Snapchat Releases Humor Research Report to Help Brands Master the 'Laughter Code' of Young Audiences
Snapchat released a new report focusing on how young audiences connect through humor, and in partnership with Omnicom, surveyed over 6,000 users aged 13-28. The report attempts to deconstruct the mechanics of what makes something 'funny,' offering brands a basic structure for comedy creation, but experts note that true humor cannot be formulaic, and brands still need to rely on their own insight and creativity.
"Sociable" is the latest commentary by industry expert Andrew Hutchinson (from Social Media Today) on important social media developments and trends.
Snapchat recentlyreleased a new reportexploring how younger audiences build connections through humor and analyzing the value of using comedic elements in marketing campaigns.
Humor is a universal connector across ages,and has historically been one of the strongest drivers of user engagement.However, this study specifically focuses on what counts as "funny" among younger audience segments.
As Snapchat puts it: "What is '67'? What is 'aura farming'? What is 'unc'? For older generations, young people's humor can be hard to decode. But behind the memes, inside jokes, and absurd internet trends lies a bigger meaning: this generation is treating humor as one of their primary social languages."
To dig deeper into what young people find funny, Snapchat partnered with Omnicom to survey more than 6,000 social media users aged 13 to 28 across the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, and India.
The report aims to provide brands with more context on what content will resonate with young people and how brands can apply it to their external communications. It focuses on examining the ways younger audiences engage with humorous content.
Feedback data shows that younger audiences strongly want brands to boldly use humor in their promotions.
However, such attempts often fall flat.
To help brands solve this challenge, Snapchat attempts to contextualize what younger audiences perceive as "funny" to guide content strategy development.
The report tries to provide a basic framework for comedy writing, offering a reference for marketers looking to connect with younger audiences.
This may be the first time a social media platform has attempted to break down the mechanics of "how to be funny" and create comedic content that resonates with specific audiences.
But the challenge is this: creative and engaging humorous content cannot be commodified to such a degree. Brands need a deep understanding of their audience, and marketers also need a natural sense of humor and self-awareness to craft comedic ideas that truly resonate. Simply put, Snapchat cannot teach a brand how to be funny.
However, with these notes, perhaps more marketers can keep up with the latest comedic trends and behaviors, creating campaigns that better align with younger users' reactions.