Snapchat of a new kid on the block? How can Flemish media companies use social media to strengthen their brand with young people?

From the past PWO study on the adoption potential of Snapchat as a news and branding channel for media to reach young people , three key insights can be distilled:

(1) Snapchat offers potential mainly as a branding tool and is less suitable as a news channel.

(2) The positive findings regarding Snapchat as a branding tool suggest that other social media may also have branding potential. Media companies are openly asking the question on which social media they best use and are requesting research data around branding on various social media frequented by young people: Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Musical.ly.

(3) There are still big question marks regarding the format and content that media companies should offer on Snapchat and, by extension, perhaps also on the other social media channels.

With this PWO research, we respond to this and examine what needs and requirements young people associate with social media and how these connect with the brand-personality and objectives of media companies and youth channels. We are developing a large-scale survey for this purpose. Media companies now experiment mainly with content based on a gut feeling. Through co-creation involving media partners, students and researchers, we will therefore look for a structural underpinning for content on various social media.

On this basis, we offer a manual that can support the branding plan of Flemish media companies with regard to social media. We also developed interactive workshops aimed at media companies. Please contact Jeroen Naudts for this.

This research also shows that Flemish young people are open to so-called 'influencers'. We are therefore currently conducting an extensive survey into the relationship between influencers and Flemish young people. Questions we are investigating in this respect are: on which social media are influencers most active? Which Flemish influencers are popular among Flemish young people? And which influencers are strengthening Flemish media brands? 

At a study day (May 2019), we published the main results of this research in a research report entitled 'Influencers and Flemish media brands: beyond the hype?' Below you can find how to download the report.

Would you like to be informed about the results or have the results presented in your organisation? Then be sure to contact Jeroen Naudts.