valuable role in giving them the tools to create and capture those memories, and get creative through ads by using a combination of video and AR formats which is proven to not only increase upper to mid funnel results, but together this creates 42% higher purchase intent lifts,” says Gillespie.

“And during Q4/Q5, these real moments of sharing, inspiration, and influence are in hyperdrive due to the flurry of planning, exploring, gift-giving, and reflecting happening at the end of the year. That‘s the power of Snapchat: giving brands the ability to have real influence, standing out from the crowd, and driving results during the busiest shopping season of the year.”

Embracing the magic of moments

Given the unique role it plays in the full shopping cycle – from seeking inspiration (awareness), to making lists (consideration), shopping in-app (purchase) to sharing the joy with friends and family (retention) - Snap offers three top tips to help brands get ahead this shopping season to achieve maximum results:

1. Capture attention with video ads: find opportunities to maximize influence at the first moment. Full-format video helps brands attract consumers’ attention and keep it.

2. Encourage shopping with AR try-on: Snap’s Augmentality Shift UK Report shows that 77% of UK consumers are interested in using AR to interact with and try products before buying. By offering a seamless try-on experience, brands can embrace a more personalized connection.

3. Combine ad formats for the best results: explore a combination of ad formats and interactive features to deliver on lower-funnel metrics. For example, the combination of AR and video is proven to deliver the greatest impact for brands in the upper- and mid-funnel to increase intent and ROI metrics.

“With so many channels to reach consumers and landscape pressures ahead, the challenge for brands and platforms in the peak shopping season is to differentiate,” says Gillespie. “When people feel happier, it creates an environment where brands can have real influence by creating immersive experiences that unlock more meaningful customer connections – and that can’t be replicated elsewhere.”

For more insights for marketers on how to connect to life’s real moments this holiday season, visit Snap’s guide to the shopping season here.