Brands—Here’s What Gen Zers Want You to Know About Gen Z

If you work in any kind of comms or marketing role, you’ve definitely been in a brainstorm about how your brand can vibe with Gen Z. PR and Marketing trades are full of articles about what Gen Z loves, and how to get their attention. Sometimes it seems we’re set on turning an entire generation into a single memoji (TikTok using, skater pants wearing…) We make generalizations about a population of millions, often without thinking about, or speaking with, the diverse individuals that comprise it.

Luckily, at Praytell, we’ve got a talented team of interns who can set the record straight. Our resident Gen Zers—Lily Clark, Victoria Hall, and Aaliya Rashad—sat down with me for an honest chat about what they think of Gen Z. From how this generation is talked about, to how they relate to it themselves. Our conversation brought up four important things this trio of Gen Zers want brands, and all of us, to understand.

1. Gen Z isn't a monolith.

Aaliya: There are so many age groups in Gen Z. I relate to a lot of the Gen Z ideals. But I was born in 1999 and grew up in the early 2000s, so I also relate to parts of millennial culture. Brands should remember that there are many different voices in this generation. Many different communities, personalities and individuals. It’s important to know exactly who you’re trying to connect with or impact, and why.

Lily: I definitely feel connected to Gen Z as a part of my identity. But I’m not sure how connected I feel to Gen Z as a whole…it’s hard to claim that you connect with millions. We all have our own experiences. Gen Z isn’t one voice. You can’t say, “we’re targeting Gen Z for this campaign.” It has to be more thoughtful.

Brands should remember that there are many different voices in this generation. Think about exactly who you’re trying to connect with or impact, and why.

2. We’re nihilistic…but we’re also hopeful.

Vee: Gen Z is definitely more of an activist generation. But we also let people be. We respect boundaries around identity and how you express yourself. There’s also a push toward mental health, and not overworking. Taking care of yourself as an entire person and not trying to get ahead at all costs. I’d also say that despite being a nihilistic generation, we still have a lot of hope that we can change things.

Lily: I agree with Vee. We’ve seen the generations before us make so many errors. There are a lot of problems from past generations left for us to fix, and we’re unfiltered about that. It can be overwhelming. But we still have a lot of hope.

There’s this assumption that Gen Z will accept anything that makes us laugh. But we grew up on the internet, we research things. We want to get to the truth, and make sure people are okay.

3. We’re not meme robots. We’re smart, efficient, and resilient.

Vee: I think there’s this assumption that we’ll accept anything that makes us laugh. But we grew up on the internet, we research things. We’re gonna clown brands if they try to jump on a bandwagon without the track record to back it up. It's not true that we're lazy. We’re collaborative. We lean on each other to find things out. Folks in our generation care about our communities. We want to get to the truth of things, and make sure people are okay.

Aaliya: Yeah, there’s a common misconception that because a lot of Gen Z is into phones and social media, we’re lazy. But Gen Z has found its own way to fight social issues and express ourselves on these platforms. It’s different from older generations’ way of doing it, but the work gets done. Gen Z is out on the front line, with Black Lives Matter, with LGBTQ rights. We’ve evolved with the times. We've found a way to use technology and social media to our advantage.

Lily: I think people assume that because we grew up as digital natives, we never have to work hard to learn things. But actually, we just work efficiently to get information. I can be on TikTok for an hour and learn more about finance and investing than I could anywhere else. The world changes so quickly; Gen Z has had to adapt to new ways of learning.

Our generation cares so much about mental health, and one of the biggest culprits is work. It’s where we spend most hours of the day.

4. We see your DEI campaigns, but we also care about how you treat your employees.

Aaliya: When brands are doing the work internally, it shows externally. Companies need to be putting people from underserved communities in roles where they can be successful and improve their livelihoods. Having a diverse staff is so important, everything flows from there.

Vee: Yes—internal first. Folks in our generation really pay attention to these things. Brands should focus on internal culture, on making sure employees feel represented and supported. Companies are launching all kinds of campaigns to put on a show of being caring and communal. But it’s very simple: treat your people well and we'll connect with that.

Lily: Our generation cares so much about mental health, and one of the biggest culprits is work. It’s where we spend most hours of the day. I read about this 22 year-old CEO who brings a little gift every time she meets with an employee. It’s not perfect, and it doesn’t fix everything. But it’s this gesture of giving back to your people for the work they do.

Want our savvy interns to shake up your next campaign? Reach out to our team at hello@praytellagency.com.