Snapchat has unveiled its Snap Summer Guide 2025, offering marketers across the GCC strategic insights on how to maximise visibility and performance during one of the platform’s busiest periods. As users become increasingly active across the app during the summer, the guide outlines key trends, tools, and tactics that brands can leverage to achieve cost-effective results.
Running through August, Snapchat’s summer season marks a critical window for advertisers. New data reveals that this period consistently features the lowest CPMs of the year—19% below annual averages—making it the most efficient time for media spend on the platform. In addition to cost benefits, Snapchat reports delivering over five times higher active attention compared to other platforms, enhancing the potential for consumer influence.
Engagement Across Multiple Touchpoints
User activity remains a core strength for Snapchat. In Saudi Arabia and the UAE, 98% and 99% of users, respectively, explore multiple tabs—including Chat, Camera, Stories, and Spotlight—during a single session. Chat, in particular, remains a significant driver of engagement, with 85% of users in Saudi Arabia and 74% in the UAE using it regularly. Sponsored ads placed within Chat have demonstrated a 24% increase in purchase behaviour compared to similar placements elsewhere in the app.
Smart Bidding and Automation Boost Efficiency
The guide also spotlights tools that enhance campaign performance. Brands that employed Target Cost (tCPA) bidding strategies experienced a median 45% improvement in cost per purchase compared to standard autobid approaches. This improvement, combined with competitive CPMs and high-intent placements, supports scalable and measurable ad execution.
Creative Strategy and Long-Term Visibility
Advertisers are encouraged to maintain a consistent presence throughout the season. According to Snapchat, brands that stayed live throughout the 2024 summer window saw a 48% uplift in return on ad spend (ROAS) and a 64% increase in average order value compared to those who paused intermittently.
Creative variation is also a focal point in this year’s guide. Snapchat recommends using a mix of formats—from static visuals to short-form videos, AR Filters, and AI-powered “Dreams” lenses—to sustain engagement. Native creator content and interactive experiences are suggested as effective ways to counter creative fatigue during longer campaigns.
Platform Perspective
“Summer on Snapchat isn’t just a season; it’s an opportunity where performance marketing meets brand resonance and cost-efficiency,” said Antoine Challita, Head of Sales at Snap Inc. UAE. “The Snap Summer Guide provides brands with a blueprint to capitalize on efficiencies and heightened user engagement.”
As audiences across the GCC enter a season filled with travel, celebrations, and social sharing, Snapchat aims to position itself as a platform where brands can capture the pulse of the moment—and deliver results.
