Q] Why launch the Snapchat campaign now? What behaviour or market opportunity did you see?
In India, we've officially been present for about 24 months. It really started when Pulkit joined as MD, and I joined around 11 months ago. All of us were in a building phase. If you look at it, this is the best time for us to put ourselves out there and highlight Snapchat’s strengths as a platform.
We now have 250 million+ users in India and a thriving creator ecosystem. Content posted on Spotlight by creators and publishers has grown 4X year-over-year, doubling total time spent watching content on Snapchat in India over the last two years. The number of official Snap Stars has also grown 1.5X in the same period.
Our advertiser confidence is at an all-time high. So, we feel it's the right moment to launch a brand campaign as we build into 2026.
Q] How is Gen Z in India using Snapchat differently from the rest of the world?
Interestingly, the behaviour isn’t very different. But yes, the way they snap reflects how big festivity is in India. The cultural nuances of our cities are unique. Overall behaviour is similar, but the cultural layer is distinctly local.
Q] Snapchat is primarily used by Gen Z. Are you planning to target other cohorts without diluting the brand?
Snapchat is an open ecosystem for everyone. We don’t restrict or stage-play the invitation. Gen Z is our strongest cohort, followed by millennials. But we do have users across age groups. Our strength lies in Gen Z, then millennials.
Q] What is Snapchat’s stance on influencer marketing, and how are you leveraging creators?
Gen Z prefers unfiltered, raw content and real experiences. So, creators need to cater to that and that’s unique to our platform. Content on Snap is different from other platforms. We don’t recommend copy-pasting content; we encourage creating first for Snapchat.
Even global stars working with us create different content for different platforms. Our strengths, especially AR — allow creators to tell stories in new ways. So, two things matter: how creators use AR, and how they stay unfiltered and real.
Q] Is this campaign aimed more at advertisers or at India’s Gen Z population?
From an advertiser lens, we’re showcasing classic use cases with iconic brands. These serve as a North Star, brands that are part of everyday Gen Z conversations are doing it right.
The brands we partnered with have done a great job with this cohort, so they show up organically. It’s also a signal to other brands: if you want to be part of organic conversations, be authentic.
Once you build that, you plan your media on Snapchat with multi-format storytelling — AR lenses, Spotlight videos, and sponsored Snaps. If done consistently and authentically, you will show up in these conversations. The Myntra example showed real business impact, people asked for links, which led to organic conversations and outcomes.
Q] What is Snapchat doing to stay competitive in the market?
Two things: our continuous obsession with Gen Z, and our innovation in augmented reality. We are pioneers in AR. Beyond the platform; we also have Lens Studio many global brands use it for virtual try-ons in their stores.
We believe AR will be the wrapper for AI. Today you type into a chatbot; in the future, you’ll engage with AI through AR. That’s where we believe the world is heading, and it’s our core strength.
Q] What is the outlook for the company in terms of marketing innovation?
We’re at the forefront of marketing innovation, as this campaign shows. We could’ve made a shiny TVC and aired it, but we didn’t. We did the hard work partnering with brands, working with local Snapchatters, and building this with our agency Toaster.
We genuinely believe innovation comes from authenticity. If we don’t show that in our own campaigns, we can’t expect others to.
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