Is Snapchat's bid to attract Indian advertisers working?
While platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and even homegrown players like Moj and ShareChat secure consistent ad spends, has Snapchat been able to break into the media plans of top marketers?
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Despite claiming deep penetration among India’s Gen Z, Snapchat continues to lag behind in attracting serious brand and advertiser interest in the country. While platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and even homegrown players like Moj and ShareChat secure consistent ad spends, Snapchat struggles to break into the media plans of top marketers. Insiders point to a lack of localized strategy, limited creator ecosystems, inconsistent brand safety controls, and underwhelming ad performance metrics as key reasons. As India's digital ad market becomes fiercely ROI-driven, Snapchat's flashy AR filters and youth appeal alone may no longer be enough to win over advertisers chasing scale and substance.
The "safe space" dilemma
“What we’ve learned is that Snapchat functions as a safe space for Gen Z,” says Shreya Sachdev, Director–Marketing, PUMA India. “It’s built around authentic, peer-to-peer engagement—less about celebrities or brands, more about close circles and disappearing content.” That unique positioning, she says, makes it tricky for advertisers. “Brands have to be cautious when entering. You don’t want to disrupt that trust or push ads that feel intrusive.”
This sensitivity to brand tone might explain why Snapchat hasn’t seen the same level of commercial content as other platforms. “That’s likely why you don’t see many branded accounts or even celebrity content there.” PUMA has tested the waters—but sparingly. “We have experimented with Snapchat and continue to do so, but it’s very selective,” she says. “The tone, talent, and messaging need to feel Gen Z.”
Compared to other platforms, that’s a very different ask. “It’s unlike Meta platforms, where ads are expected and even welcomed as part of the scroll,” she notes. “On Snapchat, if you get it wrong, it’s counterproductive.”
Snapchat's muted marketing
Several marketers believe the platform has fallen behind its rivals in offering the scale, clarity, and performance insights brands demand today.
"Snapchat holds significant appeal amongst Gen Z for the constant social engagement opportunities it presents. However, Snapchat offers limited avenues for monetization of content, leading to a weak creator ecosystem. This does not align with the interests of consumer brands like ours which prioritize reach and measurable engagement," said Irina Bonich, Marketing Director at Oriflame. She added that Snapchat's private sharing approach and less intuitive interface "can restrict organic amplification" — a concern for brands seeking virality and reach.
That perception of underutilized potential is echoed by Saurabh Parmar, Fractional CGO, who highlights a disconnect between Snapchat’s capabilities and how it communicates with advertisers.
"Snapchat's ad story in India is quite unfortunate. India is its largest market at 200 million, Snapchat has the features, the money but fails to get the media budget in India. And that's primarily because Snapchat has failed to market itself effectively to advertisers, marketers in India. For example, sponsored snaps. I've only heard of very few brands are trying it out, and first, very few marketers are even aware of it. Or, collection ads would be great for some D2C brands, e-commerce brands who target Gen Z, but hardly anyone is using it because of lack of awareness."
Why Snapchat can't compete with Giants
From a media planning lens, Snapchat also falls short of delivering the kind of scale that large brands require.
"Snapchat’s limited user base in India compared to Meta or YouTube restricts scale-driven campaigns. Additionally, its younger, metro-centric audience often misaligns with broader brand objectives focused on mass reach and tier 2/3 markets," said Prabhakar Tiwari, Partner, FRN Advisory. He adds, "Snapchat excels in engagement (high ARPU in mature markets) but lags in India due to weaker conversion tracking and third-party integrations. Meta and YouTube dominate with advanced attribution (click-through, offline conversions) and broader audience targeting."
And while Snapchat has robust internal analytics, Gopa Menon, Chief Growth Officer for APAC at Successive Digital points out that external integration is still a pain point. "Some marketers might find integrating its data with their broader multi-platform attribution models more complex compared to more established platforms like Meta or Google, which have deeper integrations across the digital ecosystem," he explains.
He also points out that although the 200 million users in India is a significant number, it pales in comparison to the perception of scale offered by Instagram and YouTube. "Marketers still prioritize sheer reach for many campaigns. Moj and ShareChat, while more regional, have also carved out significant vernacular user bases, especially in Tier 2/3 cities, which can be attractive for certain brands."
Regional players rise
That competition from regional players is real and rising. Gaurav Jain, Chief Business Officer, ShareChat & Moj, underscored how a regional-first strategy has paid off in clear performance terms. “Advertisements in mainstream languages garner half the number of click-through rates compared to regional languages, leading to tangible business impact,” he said.
Jain added that industries with high consumer engagement and visual appeal—such as FMCG, beauty and personal care, and electronics—continue to dominate in this space. “Owing to their influence towards shaping purchase decisions, 47% of campaigns are focused on regional creators.”
And it’s not just a vanity metric. “These creators, alongside hyper-targeted campaigns on our platforms, have driven 68% of festive purchases, where short-form video (SFV) is continuing to remain a dominant force,” Jain pointed out.
He emphasized the cultural resonance of content delivered in native languages: “86% of our users say content in their native language is more engaging.”
Anirudh Sridharan, Co-founder of HashFame, said the platform rarely features in serious campaign planning. "At HashFame, we’ve seen thousands of campaign briefs flow through our marketplace, and less than 2% of those in the past year mentioned Snapchat as a preferred or even optional platform."
He added that the app is perceived less as a marketing platform and more like a utility. “In India, Snapchat isn’t being viewed as a marketing platform. It’s being used like a utility, a camera app with cool filters and disappearing messages. Gen Z may engage deeply with it, but they do so in private.”
That’s a problem for marketers who are obsessed with visibility. “Brands want shareable, trackable content. And Snapchat’s closed-loop environment just doesn’t give them the canvas or clarity they get from Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.”
According to Sridharan, this confusion also extends to agencies. “When we speak to brands and agencies, the usual refrain isn’t ‘Why not Snapchat?,’ it’s ‘We don’t know what we’d even do there.’”
Creator exodus
Creators feel the same way. “While they love the features, they don’t see Snapchat as a place to grow their personal brand. There’s no discovery loop. No content shelf life. And almost no direct monetization ecosystem that’s relevant in the Indian context.”
From the performance side, Sahil Chopra, CEO of iCubesWire, believes Snapchat still hasn’t demonstrated strong enough returns. “Compared to Instagram or YouTube, Snapchat is yet to have the same pull with marketers. Those platforms have better targeting and reach at their disposal.”
Even new platforms are outpacing Snap. “Local apps like Moj have found their ground by resonating more with the Indian audience and regional trends.” He added, “Snapchat’s ad tools aren’t as advanced as Meta’s or Google’s. Brands might struggle with scale, especially outside metros.”
And even when brands are clear about their Gen Z goals, the format may not work. “The content format is also pretty niche, so unless a brand is super clear about whom they are targeting, Snapchat will feel more like a risk than a safe bet.”
That skepticism is echoed by creators as well. Pranav Panpalia, Founder of OpraahFX, noted that Snapchat’s popularity hasn’t translated into viable revenue streams for most creators. “Snapchat definitely is popular among Gen Z, but it's not yet a widely established revenue stream for creators. One of the main challenges is the lack of monetization clarity and content longevity.”
He continued, “It is also harder for creators to grow a personal brand or community and the discoverability is still limited. Unless a creator is already established, it's tough to break through on Snapchat alone.”
Even if creators post on the platform, it’s rarely a core part of their strategy. “Creators prefer to put efforts and energy where there are higher visibility, engagement and commercial opportunities— which means it's either Instagram or YouTube.”
Snapchat, he explained, is still trying to catch up. “It’s still working on monetizing this engagement effectively. Most creators see Snapchat more as a personal or community-engagement tool rather than a scalable platform for growth.”
As Snapchat attempts to carve out a niche in India’s cutthroat digital ad ecosystem, the verdict is clear: cool features and Gen Z cachet are not enough. Without scale, stronger attribution, clearer monetization, and a more vocal brand narrative, India’s advertisers may continue to treat the platform more like a novelty than a necessity.
Neha Jolly Sawhney, Head of Ad Revenue for India at Snap Inc., shared key insights into Snapchat’s rapid growth and evolving creator ecosystem in India. With over 200 million monthly active users in the country, the platform sees robust engagement—nearly 80% of users interact with AR Lenses daily, totaling over 50 billion Lens plays monthly, especially during festivals when more than 85% of users participate.
Sawhney emphasized the rise of regional creators who are redefining digital storytelling by embracing their native languages, cultures, and everyday lives—making their content deeply relatable. According to her, authenticity is at the heart of monetization on Snapchat. Creators who build genuine connections with their audience often see revenue naturally follow. The Unified Monetization Program, which includes Stories Revenue Share and Spotlight payouts, is designed to support creators at every stage.
She also noted encouraging trends in brand collaborations through Paid Partnerships and the early adoption of affiliate marketing, enabling creators to earn by driving actual product conversions. Programs like Creator Connect provide creators not just with monetization tools, but also training, guidance, and access to resources. Supporting regional voices, Sawhney concluded, is not just a strategy but a core part of Snapchat’s commitment to celebrating India’s diversity and creativity.
