Publicis Groupe and Snapchat Launch 'Youth Studio' across the GCC to Decode Gen ZAlpha

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The initiative combines quantitative research, social intelligence, and platform behaviour to map how youth connect, create, and shape culture as it happens.

With more than 65% of Saudi Arabia’s population under 35 and nearly half of the UAE’s under 30, youth are not a segment — they’re the centre of gravity. Yet, only 15% of young people say they feel represented in advertising today. Youth Studio aims to close that gap by giving marketers the frameworks and insight to connect authentically and meaningfully.

“Again and again, clients came to us with the same question: how do we reconnect with youth. That’s why we built Youth Studio,” said Jennifer Fischer, Chief Innovation & Growth Officer at Publicis Groupe Middle East. It combines data, culture, and creativity to replace myths with truths, and to turn those truths into campaigns and programs that matter. What excites me most is that this is not just for youth, it is built with youth, from our 400 Gen Z colleagues inside Publicis to the young champions we work with across Saudi Arabia and the UAE.”

At the core of the platform is the Youth Uncliched Series, an ongoing study covering ages 9 to 27, built on hundreds of quantitative and qualitative data points through BEAT, Publicis Groupe’s proprietary research tool. Supported by Snapchat’s real-time audience data, the hub provides an evolving picture of identity, creativity, technology, and community among the region’s next generation.

As one of the most engaged youth platforms in the GCC, Snapchat reaches over 75 million daily users, including over 90% of 13–34-year-olds in Saudi Arabia and one in three in the UAE, giving brands unparalleled access to cultural and behavioural insight.

“This partnership gives brands a rare opportunity to decode a generation with real influence and spending power,” said Rasha El-Ghoussaini, Head of Agency at Snap Inc. MENA. “With Youth Studio, we’re turning insight into action — helping advertisers design campaigns that speak authentically to youth.”

Beyond research, Youth Studio is built for application. Its modular offering includes workshops like Brief Surgery (rebuilding briefs through a youth lens), Idea Tuner (testing creative ideas against live sentiment), and What’s Hot / What’s Not (tracking fast-emerging cultural shifts).

Together, Publicis Groupe Middle East and Snapchat have positioned Youth Studio as a cultural bridge — where real-time intelligence meets creative execution — helping brands stay relevant in a region led by its youngest generations.

What the Data Reveals

Inside Saudi Arabia’s ‘Both/And’ Generation

Exclusive findings from Youth Studio’s Youth Uncliched study reveal a generation that defies labels — modern yet rooted, tech-forward yet proud of tradition.

The paradox generation: both/and, not either/or

• 52% balance religious teachings with modern life (vs 23% fully embracing modern lifestyles)

• 57% want to preserve Arabic in daily conversation (vs 49% of Millennials)

• 85% of Gen Alpha look up to parents (vs 49% to friends/siblings and 21% to influencers)

• 63% express identity through both traditional fashion and digital avatars (vs 20% who prefer one or the other)

AI natives, not AI anxious

• 60% believe they learn fastest with AI

• 43% say AI opened possibilities they hadn’t imagined

How they define success

• Making family proud and continuing legacy

• Continuous learning and independence over salary

• 42% rank well-being above career (vs 21% who prioritise career)

• 45% seek balance between passion and pay

Cultural push and pull

• 49% of Saudi Gen Z value both originality and trendiness

• 41% feel torn between personal ambition and family expectations

• 39% fear modern self-expression won’t be accepted by older generations

Gen Alpha’s social world

• Top influences: Parents, friends/siblings, influencers

• 59% worry about not making friends or being left out