Gen Z does not suffer fools
“Glorious!,” 2023, Martine Johanna
For our clients—current and prospective—this directive is dominating intake questionnaires, product launch briefs, urgent business priorities, and shifting messaging strategy. Brands are right to be alert. Gen Z is rife with paradox and demands truth and integrity. They do not suffer fools.
It's lazy for generations to dismiss each other. To decry how they see the world or haze them for being outmoded. The tension that drives dismissal tends to say more about the dismisser than its subject. It’s fear, not fact. Of being irrelevant, a relic, out not in.
Curiosity keeps us connected.
It's a powerful driver of empathy and is essential for maintaining emotional and cultural relevancy. Strategies crafted to connect with new generations are more than words on a page; you must be genuinely, thoroughly curious about the fears and aspirations that motivate your target audience.
We recently attended an event that delved into Gen Z’s demands of the beauty industry; here are some prominent takeaways:
💥 When it comes to messaging, Gen Z expects that you include them in the conversation, are transparent, offer products with value (and value doesn't just mean price), and deliver on trends.
💥 1 in 5 Gen Z feel Chat GPT has stifled their creative thinking (Amen).
💥 60% won't shop brands that don't have a mission.
💥 They are not brand loyal; they are product loyal and always seeking their holy grail.
💥 When it comes to brand content, they see through the facade of content for content's sake and are looking for gold amongst the endless clutter.
💥 Efficacy is everything. Outdated luxury codes do not win them over, and they do not assume a product is efficacious because it's expensive.
💥 Millennials pay attention to price points and channels. Gen Z pays attention to who's using it and talking about it.
💥 Gen Z expects brands to be plugged into trends and cultural events as they are happening.
💥 Gen Z desires responsive content, which cannot be planned. Brands must be agile enough to listen to their audience and respond to them through content. "You must resist the urge to control every pixel between you and the end user."
💥 The absolute table stakes for compelling content? Being direct, personal, honest, and not selling to them.
Playing in new territories and proving cultural relevance.
The theme? If you’re not actively strategizing how to change your relationship and dialogue with your audience in real-time (not as a 2025 priority), you are behind.
The most stimulating work we’re doing with clients right now involves testing, testing, testing; creating conversational, swiftly devised campaigns and messaging strategy that respond to consumer demands, questions, and desires; crafting style guides and social playbooks that tactically guide flexibility and agility; and scheming savvy content that plays in new territories and proves cultural relevance.
Are you seeking strategies that authentically connect with new audiences? We can support from every angle. Reach out to tête-à-tête.