Snap Champions 2
Gen Z hasn't abandoned social media. They've simply changed how they use it.
While public feeds remain part of daily life, much of today's online interaction takes place in group chats, direct messages and smaller digital communities. For marketers, that shift is changing the way attention is earned and how influence spreads.
That was one of the themes explored at the kick-off Snap Champions session in Sydney last month, where marketers and advertisers heard from Snapchat alongside guest speaker and creative consultant Liana Rossi, about how younger audiences communicate in increasingly private digital spaces.
The discussion centred on Snapchat's Conversation Advantage research, conducted with Omnicom Media Intelligence, which explores how people communicate in private digital environments and what that means for brands.
The findings point to a broader shift in online behaviour. As public platforms become more crowded with content, advertising and AI-generated material, people are increasingly turning to private channels to share, connect and express themselves. More than 85% of Australians now regularly use visual language such as emojis, GIFs and memes, with self-expression (53%) overtaking clarity (45%) as the primary reason people communicate. The findings suggest tone and cultural fluency matter as much as the message itself.
For brands, the implication is significant. Content shared in a group chat works differently from content consumed in a feed because every share carries an element of personal endorsement.
"People aren't posting less because they're spending less time online," Rossi said. "They're simply sharing less in public. Every time you share something, you're revealing something about yourself."
That dynamic has helped create what Rossi described as "reputation economies" - environments where people are selective about what they share because it reflects on them. In these spaces, content isn't valued simply because it's entertaining or informative. It also needs to be worth recommending.
The research suggests this is particularly relevant for younger audiences, who are often less receptive to brands telling them what to think and more likely to engage with content that feels useful, culturally relevant or genuinely shareable.
For marketers, the challenge is no longer just capturing attention. It's creating content that people actively choose to pass on within their closest networks.
Snap Champions is Snapchat's professional development program for agency professionals from planner and buyer level through to directors. Building on the success of last year's program, the initiative is designed to help the next generation of agency leaders navigate an evolving media landscape and deepen their understanding of changing consumer behaviours.
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