The messaging app is focusing on attracting users in their 30s, according to a leaked memo from its co-founder and chief executive, Evan Spiegel, as part of a goal to increase usage “in at least one new large country or demographic”.
Attracting new users is part of the goal to grow Snapchat to 450 million daily active users by the end of next year. The target isn’t just millennials. Snapchat is also focusing on a list of large countries with low penetration: Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Spain, and Japan.
“This will require significant coordination and accountability across our communications, marketing, global brand experience, growth, product, and market development teams in addition to many other teams.”
“We will need to be more clear and deliberate about what Snapchat is (a visual messaging app that enhances your relationships with friends, family, and the world) and why people use Snapchat (self expression without fear of judgment). In contrast to social media popularity contests, Snapchat is a refuge where you can express yourself, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together.”
Spiegel co-founder and CEO of snapchat
Almost half of American Snapchat users are under 25, and a third of the rest are under 35 with that demographic skewing towards the younger end of the range. The company’s growth has been affected by the rise of TikTok, but it retains a strong base among younger users who treat it as a messaging app rather than a fully fledged social network.
The company has had some success winning over users through other offerings, however. Its augmented reality “lenses” have been converted for use on desktop videoconferencing software, and experienced a boom in popularity thanks to the rise of video calls during the pandemic.
Snapchat entered 2022 with goals including 400 million daily users, breaking even on net income. In the end, it failed to achieve these but was successful in its goal to grow “trust”, specifically to “protect our community from harm, safeguard privacy, promote health and wellbeing”.
