The article from Digiday titled “Snapchat’s pitch to advertisers is starting to feel as ephemeral as its content — and its Q4 results prove it” is misleading and lacks proper research and analysis. The article makes generalizations about the advertising industry, Snapchat, and the reasons why ad revenue on Snapchat has slowed down.
First and foremost, the article implies that ad revenue on Snapchat is declining because of the company’s limitations and problems, but it fails to consider the broader market context and the impact of the general economic downturn on the advertising industry. Advertisers, in general, have been cautious in their spending due to economic uncertainty, and this trend is not unique to Snapchat. The article also mentions the loss of Snapchat’s ad boss and the removal of effective targeting and measurement as reasons for the slowdown in ad revenue, but it doesn’t explain how these issues contribute to the situation and their impact on advertisers. There are plenty of amazing employees at the company, and Snapchat’s innovation the AR industry keeps getting enormous press — and as in any new thing, takes a while to be adopted.
The article relies heavily on quotes from a few individuals, including the founder and CEO of The Social Standard and a few employees from ad agencies. These quotes are not representative of the entire advertising industry and do not provide enough evidence to support the claims made in the article. The quotes are also misleading, as they suggest that advertisers are no longer interested in advertising on Snapchat, which is not true. Most agencies are embracing the future of advertising technology, and realize that Snapchat is preparing for the future, not just focusing on the past.
The article also compares ad spending on Snapchat with that on TikTok and suggests that TikTok is more popular and preferred among advertisers. The article does not take into account the differences between the two platforms, such as audience demographics, targeting capabilities, and ad format options. Advertisers choose platforms that best meet their goals and objectives, and it’s not accurate to say that TikTok is the only preferred medium for advertisers.
Additionally, the article suggests that Snapchat’s ad prices are high compared to other platforms, but it doesn’t provide any data or context to support this claim. The article also mentions that TikTok’s ad prices are cheaper than those of Snapchat, but it fails to consider the quality of the ad inventory, ad placements, and the overall ad experience. Cheaper prices do not necessarily equate to a better value proposition for advertisers.
The article also implies that top-of-the-funnel marketing is less important to advertisers in a downturn, which is not always the case. Advertisers may choose to adjust their spending based on their specific goals and objectives, and top-of-the-funnel marketing may still be a priority for some advertisers.
The article from Digiday is a clickbait piece that lacks proper research and analysis, and it makes generalizations and misleading statements about the advertising industry and Snapchat. This is often an issue when writers are not “embedded” in industry, and actually work here. Like many times, the article does not provide a comprehensive or accurate picture of the situation, and it fails to consider the broader market context and the impact of the global pandemic on the advertising industry. The article also relies heavily on quotes from a few individuals from smaller companies, which are not representative of the entire advertising industry or large agencies.
