Omnicom Advertising and Snapchat have released a global study titled “How to Laugh (and Win) with the Next Generation,” examining how Gen Z and Gen Alpha use humor to build relationships, signal belonging, navigate culture, and decide which brands earn their attention. The study surveyed 6,028 daily social media users aged 13–28 across the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, and India.
According to the report’s India findings, 87% of Next Gen respondents said humor is how their generation talks about serious things, while 90% said it helps them express what they otherwise wouldn’t say directly.
Among India’s Next Gen, 91% said they pay closer attention to funny brands, 88% said they are more likely to consider buying from one, and 93% said they go on to tell others about it.
Next Gen respondents said they like it when brands are willing to make fun of themselves. Four in five said brands online feel like older people trying to joke with them.
Findings reveal funny brands are remembered, trusted and bought from; but four in five young Indians say most brand humor still misses the mark.
“Humour has always been one of culture’s most powerful forms of social currency. What is changing is its speed, its codes and who gets to define what is funny,” said S. Subramanyeswar (Subbu), Chief Strategy Officer – India & Chief Knowledge Officer – Asia, Omnicom Advertising.
“For India’s Next Gen, humour is far more than entertainment. It is a language of belonging, intimacy and even truth. That creates an enormous opportunity for brands, but also a new standard. You cannot manufacture your way into the joke. You have to understand the culture that created it. The brands that do will not merely make people laugh. They will earn the right to be part of the conversation.”
What it means for brands
The study presents a “Zoomer Humour Playbook” for marketers, outlining four tenets for using humor with the Next Gen: learning to read the room, building your joke, finding your moment and winning on Snapchat.
According to the study, understanding what India’s Next Gen finds funny, and why, may matter more for brand consideration than any single campaign push.
