To understand Generation Z today, one must first recognize the rectangular appendage often clutched in their hands. This device, usually dismissed by older generations as a mere distraction, is in fact the physical manifestation of their identity.
Gen Z is the first cohort to grow up with an “always-on” internet connection, making them consummate digital natives. If you want to know what heartbreak feels like to a Zoomer, you don’t ask them. You check their photo albums, their archived chats, or their deleted message drafts. You check their phone.
For this generation, the line between the physical and digital is virtually non-existent. A significant portion of their social and emotional lives unfolds online. Yet what many CEOs still fail to grasp is that marketing to Gen Z isn’t about simply being present on digital platforms. It’s about understanding how their digital lives shape their values.
Their humor thrives on irony and absurdity, where the most viral memes often make no literal sense to anyone over thirty. Their politics are rooted in social justice, not as a corporate theme but as a personal moral compass. Their loyalties are earned through honesty.
This is a generation that has witnessed the rise and fall of institutions in real time. From government scandals exposed on social media to influencer apologies broadcast like daily programming. They’ve grown up seeing how swiftly the internet rewards sincerity and punishes deception. As a result, they’ve developed a finely tuned instinct for authenticity.
They can detect insincerity faster than a marketing team can issue a Notes App apology. They know when a campaign is trying too hard to sound relatable, when a diversity pledge is more decorative than structural, and when a CEO’s statement has been crafted by committee rather than conviction.
For Gen Z, authenticity is the baseline.
The old playbook of marketing, which is built on image management, no longer applies. This audience wants to be more than impressed—they want to be included. They expect brands to participate in culture, not appropriate it.
The difference is subtle but profound. When Angkas takes a dig on a competitor’s claims by sharing a post and captioning it with a long and dry, “hahahahahhahaha,” or when Netflix replies to comments with the same chaotic humor as its audience, it’s not just social media savvy.
It’s the acknowledgment that brand voice today must feel human and self-aware. These brands don’t speak at their audiences, rather they speak with them.
However, digital fluency alone is not enough. Gen Z’s humor may be absurd, but their moral clarity is anything but.
The same platforms that amplify viral trends can also amplify corporate hypocrisy. They remember which brands posted black squares in 2020 and which ones followed through with concrete policies. They notice which brands make public pledges for justice or sustainability but fall short when real accountability begins.
In short, they see through performance.
This is why performative campaigns like greenwashing, or any form of aesthetic activism, fail so spectacularly. Gen Z doesn’t just scroll, they verify. They trace brand promises back to how a company treats its workers or sources its materials
In that sense, marketing to Gen Z has evolved beyond storytelling. Every product launch or partnership becomes a statement of values.
This can be disorienting for leaders who came of age in the era of message control. However, it also presents an opportunity. When a company owns its mistakes publicly and outlines how it’s fixing them, it earns more respect than one that hides behind legalese or PR spin.
Some of the most trusted brands today have built their reputations on consistency. They show their work. They let people in.
CEOs often ask how to capture Gen Z’s attention, but attention is not the issue. It’s trust. It is a rare and valuable commodity in today’s digital economy. To earn it, brands must abandon the illusion of control and embrace imperfection instead.
Speak plainly. Respond quickly. Be accountable.
This generation needs the brand to be honest. In the eyes of Gen Z, the most powerful marketing strategy isn’t a glossy campaign or a viral stunt. It’s the simple act of showing up as real.
