The Conversation Advantage: Winning with 1:1 Brand-Consumer Dialogue

Why Brands Should Embrace 1:1 Connection

Technology is continually reshaping how we connect, and digital conversations are no longer confined to traditional texts and calls. Today, communication is rich with visual, playful, and expressive formats. In a world where 90% of people consider a variety of formats that go beyond calls and texts as conversation (e.g., sharing a video in a private chat, sending a voice message, or replying to comments on social media posts), ¹ brands must adapt to stay relevant.

Our latest study, "The Conversation Advantage," conducted in partnership with the Media Trials program, recruited over 12,800 participants aged 13-44 that are nationally representative of social media users from the US, UK, CA, AU, and KSA to take part in digital interviews and an ad effectiveness test. The findings dive deep into how consumers communicate today and what this means for brands looking to genuinely join the conversation.

The New Language of Connection is Visual and Expressive

Digital interactions are increasingly expressive, leaning into formats like emojis, stickers, GIFs, and memes to convey tone and emotion. The key driver for this shift? Self-expression and the desire to communicate in clearer and more dynamic ways than text alone.

• Visuals Lead the Conversation: In conversations, social media users use visual formats frequently. In fact, 96% of users regularly or sometimes use emojis, and 87% use stickers & GIFs. ¹

• Dynamic Media Use Accelerates in Chat: More than half of respondents report using images or videos (54%), artificial intelligence (50%), and emojis (47%) more now than they did a couple of years ago. ¹

See Stories, Feel Closer: People use richer, more visual formats, such as images and videos in chat, primarily with their friends and family, compared to outer circle connections like acquaintances and influencers. ¹ To become part of consumers' inner circles, brands need to show up in a visual, expressive, and human way.

Authentic, Direct Brand Connections Open New Doors for Engagement

Despite the personal nature of 1:1 communication channels like direct messages (DMs), consumers are overwhelmingly open to hearing directly from brands.

• A High Degree of Openness: 94% of people across the five global markets are open to getting either emails, SMS, DMs, or chat pop-ups from brands online. DMs are popular, with 77 - 86% of consumers being open to receiving them, depending on the market. ¹

• DMs Drive Positive Perception: Brand DMs can shift consumer perception in meaningful ways. 65% of consumers report a positive shift in their opinions of brands that message them in DMs, ¹ including:

  • Feeling more innovative.

  • Feeling more like a friend.

  • Trusting the brand more.

  • Liking the brand more.

And now, brands have the opportunity to realize this opportunity and deliver their message directly to Snapchatters through Sponsored Snaps.

Sponsored Snaps Deliver Tangible Results

Our ad effectiveness portion of the test, which leveraged the Media Trials team’s sandbox ad testing environment, tested the impact of Sponsored Snaps alone and in combination with video ads on Snapchat, as well as video ads on another social media platform. Results showed that Sponsored Snaps deliver powerful results across the funnel of brand metrics.

• High Visibility and Interaction: A remarkable 93% of users reported noticing the Sponsored Snaps, and 59% naturally opened them without any prompt. Furthermore, 20% naturally opened the brand chat a second time for further interaction. ¹

• Significant KPI Uplift: Sponsored Snaps generated a statistically significant uplift across key brand metrics: ¹

  • Brand Favorability: +9pts

  • Search Intent: +8pts

  • Brand Consideration: +11pts

  • Purchase Intent: +5pts

• Synergy With Video Campaigns: A multi-touch strategy combining a Sponsored Snap with a video ad drove additional impact on top of what video alone can provide, while controlling for frequency:

  • Combined with other video ads on Snapchat, Sponsored Snaps helped with incremental uplift of: ¹

    • Search Intent (+8pts)

    • Brand association of friendliness (+7pts)

    • Feeling that the brand’s product offerings fit the consumer’s vibe (+7pts)

  • Sponsored Snaps synergized with video on another platform, increasing: ¹

    • Favorability (+11pts)

    • Purchase intent (+6pts)

    • Feeling that the brand knows how to connect with the consumer (+10pts)

Rules of Engagement for Brands in 1:1 Channels

With Snapchatters collectively talking more than 1.7B minutes per day on average, ² sending over 45B voice notes ³ and 887B chats ³ in Q1 in 2025, the platform is a powerhouse for conversations, and brands can connect with their customers in formats that go beyond a regular video ad. They can develop the consumer-brand relationship through Sponsored Snaps by considering the best practices  for  engagement:

1. DM with Purpose and Timing: DMing should not be a "free-for-all" strategy; it needs clear intent. 77% of consumers say it feels right when brands DM with intent. ¹ For example, when the brand has something timely to share or when the person is already considering something the brand offers.

2. Different Captions Motivate Different People: In Sponsored Snaps, leading with curiosity-driven or brand-forward captions boosts open rates, outperforming an emotional tone alone. ¹ Additionally, these strategies should be used with the target audience in mind: ¹

   • Curiosity-driven captions, which are crafted to spark intrigue with a question (e.g., "Felt like your vibe?"), drove a +7-point lift in search intent to help consumers get started on the purchase path with the brand.

   • Brand-forward captions, which resemble a slogan and are spoken in the voice of the brand, are highly effective at boosting brand consideration (+17 pts) to push the consumer towards purchase decisions.

3. Partner with Creators Authentically: 84% of consumers are open to hearing from creators as the ambassador for the brand. ¹ To make a brand message from a creator feel "right," they should talk like themselves (50%) and be upfront that it's a paid post (47%). ¹ Additionally, we found that Snapchatters are 21% more likely to want to hear about a brand from creators on the platform versus directly from the brands themselves. ¹

Drive Results with Sponsored Snaps

Sponsored Snaps offer a powerful, authentic way to connect with the highly engaged Gen Z and Millennial audience where they are actively sharing their lives — in chat. Transform your brand message into a seamless native experience that tells a compelling story and helps drive measurable results. Don’t just advertise; become a part of the conversation. Unlock a new dimension of future-forward marketing with Sponsored Snaps.

For inspiration, check out how Wendy’s and Calvin Harris leveraged Sponsored Snaps to connect meaningfully with their audience.