Four steps any brand can take to appeal to Gen Z

"Once influenced by the brands themselves, today's cultural trends are now shaped by Gen Z. The same traits that make this generation unique - their eye for "what's next," their focus on authenticity, and their prioritization of brand values - can be pain points for brands that aren't marketing with intent. To build loyalty with Gen Z brands need to advocate meaningfully, tap into communities to stay ahead of trends, and lean on like-minded partners."

"Hydro Flask is a great example of a brand playing to its strengths and advocating for a cause that is directly tied to its business and its customers. The reusable water bottle company put environmentalism at the heart of its mission with colorful stainless steel water bottles and a #RefillforGood campaign discouraging the use of single-use plastic bottles. As a result, the company saw a revenue increase of 247% and a return-on-ad-spend increase of 220% year-over-year."

Gen Z now shapes cultural trends and values authenticity, forward-looking aesthetics, and alignment with brand values. Brands that fail to market with intent risk alienating this cohort. Building loyalty requires meaningful advocacy, engaging communities to anticipate trends, and partnering with like-minded organizations. Environmental advocacy tied to product purpose can drive growth, as seen with Hydro Flask's mission-focused reusable bottles and its #RefillforGood campaign, which correlated with a 247% revenue increase and 220% return-on-ad-spend increase year-over-year. Community-first channels like Discord and Twitch enable two-way dialogue, deeper engagement, and early trend detection among Gen Z consumers.

Read at The Drum