Ep. 3 – Decoding Gen Z and Augmented Reality with Aarti Bhaskaran, Global Head of Research and Insights at Snap

In this episode, Dan Fleetwood speaks with Aarti Bhaskaran, Global Head of Research and Insights at Snap. Aarti dives deep into the evolving role of augmented reality in media consumption and its impact on brand marketing, particularly in relation to Gen Z. She shares Snap’s groundbreaking research on generational trends, shopping behaviors, and the future of word-of-mouth marketing in the digital age. From AR lenses to understanding the attention span of Gen Z, this episode is packed with valuable insights for market researchers and marketers alike.

 

Guest:

Aarti Bhaskaran – With 19 years of experience in market research, Aarti Bhaskaran is the Global Head of Research and Insights at Snap, leading research on audience behavior, media consumption, and emerging technologies like augmented reality.

 

Topics and timestamps:

[00:00] Intro

[00:26] Aarti’s background

[02:05] Exploring Gen Z’s social media consumption and expectations from brands

[4:44] How Gen Z’s approach to content differs from Millennials

[6:08] The evolution from filters to AR lenses

[7:44] AR’s role in word-of-mouth marketing

[11:08] How AR is used for product try-ons

[11:43] Snap’s mixed methodology approach

[13:20] Gen Z’s higher processing power

[16:25] The challenge of proving market research's value

[17:48] How researchers can better align their work with business goals

[19:39] What market researchers get wrong

[22:24] How AI is influencing market research

[23:04] Resources that have shaped Aarti's career

[25:18] How to connect with Aarti

[26:00] Outro

 

Useful links:

Follow Aarti Bhaskaran on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarti-bhaskaran-b1658414/ 

Follow Dan Fleetwood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danfleetwood/

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