Snap has revealed new insights looking at the ways young Australians plan and celebrate holidays, and the unique opportunities in the path to purchase for brands to engage with shoppers.
In a study of more than 1,500 Australian social media users aged 13-35, including over 650 Snapchatters, the research revealed three distinct shopping moments during the holidays: shopping to prepare, shopping to celebrate, and shopping for gifts.
This ‘Celebration Cycle’ also demonstrates the strength of Snapchat as a platform for inspiration. Among those who use Snapchat for research, 73% get or share gift ideas from Snapchat.
In Australia, 65% of all shoppers cite gift giving as important, but finding the perfect gift is key, with 64% of shoppers saying that finding the right gift helps demonstrate love for their friends and family.
When looking at Snapchatters, this increases to 71% who agree that giving gifts is important to them.
Snapchat is used for gifting research and also serves as a driver of inspiration before purchase. Among those who use Snapchat for research when shopping, Snapchat kickstarts the purchase process, with over half (56%) of Snapchatters starting their Christmas present shopping, and nearly one in three (30%) thinking about Boxing Day sales, at least one month out.
For brands looking to engage with this cohort of planners, the Snap research has revealed the top content Snapchatters are seeking from brands, to inspire their gifting journey.
Topping the list is product reviews (49%), followed by product tips and guides (32%) and product comparisons (31%).
When researching gifts, Augmented Reality (AR) helps shoppers make decisions about what to add to their gifting list.
Snap’s research shows that 63% of Aussie shoppers think AR is a fun way to learn about or explore a product, and more than half (52%) of shoppers are more likely to purchase a product if they can interact with it in AR.
Snapchat gives brands an opportunity to capture audiences during their gifting journey in a fun and engaging way, with 56% of shoppers saying that AR experiences are a great way to get gifting ideas.
Brands are 40% more likely to be considered if they have a branded AR experience1, and the research shows that AR users plan to spend nearly 60% more than non-AR users during the 2022 holiday season, especially in retail and beauty.
Overall, participation in celebratory gifting is high in Australia. The Snap research shows that while Christmas and Boxing Day top the list for end of year shopping, up and coming holidays are gaining in popularity, and providing more moments for brands to engage.
Top five moments for end of year shopping:
• 80% of Australian shoppers shop for Christmas
• 55% of Australian shoppers shop for Boxing Day
• 51% of Australian shoppers shop for Black Friday / Cyber Monday
• 34% of Australian shoppers shop for New Year’s Eve
• 30% of Australian shoppers shop for New Year’s Day
Interestingly, when compared to Australian shoppers, Snapchatters over-index on end of year shopping on four out of five key holidays, including Christmas (85%), Boxing Day (61%), Black Friday / Cyber Monday (53%), and New Year’s Eve (38%).
Matthew Coote, head of enterprise ANZ, Snap, said: “As Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other occasions continue to gain popularity in Australia, the holiday season can be an increasingly hard time for brands to cut through.
“Driving engagement with your audience is a key factor in consumer purchase, and we know that Augmented Reality (AR) is proven to increase both engagement and thus results for brands.
“Augmented Reality immerses our community by creating unique product or brand experiences, providing shoppers with personalised moments every time they interact, building brand affinity through the shopping experience,” Coote added.