• by Colin Kirkland , January 23, 2025

Snapchat is advocating for creators now more than ever, sharing results from a recent third-party study that shows how creator partnerships can help a brand boost its reputation among consumers, drive outcomes across the full funnel, and better hold user attention.

The Snap-funded study, conducted by Omnicom Media Group (OMG), analyzes responses from 12,000 users of the social platform between the ages of 13 and 49 across five markets (the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Saudi Arabia) and provides insights on their expectations of brand-sponsored creator content compared to non-creator-based promotions.

Compared to standard brand ads, Snapchat says the attention spent on creator ads was 12% longer and play (or duration) time was 8% longer.

Compared to the control group, seeing a creator ad followed by a brand ad drove significant lifts in ad recall and unaided brand awareness, the company adds, stating that “when paired together, creator and standard brand ads have an impact on upper funnel metrics.”

Seeing a creator ad followed by a product ad also leads consumers to find brands more “trustworthy,” shining a light on the fact that creators have the power to positively influence how a brand is perceived, “especially if that creator is already highly likable, as seen in the U.S. and France,” says Snap.

Studying consumers’ interactions with ads, the report also shows that creators’ opinions are relevant during both a consumers' consideration phase (71%) and purchase phase (70%) of their shopping journey.

In a simulated shopping task, seeing a creator's ad prior to a product-focused ad drove significant lifts in consumers viewing a product's details page and brand purchase in an online marketplace, reports Snap.

Outcomes to make in-app purchases were also “driven by creators’ abilities to help brands become a consumer's first choice among a competitive set,” Snap says. “Compared to the control group, seeing a creator ad followed by a product-focused ad drove significant lifts in a brand landing a top spot within a consumer's consideration set.”

In line with the ethos around its platform, Snap says that compared to competing platforms, creators in its app appear more likable, relatable, and “likely to feel like a friend,” which has led users to say they value Snapchat creators' recommendations compared to creators on other platforms, according to a past study.