Collaborator, Connector and Uniter: The Roles Gen Z Expects Your Brand to Play

For brands this represents a golden opportunity to transition from stated purpose to impactful action by connecting with the marketingsavviest generation yet One way to do this is by embracing one or more of the nine key roles they appreciate or even expect brands to play in their lives today Viacom Velocity39s Power in Progress a new global study recently presented at Viacom Ad Solutions39 ReThink forum in New York City describes these roles in detail Here39s an overview1 Collaborator Brand Gen Z is empowered at a younger age with more opportunity to harness power than previous generations As a result 61 percent believe they can create positive change In this scenario collaborator brands harness the power of consumers and give them equity in decisionmaking related to brand initiatives Just take a look at Getty Images and Dove39s quotGirl Gazequot campaign in which they shatter stereotypes and introduce diverse concepts of beauty to the media and advertising landscape2 Builder Brand This generation sees their access to power differently because of the tools representation and new role models they witness changing the landscape Rising student debt and global economic and political turmoil motivate them to hustle and seek out opportunity 73 percent say they39ll seek more education and learning opportunities Enter the builder brand which provides skills and opportunities that contribute to a growing sense of agency and control MTV39s program Breaks is doing just that through conceptbased marketing3 Cheerleader Brand Younger consumers feel a sense of empowerment that allows them to instantly tap into the networked power of the collective A cheerleader brand supports and encourages those who would benefit from a boost amp8212 as exemplified by the Adidas quotNow Is Her Timequot campaign which champions female empowerment across the globe4 Connector Brand As media becomes more fragmented and peertopeer Gen Z39s sense of empowerment comes from the attention earned by using social channels in new and different ways In fact 62 percent say social media gives them a voice on issues that are important to them Power is now fluid so the job of a connector brand is to bring people together who share the same values or mission to magnify their power Case in point Instagram39s Kindness Prom during which teen influencers came together to promote positive change5 Amplifier Brand The crowd now has the power to alter the dominant discourse and control the cultural narrative by launching leaderfull movements that signalboost underrepresented voices In this context amplifier brands join their younger consumers by using their platforms to support social issues that authentically align with their values A brilliant example of this is the quotThis Coke is a Fantaquot campaign in Brazil The campaign takes a common insult used again LGBTQ individuals and turns it into an empowering message6 Uniter brand Power is now exerted in surges and these swells of collective energy give rise to quotcancel culturequot a dynamic in which an audience seeks quotjusticequot for a person or brand39s perceived or real missteps This is an excellent opportunity for uniter brands to provide a space that drives a culture of conversation around harmonizing differences TV2 Denmark39s campaign quotAll That We Sharequot did it beautifully by making a stand against quotnarrowly targeted and segmented contentquot7 Activist Brand For Gen Z former disruptors such as Google Amazon and Facebook are now too big and powerful Younger consumers are shifting from traditional institutions in real time as groundswell efforts and new forms of action gain momentum Activist brands take demonstrable action to show their stance on social and political issues such as Patagonia39s stand on the Trump Administration39s environmental policies8 Adaptor Brand Globally we are in the middle of a change of guard as millennials take seats of institutional power and bring with them new views and value systems Adaptor brands adapt to these new value models based on changing cultural and political dynamics amp8212 such as when Mastercard launched its quotTrue Namequot campaign during Pride Month which will eventually allow individuals to have their chosen name listed on their cards9 Evolver brands Gen Z values transparency and can spot brands that take action over rhetoric and most important those that don39t Increasingly brands are becoming levers of power for the change young people want to see by being responsive to their consumer base Gen Z has an affinity for those brands willing and able to evolve authentically and in reaction to crowd surges take action expediently to address an issue Walmart39s evolving stance on gun sales is one recent exampleViacom Velocity39s Power in Progress study included a threeday online qualitative discussion with consumers in Argentina Australia Brazil India Poland South Africa the United Kingdom and the United States The research also completed two weeks of field immersions in the United States The third element was a quantitative survey of 11000 people ages 13amp821153 with a focus on 13amp821125 across Argentina Australia Brazil China Italy Philippines Poland South Africa the United Kingdom and the United StatesClick the social buttons to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Collaborator, Connector and Uniter: The Roles Gen Z Expects Your Brand to Play

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Alex Marin

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Collaborator, Connector and Uniter: The Roles Gen Z Expects Your Brand to Play

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