Reaching Z: Why “Authentic” is the New “Cool” for Brands and Employers
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Businesses work to understand an emerging generation of new professionals’ outlook as consumers and employees
If millennials forced brands to be “cool,” Generation Z has forced them to be “real.” Born roughly between the mid-1990s and early-2010s, Gen Z grew up plugged in … with smartphones, social media and on-demand culture. They’re savvy consumers who expect more than clever slogans. They want authenticity, speed, purpose and a two-way relationship with the companies they buy from. In response, companies large and small have had to reinvent marketing playbooks – experimenting with new platforms, new formats and new promises – to meet Gen Z on its own turf.
For example, short “snackable” video is Gen Z’s native language. Brands have shifted massive budgets into TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, producing native, conversational content that looks less like an ad and more like a discovery moment. Rather than polished TV-style spots, brands seed quick how-tos, behind-the-scenes clips and trend-driven skits that invite imitation and remixing – the social equivalent of handing the audience a paintbrush. Marketers now routinely structure launches around creator collaborations and hashtag challenges to spark organic participation and virality.
Authenticity Over Gloss: Real People, Real Flaws
Gen Z distrusts overt persuasion. They reward transparency and penalize “corporate speak,” so companies lean into unvarnished narratives: real employees talking about product development, user-generated testimonials and influencers who disclose their genuine experiences (including problems and fixes). That’s why many brands prioritize micro-influencers – creators with smaller but highly engaged followings – whose recommendations feel like tips from a friend rather than paid endorsements. This shift isn’t just tone; it’s also production: shaky-cam, captioned vertical edits and candid Q&As outperform glossy ads, because they’re easier to relate to and easier to replicate.
For Gen Z, values are part of the product spec. Sustainability, supply-chain ethics and social impact are purchase drivers, not nice extras. Companies are responding by embedding measurable commitments into their messaging: third-party certifications, traceable materials, buyback and repair programs, and honest reporting on progress (with data). Many brands now publish lifecycle numbers, share worker stories and invite customers to audit claims. That transparency helps avoid the pitfall of “greenwashing,” a charge Gen Z is quick to call out.
Commerce Where Content Happens: Shoppable Social and New Checkout Flows
Shopping is collapsing into entertainment. Social platforms now offer native shopping – clickable product tags, live commerce streams and in-app checkout – so discovery can instantly flip into purchase without leaving the app. Brands optimize for this by designing shorter funnels: product videos that double as demos, creator try-ons that include purchase links and limited-time “drops” that use scarcity and community hype to drive conversions. Retailers that integrate social proof into product pages (reviews, creator videos, UGC galleries) convert better with Gen Z shoppers who rely heavily on peer validation.
Personalization but with Privacy Respect
Gen Z expects personalization – relevant recommendations, curated feeds, tailored launches – but is also more privacy-aware than previous generations. Companies balance this by offering surface personalization driven by explicit preference signals (what users follow, save or engage with) rather than invasive data collection. Ethical data practices, clear opt-ins and transparent explanations of why recommendations appear have become part of a brand’s credibility toolkit.
Brands that succeed build communities, not audiences. Think fan clubs, Discord servers, creator ambassador programs and brand-led microcommunities where members shape product lines and marketing ideas. Co-creation – from voting on colors to designing limited editions – turns customers into collaborators and amplifies word-of-mouth. This participatory approach also shortens feedback loops: companies learn fast, iterate faster and publicly demonstrate responsiveness – a quality Gen Z values highly.
Gen Z wants experiences that are shareable and meaningful. Pop-up stores, immersive activations and campus ambassador programs create moments for social sharing and deeper brand immersion. At the same time, many brands experiment with virtual goods, NFTs and in-game activations to meet Gen Z in the digital spaces they frequent. Luxury labels test digital fashion and metaverse drops, while fast-fashion and beauty brands run virtual try-ons and AR filters for social platforms – blending novelty with utility.
Speed, Agility and Trend Literacy
Trends move at internet speed. Brands that can spot, interpret and participate in micro-trends win relevance. That requires cross-functional agility: social teams with creative freedom, rapid approvals, flexible supply chains and marketing budgets that can pivot in days. When a meme or audio clip catches on, the fastest companies can reframe a product or create a playful ad before the moment fades – and Gen Z rewards that immediacy.
Purposeful Partnerships and Activism – but with Follow-Through
Gen Z cares about impact, so brands partner with social causes, donate proceeds and amplify marginalized voices. However, token gestures backfire. Successful companies pair campaigns with measurable commitments – policy changes, sustained funding, concrete timelines – and show progress over time. Activism as marketing without accountability is a reputational risk in a generation that scrutinizes both words and deeds.
Because Gen Z’s path to purchase is nonlinear – discovery often happens through friends, creators or trends – traditional funnel metrics are less reliable. Brands focus on engagement depth (time spent, conversation threads, UGC volume), creator ROI (sales per creator, audience growth) and community health (retention of ambassadors, repeat participation). Short-term spikes are nice; sustained cultural relevance is the real prize.
Employing Gen Z
The 14th edition of Deloitte Global’s Gen Z and Millennial Survey examines the responses of more than 23,000 participants across 44 countries. Projected to make up 74% of the global workplace by 2030, the survey finds that these generations are seeking a “trifecta” of money, meaning and well-being while building the technical and soft skills that they believe will prepare them for the workplace of the future.
“Gen Zers and millennials launched their careers in the shadow of a global pandemic and a financial crisis, events that respectively shaped their expectations of work and what success looks like,” said Elizabeth Faber, Deloitte Global chief people & purpose officer. “These generations prioritize work/life balance and meaningful work as they strive for financial stability. And now, as they navigate the way GenAI is changing work, they are reevaluating the capabilities they need to succeed and the support they want from their employers.”
Gen Zers prioritize career growth opportunities and learning when choosing an employer, but few want to reach senior leadership positions. Both Gen Zers and millennials expect their employers and managers to support learning and development, but there’s a wide gap between their expectations and experiences. Some also have doubts about higher education’s ability to prepare students for the job market:
- Climbing the corporate ladder is not the end goal, but they’re still ambitious: Only 6% of Gen Zers consider reaching a senior leadership position as a primary career goal, but they cite learning and development among the top three reasons they chose their current employer, just behind good work/life balance and opportunities to progress in their careers.
- Gen Zers and millennials want more from their managers in key areas of their development: Roughly half (50% of Gen Zers and 48% of millennials) want their managers to teach and mentor them, but only 36% of Gen Zers and 32% of millennials say this happens in reality. They also would like their managers to provide more guidance and support and to do more to inspire and motivate them.
- These generations are questioning the value of higher education: Around one-quarter expressed concerns about the relevance of the curriculum to the job market and the practical experience it offers.
The Pursuit of Money, Meaning and Well-Being
When asked about the factors that impact their career decisions, Gen Zers and millennials gave responses that fell into three categories: money, meaning and well-being. The survey underscores that these areas are tightly interconnected as respondents seek to find the right balance:
- Financial insecurity is on the rise: Nearly half of Gen Zers (48%) and millennials (46%) say they do not feel financially secure, up from 30% of Gen Zers and 32% of millennials in last year’s survey. The survey data also reinforces that without financial security, Gen Zers and millennials are less likely to have a positive sense of mental well-being and less likely to feel their work is meaningful.
- Purpose influences job satisfaction: Roughly nine in 10 Gen Zers (89%) and millennials (92%) consider a sense of purpose to be important to their job satisfaction and well-being. But purpose at work is subjective. Some Gen Zers and millennials say it’s about having a positive impact on society. Others say their purpose is to earn money, find work/life balance or to learn new skills so they have the time and resources to drive change outside of working hours.
- Positive well-being supports a sense of purpose at work: Among those who report positive mental well-being, 67% of Gen Zers and 72% of millennials feel their job allows them to make a meaningful contribution to society, compared to 44% of Gen Zers and 46% of millennials who report poor mental well-being.
“Gen Zers and millennials have been consistent about their priorities at work, but as the world of work shifts rapidly around them, employers need to rethink how they can best meet their needs,” added Faber. “By being thoughtful about the impact of technology and modernizing the way work is structured, leaders have an opportunity to evaluate how the workforce is supported while advancing their organization.”
The Tradeoffs and The Future
Appealing to Gen Z isn’t a single tactic but a mindset: prioritize authenticity, act on values, meet people in the spaces they already inhabit and move with cultural velocity. That said, the approach requires tradeoffs – looser brand control, higher transparency demands and the need for constant creative refresh. Brands that adopt these changes thoughtfully – backing bold messaging with real evidence, empowering creators while protecting consumer privacy and building communities rather than chasing fleeting virality – stand the best chance of earning long-term loyalty from a generation that buys meaning, not just products.
In short: Gen Z doesn’t just want to consume; they want to belong, participate and vote with their wallets. Companies that treat them like active partners instead of passive targets will win more than sales – they’ll win relevance for the long haul.
