The study of online habits and consumer brands revealed that, while use of social apps such as Snapchat and Instagram have soared (a quarter of global internet users are now on Snapchat, and two in five use Instagram), consumers are turning their backs on branded content. 

The survey, of 70,000 consumers, showed that scepticism is highest in Scandinavian countries: 57% of respondents in Sweden and Denmark said they actively ignored content from brands. These levels are lowest in Saudi Arabia ( 15%) and Brazil ( 19%). 

“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, said Michael Nicholas, global director at Kantar TNS. "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’ve seen the likes of Disney, Starbucks and McDonald’s use Snapchat’s filters to engage consumers in a way that doesn’t feel intrusive. This is key to overcoming many people’s fundamental negative perceptions of brand activity online.”