Authenticity Sells: Creators Enhance Brand Reputation and Commerce

The global Creator economy has become a force to reckon with and is only continuing to grow, with an expected revenue of $480B by 2027.¹ Consumers are taking notice of these creators with 68% telling us they’ve seen brand sponsored Creator content.² With Creators grabbing the attention of both consumers and marketers alike, Snapchat partnered with OMG and eye square to conduct research to understand the impact that Creators have across the funnel, especially commerce outcomes.

The study was carried out among over 12,000 social platform users (13-49 years old) across generations in 5 markets (US, UK, CA, FR, KSA) using quantitative research methods, including in-context exposure to various ad sequences, a brand lift survey and a simulated commerce shopping exercise, where consumers actually went to an online marketplace and had the opportunity to search for products and add them to their carts. Among a sub-set of consumers, we explored their expectations of brand sponsored Creator content.

Creators Drive Full Funnel Outcomes

Awareness requires attention and Creator ads grab it effectively. Compared to standard brand ads, we found that for Creator ads attention paid was 12% longer and playtime was 8% longer.³ When paired together, Creator and standard brand ads have an impact on upper funnel metrics. Compared to the control group, seeing a Creator ad followed by a brand ad drove significant lifts in Ad Recall and Unaided Brand Awareness.⁴

Creators’ Impact Mid to Lower Funnel Outcomes

Global consumers told us that Creators’ opinions are relevant during the consideration (71%) and purchase (70%) phases of their shopping journeys.⁵ This sentiment came to life with actual behavioral commerce results in our simulated shopping task. Compared to the control group, seeing a Creators 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.⁶ This effect was evident on Snapchat - Creators feel like friends on Snapchat and their recommendations are highly influential on purchases.

Commerce outcomes were also likely driven by Creators’ abilities to help brands become a consumer’s first choice among a competitive set. Compared to the control group, seeing a Creator ad followed by a product focused ad drove significant lift in a brand landing a top spot within a consumer’s consideration set.⁷

Creators Can Boost Brand Reputation

Including Creators in the mix benefits brands beyond just driving outcomes. When consumers were exposed to a Creator ad followed by a product ad, brands came off as more trustworthy compared to when they were only exposed to product ads. This halo effect means creators can positively influence how a brand is perceived, especially if that creator is already highly likable, as seen in the US and France.⁸

Snapchat: Where Authenticity and Connection Shine Through

Snapchat is a place for friends and family to connect with one another, and that phenomenon extends to Creators. Compared to Creators on other platforms, Creators on Snapchat came off as more likable, relatable, genuine, reliable, and they were more likely to feel like a friend.⁹ As a result, consumers were more likely to say they value Snapchat Creator’s recommendations compared to Creators on other platforms.¹⁰

What this means for Brand x Creator Collaborations

Creators may have only been thought of as an awareness play, but research proves that they can help drive purchases and boost brand reputation. When collaborating with Creators to drive success, marketers should keep these three tips in mind:

• Collaborate with Creators to drive commerce outcomes
  Brands should view Creators as a full funnel marketing tactic. Creators should be incorporated into strategies where lower funnel commerce outcomes are the goal, and can be tasked with authentically showcasing products in brand sponsored content.

• Boost brand image by incorporating Creators into the mix
  Brands looking to boost their image and build trust with consumers should weave Creators into their campaign mix. The Creators used in campaigns should be authentically aligned with the brand and its products, and have a level of trust built up with their own audience.

• Consider the platform you’re collaborating with Creators on
  When it comes to Snapchat, brands should lean into the connection consumers feel with Creators. Their ability to come off as more relatable and genuine with consumers when on Snapchat allows their recommendations to hold more weight with their audience.

Check out some of the ways brands can tap into Creators on Snapchat here!