3 Gen Z marketing mistakes to avoid

There is a difference between being “authentic” and speaking the truth—especially for Gen Z, which can see right through corporate buzzwords while holding brands accountable for social stances. These are among the insights shared at Ad Age’s recent Gen Z Summit, where experts shared tips on how to avoid marketing mistakes when seeking to build bonds with this coveted demographic. Below, a sample of some of the insights shared. Also read: Gen Z marketing advice from CMOs Mistake 1: Underestimating how much Gen Z cares about brand values Perhaps more so than previous generations, Gen Z really cares about brands doing the right thing socially and politically, according to Clay Lute, Calvin Klein’s associate merchant for global men’s and women’s denim. “I think for a while, Gen Z’s been brushed off as the generation that might not like something but they’ll yap about it on TikTok, and then we can push it to the side,” said Lute, who spoke at the Gen Z Summit as part of his role as member of Berns Communications Group’s The Z Suite, a Gen Z-focused network. He suggested that how members of Gen Z view corporate policies can have a financial effect on brands, citing instances such as Gen Z’s participation in boycotts against Starbucks over issues including allegations that it has tried to quell unionization drives. “There is no pushing Gen Z to the side,” Lute added, saying that Gen Z seems to be saying to brands, “you have to act ethically, or you could lose us as a customer.” Eli Williams, director of creative strategy at Day One Agency, suggested that members of Gen Z use their spending power in attempts to influence corporate policy decisions. “This is the way that this generation feels like they can impact the political system, outside of the system,” he said. Sign up for Ad Age newsletters From influencer marketing to agencies, get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox Click here Mistake 2: Not being straightforward While everyone says it’s important for marketers to be “authentic” when speaking to younger generations, “authenticity” has become such an overused buzzword that it’s tough to know what it really means. Gen Z doesn’t want “authenticity” as much as they want brands to tell the truth, according to Kaylah Burton, social strategy director at Wieden+Kennedy. Between AI, “the artifice of celebrity” and fake news, “I think in today’s world it’s getting harder and harder to decipher between what’s real and what's fake, and there's a lot of fatigue in that experience,” she said. Mistake 3: Leaving Gen Z out of the brand-building equation When starting a brand, or even a new line or collection for an existing brand, it’s important not to leave the Gen Zers out of the building process, according to Shaina Zafar, co-founder and chief marketing officer at Gen Z consultancy JUV Consulting. She pointed to Coachtopia—luxury accessories brand Coach’s new sustainable, youthful offshoot—as an example of the benefits of talking to Gen Zers during the brand-building process. Essentially, Coach wanted to create a Gen Z-focused sub-brand around the circular economy by taking scraps of leather from old bags and turning them into colorful, modern Gen Z must-have purses. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachtopia (@coachtopia) To pull this off, Zafar’s team worked for two years to create a community of “climate-conscious, eco-friendly fashionista Gen Zers” to give feedback on what they wanted out of a sustainable brand from Coach. As a result, she said, the Coachtopia line has “been a massive hit with Gen Z.” Gen Zers from JUV were included as models on the Coachtopia website, Zafar said. “The collection sold out three times in three weeks,” she said, a testament to how willing Coach was to source ideas and concepts for the brand from a community of Gen Zers themselves. Ad Age Gen Z Contributor Column We welcome Gen Zers to submit fresh takes exploring Gen Z within the ad industry Learn more here

3 Gen Z marketing mistakes to avoid

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