Determining a ‘start-point’ about any change in behavior that is associated with the internet and new forms of communication is an unassertive task. Because the digital universe is vast, with several layers and peculiarities, and there will always be room for “this was done before”, even if this ‘before’, until then, was little known. But we can say that, at least as of 2010, the consolidation of the concept of memes and the viralization on digital platforms changed the way large companies develop marketing strategies to attract the attention of young people. At that point, much of the so-called Generation Z – which normally refers to those born between 1997 and 2012 – was at the height of adolescence or in transition to this phase..
I repeat: it was! But oddly enough, many people, including communication professionals and, more specifically, marketing professionals, still didn’t understand that this generation grew up and became an adult. The first wave of zoomers, as they are also known, is already in their 28 years, many with children, professional responsibilities and, in some cases, it is possible to say that even with some financial stability.
Despite this, we can still observe campaigns and actions that insist on treating Generation Z as “tiktokers”, cool and rebellious teenagers. We witness, then, a myopia in the communication plans that insist on reducing an entire generation, made up of millions and millions of people, to a single profile. It is not by chance that this generation changed its consumption relationship with traditional brands. Missing representation.
Here, I would like to propose to the marketing teams and advertising agencies a more efficient way of working: avoid the caricature and the stereotype. The real consumer of your brand is on the streets, outside the office bubble. He is on the bus towards work, standing in the queues of the festivals, running in the park, paying tickets at home, walking through the malls, drinking beer at the bar. The true connection of a brand comes from the true connection with your customer. Forget the idea of connecting with an entire generation, look for the subgroups and their needs. That’s where the answer is.
The “Instagrammable” needs to make room for the true connection. The forced emoji and the artificial slang of the brands that still talk to the fictional profile of Generation Z are a reflection of their lack of depth and authenticity. In 2025, the marketing that will work is the one that does not suppose, but rather who seeks to actually understand the human being on the other side of the screen. Someone of flesh and blood, just like you and me, who have problems, dreams, aspirations and desires.
It is only in this way that brands will be able to go beyond clicks and likes, and start generating genuine interest in their products.
(*) Pedro Campos is a marketing executive and consultant with more than 15 years of career in Brazil and Europe, and founder of end-to-end marketing
