How Do You Do, Fellow Kids? 

By: Danielle Cosme, Sr. Account Executive

There are a few things we know about Gen Z—they are always online, they are highly social with an expectation of authenticity, and they dislike advertising. This generation is growing up with distinct priorities, influences, and more access to technology than previous generations, causing their path to purchase to blur. As a marketer, it is important to know how to connect with this audience as their purchasing power continues to grow.

To appeal to Gen Z’s preference for authenticity, brands should leave perfection at the door and lean into transparency. Gen Z is quick to call out brands for being disingenuous or inauthentic – they are consumers with a conscience. Brands should lean into the truth about their brand and own up to flaws. Gen Z loves seeing behind the facade and into the values that make up a brand. Brands can capitalize on this by using internal influencers to show behind the scenes of the organization. According to multiple studies, brand values are more important to Gen Z consumers than Baby Boomers. Gen Z tends to support brands that align with their morals and meaningfully support social causes, from sustainability and human rights to social justice and animal welfare. Consistent transparency in your brand’s activism fosters credibility and loyalty with your audience. Brands should not enact surface-level policies but rather speak and act authentically.

In recent years, attention spans are waning for all audiences, but especially for Gen Z and Alpha based on their algorithm-driven, mobile-first mentality. Studies suggest the average human attention span is now under 8 seconds, and for younger viewers it can be closer to 2–3 seconds. It’s no surprise that Gen Z often encounters new brands via ultra-short online formats like TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Snapchat. These platforms favor quick, “snackable” content that grabs attention before viewers can swipe away. To stand out, your content must answer three questions within the first two seconds: Who are you? What problem do you solve? Why should I care right now? Brands need to get to the point in their advertisements to effectively reach this audience. You have mere seconds to capture their attention and get your marketing message across.

From growing up in a meme-driven, highly referential landscape, members of Gen Z have their own unique sense of humor and appreciate brands that don’t take themselves too seriously and aren’t afraid to poke fun at themselves, or at the absurdities of modern life. Recent examples include Nutter Butter’s social media campaign embracing the absurdist humor of the younger generations, Crocs Gen Z-engaging inside jokes, and Sour Patch Kids Sour Translator, an animated digital out-of-home corporate speak translator. As a self-described “elder millennial”, who had to Google “why is Minecraft’s ‘chicken jockey’ funny” rather than have it boysplained to me by a 13-year-old, I don’t always “get” the latest outlandish Gen Z humor, but a core tenet of effectively evaluating advertising is knowing that not everything is meant for you. At &Barr, we often run ad testing to see if we’re hitting the mark with our intended target audience.

Today’s Gen Z consumers aren’t just another demographic—they’re digital ‑natives with built-in BS detectors, lightning-fast scroll habits, and an irreverent sense of humor all their own. To win their loyalty, brands must be unapologetically real, be blazingly fast, and be willingly silly. At &Barr, we’ve seen this formula level up campaigns geared to Gen Z. Reach out to &Barr’s team of strategists to help you confidently reach your audience.