Gen Z loves brand swag—how marketers are using stickers, tote bags and more to drive loyalty

Thousands of visitors flocked to the Cheez-In Diner in upstate New York last year, drawn by its menu of Cheez-It burgers and milkshakes sold by the Kellanova snack brand. Cheez-It merchandise proved to be an equally big hit at the pop-up diner, which opened for a week last May. The brand sold out of 2,100 Cheez-It items, including trucker hats, T-shirts and posters, as well as more than 400 sticker packs. Some of the products were so popular that Cheez-It began selling them online after the event. “We were really intentional in curating a line of limited-edition merchandise,” said Cara Tragseiler, senior brand director for Cheez-It. “It’s intended to invite a diverse audience, including Gen Z, with tangible ways they can express their love for the brand.” Cheez-It is among a host of brands tapping into Gen Z’s desire for offline connections by offering physical products such as tote bags, stickers and pins as ways they can broadcast their fandom and find new relationships. While the branded products serve as walking ads for the brands, they also help younger consumers socially as conversation starters. A specific brand sticker, for example, signifies that a person is part of a specific brand community. Also: How ‘little treat culture’ is influencing brand marketing And: 12 tips for Gen Z marketing Along with Cheez-It, marketers such as Glossier, Studs, D.S. & Durga and Cann are all finding that such swag is helping attract Gen Z customers eager for ways to broadcast their brand love out in the wild. VistaPrint, which produces physical and digital marketing products for small businesses, said packaging and labels, including stickers, are a “growth category” right now for the company from direct-to-consumer brands especially. Brands are also finding that hosting store pop-ups or limited-edition drops are attracting Gen Zers willing to wait in line and form new social connections with like-minded individuals. “There’s so little space for young people to congregate and get together and have that sense of belonging,” said Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer at the Harris Poll, speaking at Ad Age’s recent NextGen Summit about decoding Gen Z values. “So this idea of being together, being physically around each other, is incredibly important. And I think brands that harness that are really going to win.” Data-Driven Marketing Playbook Join us May 22 in NYC to explore how data powers marketing Learn more here She noted a rise in “retail tourism,” in which consumers visit a retailer to wait in line as an activity, as well as the rise of brand stickers as a way for customers to interact with others. The need for social connections traces back to the pandemic and the recent rise of loneliness, experts say, which is why many are united over brand fandom. The desire is especially acute as Gen Z matures—the group now ranges in age from 16 to late 20s. Matt Feniger, director of UTA Entertainment Marketing, noted that Gen Z is often referred to as “The Loneliest Generation,” and pointed to UTA’s data and research findings that eight in 10 Gen Zers and millennials wish more celebrities and creators helped fans connect in-person. The desire for physical communities comes as Gen Z moves to do less online and more in real life. It shows the generational swinging of the pendulum, said Lauren Beitelspacher, a marketing professor at Babson College. She pointed out how for older generations, Facebook was the new hot thing years ago, but social media has become ubiquitous for Gen Z and that group is now striving to build real-life relationships. “For us, online was novel but for them, in person is more novel, that act of engaging their senses,” she said. Supreme origins Beitelspacher traces the current rise in brand stickers back to streetwear brand Supreme, which used its red-and-white stickers to cultivate its exclusivity back in the ’90s and early 2000s. “Now, stickers are almost like an external badging, you put them on your laptop or your water bottle and it’s a way to reflect your self-concept and values,” she said, adding that a lot of the popularity ties back to childhood nostalgia as well. Glossier’s stickers date back to its 2014 founding. The initial idea at the time was to make beauty fun and less serious, according to Chief Marketing Officer Kleona Mack. Then, as Glossier opened up its own stores, it created an individual sticker for each location. The brand also gives out seasonal stickers, all of which are free. Mack said customers buy, trade and sell the stickers on Reddit as collectors’ items. Earlier this month, the brand debuted a “Passport Book” where fans can keep the stickers they collect. “It’s definitely an identifier that they’re part of the Glossier community,” she said. “People are like, ‘We met in line, I saw her sticker and now we’re best friends and meet at the store once a month.’” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Glossier (@glossier) Glossier’s sticker strategy is regarded as the “OG” trendsetter in the DTC brand world, according to Lisa Bubbers, who said she was inspired by it when co-founding Studs, the ear-piercing studio, six years ago. Studs debuted with a packet of free stickers that were Gen Z-focused with nostalgic early aughts art of butterflies, for example. But since then, as Studs has grown—it now has 30 locations—the sticker art has also evolved, Bubbers said, noting that the stickers are often used as a keepsake for customers to remember their store piercing experience. Studs now also offers stickers for brand collabs and activations. “We have evolved the brand to more elevated aesthetic,” she said, noting the chain now gives stickers in fewer shapes with only the brand name to be more evergreen. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Studs (@studs) However, with so many brand stickers in circulation these days, marketers need to make sure their stickers are memorable and “designed to stand out,” according to VistaPrint’s Candace Farias, senior director of North America category experience. She recommended die-cut stickers in custom shapes as well as holographic or foil finishes, a current trend. Enduring appeal of the brand tote bag When Cann, a cannabis-infused beverage brand for those 21 and over, was starting out six years ago, offering free tote bags was a no-brainer because the product itself was so heavy. The company also needed to educate customers on what Cann’s beverages were. By creating pastel-hued tote bags, which matched its can colors, with sayings like “Take me to a party,” or “Bring me out to play,” Cann answered both needs. “In the beginning, no one knew these [beverages] existed,” said Jake Bullock, Cann’s co-founder and CEO. “We were trying to use phrases to communicate that this is a social product.” He noted that Cann’s products have a “sub-culture element” to them, so customers enjoy finding each other in the wild. Cann has resonated with Gen Z in particular as research has shown the group is drinking less alcohol than older generations, he added. For D.S. & Durga, the perfumery with a growing fleet of five retail shops, swag such as tote bags with the brand logo and pencils has been a way to rally its customers around seasonal holidays and new scents. Though the brand was founded in 2008, it only began operating its own stores in the last seven years; the bags help build recognition as a marketing tool, said Kavi Moltz, co-founder and creative director. D.S. & Durga recently released a new scent called Brown Flowers; visitors to the brand’s stores can pick up a dark brown pencil with the name. Moltz noted that giveaways such as seasonal totes or pencils give customers a small piece of the brand to take home before they make a larger purchase. “Merch in general resonates with Gen Z,” she said. “They want texture items to walk away with from the store until they’re ready to commit to a scent.” Line culture While older generations might view waiting in long lines for merchandise drops or experiences to be a nuisance, Gen Zers have gravitated toward the practice and appreciate its social opportunities. For example, Max, a New Yorker born in 1998, met another customer waiting in line at a Black Friday sale a few years ago for streetwear brand The Hundreds. “I ended up chatting with the person ahead of me about streetwear and what we were looking to buy at the sale,” wrote Max in an email. Max is part of Day One Agency’s on-demand youth insights focus group; members do not publicize their last names. Max stayed in touch with the person via Instagram: “It was a pretty random connection that ended up being surprisingly beneficial.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mall of America (@mallofamerica) Glossier’s Mack said many of the brand’s customers arrange on Reddit to meet up at certain store experiences. Recognizing that waits can be long—consumers spent hours on line at the beauty brand’s recent Balm DotWorld lip balm event at the Mall of America—the company has made a point of adding entertainment with tables and chairs. Brand employees will encourage conversation with prompts and art easels for activities. “Yes, they expect [long waits,] but how can you make it the best experience possible,” said Mack. For Halloween last year, Studs hosted a candy cart outside one of its New York City stores as a collaboration with popular Swedish candy company BonBon. Shoppers enthusiastically lined up. “Gen Z is a generation that has always prioritized experiences and they will pay for experiences,” said Bubbers. “It really is working with how they want to spend their time and tapping into how they are having fun.” Become an All Access subscriber Get access to exclusive resources including Leading National Advertisers, World’s Largest Advertisers, Agency Report, Agency Review Tracker and TV Pricing Report. Click here

Gen Z loves brand swag—how marketers are using stickers, tote bags and more to drive loyalty

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