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Ad Club Bangalore snaps up Gen Z insights at Inspiration Room
MUMBAI: When it comes to decoding Gen Z, even advertising veterans know they can’t just swipe left on change. The Advertising Club Bangalore’s 15th Inspiration Room lit up last Wednesday with over 100 participants, all keen to grasp how the next generation is reshaping consumption and culture.
The evening kicked off with Gauri Kumar, who dived straight into the world of Augmented Reality (AR). From Bitmojis to AR lenses, she showed how brands like Myntra and Swiggy are already harnessing Snapchat’s creative toolkit to create scroll-stopping campaigns. “The challenge for brands is no longer access to AR, it’s how creatively you use it,” she quipped, adding that Snapchat has democratised AR production. A live demo on building AR experiences gave attendees a tangible taste of the future of branded engagement.
Next up Snap Inc. India head of growth Chirag Kohli unpacked how Gen Z, who already command 43 per cent of consumer spend (a figure tipped to hit 50 per cent in the next decade), are redefining commerce. For them, shopping is not just transactional, it’s “shopcialising”, where trends, visuals, and community matter more than price tags. Kohli revealed that 63 per cent of Snapchat users have made purchases on the platform, proving its dual role as both a connection hub and a commerce driver.
With creators becoming the new search engines and Snapchat pushing India-first features with a camera-first design, the session painted a vivid picture of how phygital is no longer a buzzword but a behaviour. “Attention is scarce, impressions are abundant,” Kohli warned, urging brands to deliver joy and community to cut through the noise.
Closing the evening Ad Club Bangalore president Laeeq Ali announced that the Club itself is making its Snapchat debut. “This edition has set the bar high for what’s to come,” he said, noting how AR’s blend of code, 3D graphics, and storytelling is redefining advertising playbooks.
For a series built on sparking inspiration, this edition proved why the Inspiration Room remains the place where marketers, creators, and technologists come together to catch the next big wave before it even trends.
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BLR Airport Launches ‘Connections’ Service to Ease Transit Travel
New initiative targets smoother transfers as Bengaluru hub traffic rises 30 per cent.
MUMBAI: Missed connections may be a traveller’s nightmare but Bengaluru is trying to make them a thing of the past. Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR Airport) has rolled out ‘Connections by BLR’, a new transfer programme designed to take the friction out of connecting journeys. Built around three pillars ease, efficiency and experience,the initiative aims to simplify what is often the most stressful leg of air travel.
The move comes as transfer traffic at BLR Airport climbs sharply, up more than 30 per cent year-on-year. Transfers currently account for around 15 per cent of total passenger traffic and are projected to touch 20 per cent by 2026, signalling a clear shift in how the airport is positioning itself within airline networks.
At its core, the programme focuses on making navigation intuitive and downtime more comfortable. Dedicated transfer desks have been set up across terminals, supported by colour-coded wayfinding blue and yellow signage designed for quick recognition. Inter-terminal movement is being streamlined through complimentary shuttle services with predictable wait times, while designated transfer zones aim to reduce passenger confusion.
Beyond logistics, the airport is leaning into experience. Travellers in transit now have access to a wider choice of lounges, curated retail and food and beverage options, as well as sleeping pods for short stays. For longer layovers, transit hotels in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 offer boutique in-terminal accommodation, an increasingly sought-after feature as global travel patterns evolve.
The timing is strategic. BLR Airport now connects to 114 passenger destinations 80 domestic and 34 international with key routes spanning Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Pune domestically, and Singapore, London Heathrow, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur internationally. Recent additions such as Hindon, Bidar and Silchar within India, alongside Dammam, Hanoi and Riyadh overseas, are further expanding its reach.
Infrastructure is also catching up with ambition. Developments including the West Cross Taxiway, Terminal 1 refurbishment and Terminal 2 expansion are laying the groundwork for higher capacity and smoother operations critical for any airport aiming to become a serious transfer hub.
Bangalore International Airport Limited chief operating officer Girish Nair framed the initiative as both a response to demand and a forward-looking play. He pointed to the growing depth of the airport’s network and the opportunity to build a more reliable transfer ecosystem that benefits both passengers and airline partners.
In an era where travel is as much about transitions as destinations, BLR Airport is betting that a seamless connection might just be the journey’s most important upgrade.
