Snapchat’s latest quarterly results show a slight decrease in active users across the US and EU, even as new research from the platform makes a clear case for how brands can still win attention there: humor, used well, is one of the strongest levers Snapchat has for reaching Gen Z.
Growth Is Flattening in Core Markets
Snapchat’s own reporting shows active user growth softening specifically in the US and European Union, its most mature ad markets. That does not mean the platform is losing relevance everywhere, but it does mean advertisers leaning heavily on Snapchat in those regions should treat user growth as a factor when planning budget, not assume the audience is automatically expanding the way it has in past years.
Humor Still Moves the Needle
Separately, Snapchat’s own research found that younger audiences respond noticeably better to brand content that uses humor well, with measurable effects on attention, consideration, and how likely someone is to share a post. The catch is specificity: the research points to humor that feels native and well-executed, not forced trend-jacking or brands jumping on a joke after it has already peaked.
What This Means for Your Snapchat Strategy
Treat these two findings together rather than separately. If your core audience is US or EU-based Gen Z, slower platform growth means you cannot rely purely on reach expansion to hit results, you need content that actually earns attention once it is in front of people. That is exactly where genuinely funny, well-timed brand content has room to outperform. This lines up with what we covered in Snapchat’s own product push toward better-performing ad tools with the Commerce Power Pack’s AI ad bundle, where stronger creative and better targeting are doing more of the work than raw audience growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Snapchat losing users?
Snapchat’s recent quarterly results show a slight decrease in active users specifically in the US and European Union, not a platform-wide decline.
Why does humor work so well on Snapchat with Gen Z?
Snapchat’s own research found that well-executed brand humor measurably improves attention, consideration, and sharing among younger audiences, more so than on many other content types.
Should brands pull back on Snapchat advertising?
Not necessarily. It means results are likely to depend more on strong, native-feeling creative and less on organic audience growth carrying campaigns on its own.
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Source: Boot Camp Digital.