Uncovering How the Power of Close Relationships Builds Brand

In today's dynamic social media landscape, Snapchat has proven to be a beacon of joy and happiness for Snapchatters as they primarily use it to connect with their friends and family. But what does this unique emotional connection mean for brands? Across various studies, Snapchat has explored the power of positive emotions on the platform and how connections with close family and friends have lasting impact on consumers and on brands advertising on Snapchat. Through our work over the years with Neuro-Insight, Mindshare’s NeuroLab and Alter Agents, we were able to uncover that Snapchat creates a happy, fun, and connected space for close friends and family to enjoy, putting Snapchatters in a positive mindset, which leads to positive brand outcomes.

Snapchat teamed up with the data and insights team at Mindshare, a global media agency, and Mindshare’s NeuroLab, the agency’s in-house neuroscience department, to conduct research on how different social media platforms fulfill various consumer needs. They identified six platform "need states," with Joy being a prominent one.

Mindshare's NeuroLab revealed the unique strengths of each platform for delivering against these need states. Snapchat emerged as a top platform associated with Joy compared to other platforms, making it the ideal place for brands to connect with users in a heightened state of happiness¹.

The research also investigated platform behaviors and how they align with consumer needs. On Snapchat, Snapchatters seek Joy and share unique moments with close friends and family on the platform.

In our previous research conducted by Neuro-Insight, we discovered that Snapchatters find genuine happiness while using the platform because it allows them to express their truest selves to their closest friends and family². Using neuroscience, we saw that their engagement with content on Snapchat far surpasses other social media platforms.

Snapchat has become a hub of happiness, and this is no accident. Alter Agents conducted in-depth research, utilizing in-context exposure and experimental design, to understand why positive emotions on Snapchat lead to positive brand outcomes.

The findings are compelling. Snapchat is not just a social media platform; it's a source of connection. Snapchatters report feeling more social, happy, connected, and creative when using Snapchat compared to the competition³. An astounding 82% of social media users agree that Snapchat makes them feel connected with friends and family, while 81% attest to the app's unique ability to let them have fun with friends and family free of judgment, outperforming competitive apps.

Alter Agent’s research found that Snapchat's ability to foster a real sense of community and connect users with their close friends and family leads to feelings of happiness on Snapchat that are significantly higher than on other social platforms. And the plaforms's unique advertising experience benefits from a positive halo effect - ads on Snapchat elicit a 1.6 times greater level of engagement, leaving viewers feeling more positively about ads on the platform. The influence of these positive emotions extends to how users perceive brands on Snapchat. Brands are seen as more relatable and less dated, while ads on Snapchat are viewed as 1.2 times more positive and 1.3 times more playful compared to other social apps.

Positive emotions have a direct impact on brand outcomes too. Snapchatters not only remember ads better but are also more likely to consider purchasing products from brands advertised on the platform. This is especially true for those who report feeling more connected to others while using Snapchat. In fact, Snapchat improved brand recommendations by an impressive 4.5 times compared to competitors, and brand purchase intent increased by 1.7 times compared to platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Brands on Snapchat are perceived as 1.6 times more relatable and a staggering 4.8 times less dated than on other social apps.

When selecting media channels and platforms, it is not enough if one just considers the basics - reach, frequency and audience. You also need to take into account the audience’s needs states and incremental impact the “why” has on ads and hence brands on various platforms. Snapchat is not just any platform; it's a source of joy and connection among people that drives brand results. Brands that recognize and embrace the emotional power of Snapchat can create authentic campaigns that resonate with Snapchatters in a positive environment. This, in turn, results in increased brand recommendations, higher purchase intent, and a perception of brands as relatable and modern. By understanding the science of positive emotions on Snapchat, brands can tap into the joyful environment created on Snapchat and drive positive brand outcomes.

Learn more about Platform Need States.

Learn more about how strong emotions drive brand engagement.