Snapchat sees 10x rise in advertisers as India bets on Gen Z

MUMBAI: A picture may be worth a thousand words, but on Snapchat, a disappearing message is increasingly worth an advertising budget. Snapchat is rapidly turning casual conversations into a serious business opportunity in India. The platform has reported a tenfold increase in its advertiser base over the past two years, signalling growing confidence among brands seeking to connect with younger, digitally native consumers.

The momentum goes beyond first-time experimentation. Snapchat said the number of brands running campaigns consistently across all four quarters has tripled, suggesting advertisers are finding enough value in the platform to make it a regular part of their media plans.

India has become one of Snapchat’s most important markets, with more than 250 million users. A significant share of that audience belongs to Gen Z, which accounts for around 43 per cent of consumption in the country today. With the generation’s spending power projected to reach $2 trillion by 2035, brands are increasingly chasing attention where younger consumers spend their time.

That pursuit is reshaping advertising strategies. Rather than relying solely on traditional feed-based ads, Snapchat is pushing a mix of video, augmented reality (AR) and chat-based formats designed to appear within active user interactions rather than passive scrolling sessions.

The strategy reflects a broader shift in online behaviour. Younger users are spending more time in private conversations and closed communities, making attention harder to capture through conventional social media advertising.

For advertisers, the results appear encouraging. Snapchat reported a 10-percentage-point lift in aided brand awareness and a 12-percentage-point increase in ad recall compared with other platforms. Users exposed to campaigns on Snapchat were also 18 percentage points more likely to consider a brand, 16 points more likely to share content and 13 points more likely to discuss brands with others.

AR is emerging as one of the platform’s strongest growth engines. Snapchat said its AR lenses deliver roughly twice the effectiveness and three times the efficiency in capturing user attention compared with other advertising formats. Campaigns using AR also generated a 1.6x improvement in brand awareness versus campaigns that did not use the technology.

Chat-based advertising is also proving effective. Sponsored Snaps, which appear directly within user conversations, delivered 2.5 times higher brand awareness than traditional in-feed advertising formats, according to the company.

To support growing demand, Snapchat is investing in AI-powered targeting, enhanced measurement tools and improved attribution systems aimed at helping advertisers track campaign performance more accurately.

Brands across sectors including food delivery, retail, entertainment and quick commerce are increasingly embracing these formats. Companies such as Swiggy and Zomato are using combinations of video, AR and chat-based placements to engage consumers in more interactive ways.

As digital advertising moves beyond impressions and clicks towards participation and engagement, Snapchat’s latest numbers suggest brands are finding value in a platform built around conversations rather than broadcasts. In a market where attention is becoming the scarcest currency, the app’s disappearing messages may be leaving a lasting impression on advertisers.