What Gen Z Really Wants From Brands—And How Marketers Can Keep Up

By Laine Smith | Digital Marketer | MSc Student at King’s College London

Gen Z is many things: creative, chaotic, socially aware, deeply online, and - according to every marketer scrambling to decode us - impossible to pin down.

Born between the late 1990s and early 2010s, we’re the generation that grew up with smartphones in hand, lived through a global pandemic during our formative years, and somehow turned memes into a love language. We are also, inconveniently for some brands, fiercely value-driven, highly skeptical, and quick to call out anything that feels inauthentic.

As someone who is part of Gen Z and a digital marketer, I sit in a weirdly valuable middle space. I see the mistakes brands make. I understand why they make them. I also understand why my peers would immediately shut them down in the comments section.

So, let’s talk about what Gen Z really wants from brands—and how marketers (especially those who aren’t Gen Z) can keep up.

First, Let’s Clear Something Up: Gen Z Isn’t a Monolith

Gen Z includes teenagers in school and young professionals in their mid-20s. We’re students and entrepreneurs, gamers and activists, chronically online and deeply burnt out.

So no, we don’t all think the same, vote the same, shop the same, or post the same.

But there are shared traits and behaviours that most Gen Zers respond to, especially when it comes to brand engagement. I’ve seen this play out across the social accounts I’ve managed, both in charity and retail, and even in the way I interact with brands in my personal life.

Let’s break those down.

1. We Value Purpose Over Product

This is the big one.

Gen Z wants brands to stand for something, not just sell something. That could be sustainability, mental health awareness, diversity, digital inclusion (a topic close to my heart from my time at Age UK), or ethical sourcing.

Take Patagonia for example: they’ve literally given away their company profits to fight climate change. That’s not just a press release—it’s a brand promise. And Gen Z pays attention to that.

Even smaller brands are embracing this. When I worked at From Field and Flower, a sustainable honey brand at Borough Market, the conversations I had with Gen Z customers almost always focused on how products were sourced and why the brand cared. They weren’t just buying raw Coriander honey (yes, it’s a thing)—they were buying a story they could believe in.

💡 Tip for Marketers: Don’t slap a rainbow on your logo in June and call it a day. Build purpose into your brand DNA—and be able to prove it.

2. We’re Walking BS Detectors

Growing up online has its perks. One of them? We’ve seen it all—and we know when you’re faking it.

Overused brand buzzwords, painfully scripted influencer ads, tone-deaf attempts at “relatability”? We’ll call it out in the comments, stitch it on TikTok, and turn it into a meme before your social media intern finishes lunch.

The best brands are the ones that sound like humans, not marketing robots. They’re honest, self-aware, and occasionally a little unhinged (in a good way).

A personal favourite example? Duolingo. Their chaotic TikTok presence—with their big green owl dancing through existential crises—is exactly the kind of unhinged energy Gen Z loves. Why? Because it feels real. No polished scripts. Just a brand that gets the joke and is in on it with us.

💡 Tip for Marketers: If you’re going to try to be funny or “relatable,” hire someone Gen Z to run your social. Or at the very least, let them review your copy before you post.

3. We Live on TikTok, but We Research on Google (and Reddit)

Let’s debunk another myth: Gen Z isn’t glued exclusively to TikTok. Or Instagram. Or Snapchat.

Yes, we get our entertainment, trends, and even news there (not always proudly). But when we’re making a purchase or trying to learn something new, we turn to Google, YouTube, and Reddit for the receipts.

For example, when I was researching which skincare products to buy, I didn’t just watch reviews on TikTok. I read Reddit threads, compared ingredients on brand websites, checked YouTube reviews, and scanned blog reviews before making a decision.

💡 Tip for Marketers: Don’t neglect your blog, SEO, or long-form content. If your brand doesn’t show up when we go looking, you’ve already lost us.

4. We Trust Creators More Than Companies

Influencer marketing still works—but only when it’s done right.

We’re not influenced by generic “#ad” content with perfectly posed product shots. We want to see creators we trust talking honestly about the products they actually use.

That’s why micro-influencers and niche creators often outperform celebrities when targeting Gen Z. It feels more genuine, less like an ad and more like advice from a friend.

During my time working on campaigns for Age UK and the Scouts, we found that user-generated content and real case studies consistently outperformed polished promo videos. The authentic stories, honest testimonials, and less-than-perfect phone footage resonated more with young audiences.

💡 Tip for Marketers: Choose your creators wisely—and give them creative freedom. The more scripted your partnership is, the less likely we are to trust it.

5. Representation Is a Non-Negotiable

Gen Z is the most diverse generation yet—and we expect the content we consume to reflect that.

That means:

• Inclusive language

• Diverse casting

• Queer representation beyond Pride month

• Accessibility features like alt text and captions

  
  

And it has to be real. Tokenism is painfully obvious.

As someone who’s built campaigns for inclusive charities and community groups, I’ve learned that real representation means including voices at every stage—not just in front of the camera, but behind it too.

💡 Tip for Marketers: Inclusion isn’t a campaign—it’s a commitment. Make sure your team reflects the people you're trying to reach.

6. We’re Tired of Being Sold to—Educate Us Instead

Hard selling doesn’t work on Gen Z. We're smart, skeptical, and allergic to anything that feels overly transactional.

But if you can teach us something, you’ll earn our attention and our loyalty.

Whether it’s skincare brands explaining ingredients, finance apps breaking down budgeting tips, or food companies sharing sourcing practices—education is engagement.

This is especially true for causes. While working with Age UK, I saw how education-based content—like demystifying online scams or explaining digital tools—got far more engagement than direct asks for donations or volunteers.

💡 Tip for Marketers: Use your platform to inform, not just promote. Gen Z will reward you for it.

Bonus: We’re Not Just Your Audience—We’re Your Creators, Too

Here’s something most brands miss: Gen Z doesn’t want to just consume your content. We want to collaborate.

We’re creators. We remix trends. We stitch your videos. We make fan edits, parodies, duets, and aesthetic posts. Invite us in, and we’ll help build your brand for you.

User-generated content is one of the most powerful (and cost-effective) tools in your marketing kit. And guess what? We want to create—it’s how we express ourselves.

💡 Tip for Marketers: Run hashtag challenges. Feature UGC. Create opportunities for co-creation. Give Gen Z a voice in your brand.

My Personal Experience: Marketing to Gen Z While Being Gen Z

Managing social media for From Field and Flower, I learned that tone is everything. If we posted like a traditional food brand, we got crickets. But when I leaned into voice—playful, witty, human—the engagement spiked.

At Age UK, we weren't selling products—we were promoting services and support. But even there, the most effective content was relatable, honest, and people-led.

And working with Scouts, I saw how Gen Z parents responded best to storytelling—not statistics. When we showed real kids having real fun, they listened.

Gen Z is complex, yes. But we’re also incredibly open to connection—as long as it’s genuine.

So, How Can Brands Actually Keep Up?

If you're a marketer looking to future-proof your brand with Gen Z, here’s your cheat sheet:

✅ Be authentic. Show the real story, not just the highlight reel.

✅ Stand for something. And mean it.

✅ Speak human. No buzzwords, no jargon.

✅ Use creators. But let them be themselves.

✅ Educate, don’t pitch. Give value before asking for trust.

✅ Design inclusively. Every detail matters.

✅ Listen to us. Not just with metrics, with intention.

Final Thoughts

Gen Z doesn’t hate marketing. We just hate bad marketing.

We want to engage with brands. We want to trust them. We want to laugh, learn, and maybe even fall in love with a product.

But you’ve got to meet us where we are: on our screens, in our scrolls, and in our hearts.

Brands that understand that? They won’t just survive the Gen Z era—they’ll thrive in it.

Written by Laine Smith

Digital Marketing MSc Student @ King’s College London

Social Media Manager | Brand Manager | Values-Driven Marketer