Dubai, UAE — With media spend on the global influencer market expected to approach $6 billion in 2024, a new research report released today by Snapchat and MCN revealed how content creators and brand-sponsored content could push the industry even further. The robust study called “Unleashing Influence: A Marketer’s Guide to Influencer Success” explored users’ perceptions and preferences across five countries including Australia, France, Saudi Arabia (KSA), The United States of America (USA), and the United Kingdom (UK). The inclusive group of participants in the study, from different generations and diverse demographics, shared thoughts on influencers and how they feel about brands sponsoring influencer content on social media.

“Snapchat offers creators a space where they can grow a community and build businesses while being their true genuine selves. Authenticity drives brand trust and consideration and creators at all stages come to Snapchat because they are seeking environments that allow them to build real connections with their communities,” said Rasha El Ghoussaini, Head of Agency, Snap Inc. MENA. “Snapchat is that special place where people stay connected with those who matter the most to them on a daily basis from family to friends and their favorite creators, and we see that with users in the GCC, Snapchat is visited over 45 times a day, making it the most frequently used app throughout the day.”

In KSA, tutorials and restaurant reviews were the top product-related creator content that people watched, unveiling an area of opportunity for local marketers. Whilst social media users proved to be receptive and actively engaged with influencer content, there was also a clear imperative for brands to use certain criteria to align with the right influencers on the right platforms. Trust was the leading criteria. Despite that, 64% of social media users either 'don't' or 'somewhat' trust creators, highlighting a need for brands to prioritize the trust factor when choosing creators.

“Authenticity is and will remain the ultimate influencer currency, facilitating long-term and authentic connections between brand and consumer. Integrating Influencer Marketing at the heart of our connected solutions at MCN enables rich, impactful and more engaging campaigns for our clients,” said Rami Gholmieh Regional Director of Influencer Marketing at MCN.

Honesty was the #1 trait (78%) that brands could seek from influencers to drive engagement in brand-sponsored content, more than creativity (66%) and charisma or “rizz” (56%).  In KSA, the top 3 drivers for trusting creators were their ability to portray a realistic life (69%), provide evidence and data (67%) and share personal experiences (65%). Moreover, 89% said transparency about sponsorship increased the likelihood of brand engagement.

Additional Key Takeaways:

Brand marketers can build trust by working with influencers who are authentic and create connection with their audience through effective behaviors such as talking about their mistakes and lessons learned (58%), providing evidence and facts about their topics (66%), and openly sharing their real lives not just curated lifestyles (59%).

Transparency is a must for brand and influencer partnerships. Customizing content disclosures for the audience goes a long way – KSA users prefer hashtags (30%) and sponsorship watermarks (24%) over captions and voice overs.

Marketers can position influencers as trusted partners for audiences in their brand decision making journey, and this can be amplified on platforms like Snapchat where brands can lean into users’ attraction to personal connections.
Methodology:

The “Unleashing Influence: A Marketer’s Guide to Influencer Success” study was conducted in Australia, France, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, and The United States of America with 5,214 participants across a representative group of social media users aged 16-49 years. They were surveyed to gauge current perceptions of influencer content and receptiveness to brand-sponsored influencer content on social media.

About MCN Group

MCN (Middle East Communications Network) is a leading advertising and marketing communications agency groups in MENAT, which partners with clients to build enduring brands. MCN’S agencies are global brands, spanning creative, media, digital, PR, brand experience and specialist marketing, within McCann Worldgroup and IPG Mediabrands, including FP7McCann, MullenLowe, UM, Magna, Initiative, KINESSO, MRM, McCann Health, Momentum, Craft, Weber Shandwick, Commonwealth//McCann, Jack Morton, Octagon and Current Global. MCN has circa 2,000 employees across 11 markets. MCN is committed to cultivating an inclusive environment where talents can thrive and flourish. This commitment has led to the company and its agency brands to be recognised as a Great Place to Work consecutively in 2023 and 2024.

About Snap Inc.

Snap Inc. is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. We contribute to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. The Company's three core products are Snapchat, a visual messaging app that enhances your relationships with friends, family, and the world; Lens Studio, an augmented reality platform that powers AR across Snapchat and other services; and its AR glasses, Spectacles. For more information, visit snap.com.

Media Contacts: snap.mena@webershandwick.com