Snap Inc. and Havas Media Network Unveil Actionable Insights to Engage Younger Shoppers in New Social Commerce Playbook

Today, Snap Inc. and Havas Media Network unveiled “The Next Gen Social Commerce Playbook” – a research report that explores how brands can meaningfully connect with Gen Z (aged 13 – 23) and Millennials (aged 24 – 34) in the social commerce space. Amidst a thriving social media landscape that represents 4.74 billion users around the world and is anticipated to hit USD $492 billion in social commerce revenue in 2023 (2023 Global Payments, Commerce and Payments Trends Report), this playbook harnesses insights from 28,500 surveys conducted across France, Germany, India, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States to distill strategies to capture young social shoppers’ attention.

“Our research found that 64% of Gen Z and Millennials have made a purchase through social media in the past year – these younger audiences embrace social commerce, and with this report we sought their input on how we can create a more meaningful and engaging social commerce journey,” shared Seema Patel, Global Managing Director, Mx Intelligence, Havas Media Network.

Key learnings from The Next Gen Social Commerce Playbook include:

• Discovery/Inspiration phase dominates: 88% of Next Gen respondents use social media to discover new products and 44% use it to evaluate items for consideration and purchase.
• Community is integral: 85% of respondents include friends and family in their shopping journey through direct messages, tagging in posts, and attending live shopping events together.
• Dynamic engagement makes a difference: Over one third of Next Gen consumers have used augmented reality (AR) and approximately 3 out of 5 have attended a virtual shopping event – with 61% of respondents more likely to purchase a product after an AR experience, and over half making a purchase during a live shopping event.
• Seamlessness rules: At 60%, the biggest engagement drop-off across the social commerce journey is from the discovery phase to the purchasing phase.
• Technology needs humanity: 81% of Next Gen utilize the AI/chatbot feature, as it provides a ‘shopping buddy’ that delivers on ease and personalization.

Havas Media Network distilled the key learnings from surveying Gen Z and Millennial audiences into six overarching principles that brands can employ to create meaningful social shopping experiences for Next Gen:

1. Be My Sidekick: Pursue Personalization: Excellent customer experiences incorporate the human touch – whether through personalized guidance through the buying process, tailored buying suggestions and consultation, or stellar support following a purchase.
2. Keep My Inner Circle Within Reach: Action Authenticity: Friends and family are a powerful marketing tool to expand a customer base – Next Gen carefully chooses who they interact with based on transparency, authenticity, and shared values.
3. Engage In My Blended Reality: Utilize Ubiquity: Leverage technology to create ‘real-life’ shopping moments that transition seamlessly between the virtual and real world – fulfilling this cohort’s expectation for engaging and futuristic experiences.
4. Instill Confidence: Tackle Trust: A secure platform builds credibility by delivering clear and relevant information and offering connection to real people, instilling confidence to make a purchase with support from discovery to post purchase.
5. Incorporate Moments of Fun: Emphasize Entertainment: Lean into the growing ‘live shoptainment’ space for more holistically engaging shopping experiences that inspire and entertain.
6. Smooth It Out: Chase Convenience: A seamless experience provides consumer ease across the entire shopping journey, increasing repeat sales and creating brand advocates.

“Social commerce has transformed the way we shop and on Snap, we’ve seen firsthand how friends and family influence buying decisions. With more than half of daily Snapchatters sending product messages and pictures to friends during their shopping journey, there’s a massive opportunity for brands to tap into the experiences that are resonating most with the next generation, underscoring the importance of real relationships ultimately driving real influence,” shared Nadav Geft, Manager, Global Agency Development, Snap Inc.

Access the complete findings and insights from Next Gen Social Commerce Playbook here

The Next Gen Social Commerce Playbook Research Methodology

Havas Media Network collaborated with Dynata, the world’s largest first-party data company, to target this “Next Gen” audience of 13-34 years old that browses and makes purchases through social media platforms. Harnessing a bespoke methodology composed of quantitative and semi-quantitative online surveys and qualitative interactive tasks, the report harnesses insights from 28,500 surveys conducted across France, Germany, India, Mexico, The United Arab Emirates, The United Kingdom and The United States.