Consumers ignoring brands online even as Snapchat, Instagram usage soars

Nigerian consumers are turning their backs on brands as 24% of respondents in Nigeria ‘actively ignore’ social posts or content while 34% feel constantly followed by online advertising, despite soaring usage of popular social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram.

Globally, scepticism is highest in Scandinavian countries with 57% of respondents in both Sweden and Denmark stating they actively ignore content from brands. At the other end of the scale, just 15% of those in Saudi Arabia and 19% of Brazilians would avoid branded content. China and South Africa sit closer to the global average with 24% and 26% of respondents expressing cynicism, respectively.

Latest research from Kantar TNS, one of the world’s largest research agencies with experts in over 80 countries said the popularity of Instagram and Snapchat has soared in the last two years globally, as people seek out real, personal and ‘in-the-moment’ content, according to a new study of over 70,000 consumers from global research consultancy Kantar TNS. About 1 in 5 (16%) of Nigerian internet-users are now on Snapchat, an increase from just 12% two years ago. Instagram has also seen a surge in popularity, with local usage jumping to 41%, up from 16% in 2014.

The new research from Kantar TNS reveals that Nigerian brands will struggle to get people to engage with them, as many consumers feel bombarded by presence of local brands on social platforms, with 34% of Nigerians saying they feel ‘constantly followed’ by online advertising.

Michael Nicholas, Global Director at Kantar TNS, said in a statement: “The rise of Instagram and Snapchat taps into people’s desire for instant, entertaining content from friends, peers and influencers, often enhanced by fun filters and editing. There is a real opportunity for brands to tap into this trend by creating “personalisable” and shareable content, such as videos and stories. The challenge is how to focus the right content to the right people, on the right platforms and at the right moments.

“Some brands are getting it spot on – in the past year we have seen the likes of Disney, Starbucks and McDonald use Snapchat’s filters to engage consumers in a way that does not feel intrusive. This is key to overcoming many people’s fundamental negative perceptions of brand activity online,” he said.