On the show today, we’re featuring a conversation between Ayzenberg’s Matt Bretz and Founder and CEO of Cactus, Joe Conrad.
Matt and Joe discuss the impetus behind the episode: cross-agency recognition of the motivating forces behind the work we do. For Cactus, the concept of ‘belief and behavior design’ informs how the agency approaches problem-solving.
Ultimately the episode focuses on the concept of ‘Belief and Behavior’ design and questions such as: Can the design approach be applied to any client, any space? How does belief interrelate with behavior?
About Listen In: Each week on Listen In, Bretz and a rotating cast of hosts from Ayzenberg interview experts in the field of marketing and advertising to explore uncharted territory together. The goal is to provide the a.network audience with actionable insights, enabling them to excel in their field.
Before the pandemic hit, 92 percent of company leaders surveyed by McKinsey believed their business model wouldn’t remain viable at the rates of digitization at that time.
Why it matters: Businesses who are winning the rapid pivot to digital reallocate talent and capital four times more quickly than their peers.
Marketers now have only about two seconds to get consumers’ attention via digital content, extensive neuroscience studies conducted by Mars show.
Why it matters: Because it’s difficult to elicit emotions in short form—the key to encoding your products into the consumer’s brain—brands should teach consumers about something and then show them the product.
The results of a survey HBR fielded between 2015-2016 to a small sample show that one barrier to the boardroom is the recruiting system for directors, which are ingrained on boards that lack directors who are racial/ethnic minorities.
Why it matters: In 2019, 37 percent of S&P 500 firms had no black board members, and in that same year, black directors comprised only 4.1 percent of Russell 3000 board members.
Consumers became more loyal to the brands they buy, a Yotpo survey in November 2019 found.
Why it matters: COVID-19 has altered this behavior, causing 75 percent of consumers to try new brands, places to shop or methods of shopping, according to a McKinsey report.
According to Nielsen, out-of-home (OOH) spend fell 85 percent in Q2 due to COVID-19.
Why it matters: Digital OOH, which was hurt slightly less, enables for more risky ads that, unlike billboards, can be adjusted with the press of a button and feature audio.
Mondelēz International’s Sour Patch Kids opened a retail store in New York City offering a range of limited-edition merchandise, candy and a dessert bar.
Why it matters: The store comes at a time when the brand’s sales have been under pressure and retail traffic remains slow even asrestrictions are gradually lifted.
JLL launched a campaign designed to promote safety in the workforce and instill confidence in employees about returning to work, while also advising clients on the best way to re-open.
Why it matters: As mall traffic remains sluggish, JLL has rolled out signage and marketing around curbside pickup services in the more than 1,000 shopping centers it manages.
Following the #MeToo movement, leaders must be prepared to navigate difficult conversations that help prevent sexual harassment in the first place.
Why it matters: When leaders wait until an incident happens to discuss sexual harassment with their staff, they often come across sounding opaque or defensive.
Linear television ad buying and consumer behavior have been trending in opposite directions for years because marketers want to avoid committing spend to a single medium with no way to adjust across multiple platforms.
Why it matters: As a result, television buying and selling is shifting to outcome-based key performance indicators that align with digital
Due to a sense of increased responsibility and an unclear path forward, marketers have been suffering from Fear Of Finding Out, or FOFO, for years.
Why it matters: The solution to addressing FOFO is to hold marketing accountable, have a process where all stakeholders can share their views and map a clear path for action within a broader strategy.
Longtime Google executive Ryan Olohan says to thrive in a time of pandemic, you should think 10 times as much as you’re thinking 10 percent, pay even more attention to the data and use this time to innovate.
Why it matters: As searches for restaurants and stores “near me” surged, Google doubled down on its efforts to ensure every one of those searches helped users find the information they’re looking for, in addition to investing in new tools for brands to share real-time information with customers.
After seeing one too many marketers mistake preaching for purpose, The Hero Trap author Thomas Kolster says purpose has become meaningless advertising lingo.
Why it matters: To bring about true change, Kolster suggests brands trust and nurture fellow citizens, human beings, colleagues, mothers and fathers.
TikTok’s parent company ByteDance started working on its technological separation from China several months ago in response to national scrutiny, a source familiar with the process told Reuters.
Why it matters: The clean break Trump and lawmakers desire, however, could take a year or longer as TikTok’s server code is still partially shared across other ByteDance products. To ensure uninterrupted TikTok service, whichever company buys TikTok would likely need to rely on ByteDance’s code until it can move to a new back-end infrastructure.
HBR conducted in-depth interviews with 92 men and women to discover how they tell the story of their leadership origins and how those stories align with their current realities.
Why it matters: Origin stories converged around one of four dominant themes, which HBR labels as being, engaging, performing and accepting. Similar numbers of women and men relied on the “being” lens (I was always a leader) and the “accepting theme” (I’m a leader if and when others see me as one).
This week in leadership updates, Mark Flaherty accepts a promotion as EVP of marketing for Warner Records, Buffalo Wild Wings hires Rita Patel as CMO, Twitch appoints Sandeep Suvarna as head of marketing for APAC, PBS names Tonya Harley as VP of marketing, Terminix hires Alex Ho as CMO, PayPal’s chief creative officer Steve Simpson steps down and more.
Warner Records Promotes Mark Flaherty To Executive Vice President Of Marketing
Mark Flaherty has accepted a promotion as EVP of marketing for Warner Records.
Flaherty has overseen the brand’s marketing strategy for its pop, rock and alternative artist roster since joining in 2017 as senior vice president of marketing.
Prior to Warner Records, Flaherty held the same role at Interscope Records for five years.
Buffalo Wild Wings Hires Rita Patel As Chief Marketing Officer
Rita Patel has joined Buffalo Wild Wings as the chain’s CMO, effective September 14, according to Restaurant Business.
Patel replaces Seth Freeman, who left in late spring.
Prior to Buffalo Wild Wings, Patel was vice president of marketing for Target after working in marketing roles at MillerCoors, Beam Suntory and Wrigley.
Twitch Appoints Sandeep Suvarna As Head Of Marketing For Asia-Pacific
Twitch is bringing on Sandeep Suvarna to head its APAC marketing as part of a wave of new Twitch hires in Singapore.
Suvarna joins Twitch from FOX Networks Group, where he served as VP, marketing APAC of digital streaming services. Prior to FOX, he held marketing roles at LinkedIn and Yahoo, respectively.
PBS Names Tonya Harley As Vice President Of Marketing
Harley will focus on the brand’s direct-to-consumer subscription businesses, including PBS Masterpiece, PBS Kids, PBS Living and PBS Documentaries.
Prior to PBS, Harley was director of strategic marketing for BCD Travel.
Terminix Hires Alex Ho As Chief Marketing Officer
Terminix has named Alex Ho as CMO to oversee all aspects of the marketing function.
Ho joins Terminix after eight years with American Greetings, where he most recently served as CMO.
PayPal Chief Creative Officer Steve Simpson Steps Down
According to Business Insider, PayPal’s chief creative officer Steve Simpson has resigned after about a year.
The move follows a shift in PayPal’s marketing strategy from less emphasis on brand to more focus on small businesses, and the departure of CMO Allison Johnson in May.
Prior to joining PayPal, Simpson worked for 10 years at Ogilvy as North American chief creative officer.
The Vitamin Shoppe Hires Muriel Gonzalez As EVP, Chief Merchandising And Marketing Officer
The Vitamin Shoppe has appointed Muriel Gonzalez executive vice president, chief merchandising and marketing officer.
Prior to joining The Vitamin Shoppe, Gonzalez held various senior merchandising roles at Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Estée Lauder, Saks Fifth Avenue and Ann Taylor.
Deloitte Australia Appoints Rochelle Tognetti As First Woman Chief Marketing Officer
Deloitte Australia has hired Rochelle Tognetti as the company’s first woman CMO. Tognetti replaces outgoing CMO for Australia and Asia-Pacific Matt McGrath, who Deloitte just named global CMO.
Tognetti has been with Deloitte Australia over a decade in key leadership roles such as senior digital marketing manager, marketing director and chief operating officer for marketing.
On the show today, we talk about personalization and whether it’s the right move for marketers at this time, whether investing in personalization technology is the right thing to be doing, and what consumers really care about. Hally provides lots of valuable advice to other marketers and CMOs.
Hally talks about how we need to bring more balance to the trend of marketing personalization. He predicts that in a few years, “Marketing attention may be beginning to return to our roots in creative and storytelling and the more emotive side of the game.” We discuss the limits and disadvantages of personalization and the potential drawbacks of investing in more personalization capabilities. We come back to the importance of empathizing with your customer and building a long-term relationship. Hally says, “At the end of the day, brands win because of the stories they tell and the way consumers identify with them,” and “Even in this digital day and age, the story probably matters more than anything.” This discussion is about finding balance in our marketing strategies and weighing technological tools with traditional creative approaches.
Highlights from this week’s “Marketing Today”:
How a Georgia boy ended up in Boston. 01:14
Andrew’s path to Bynder. 02:20
All about Bynder. 03:08
The trend to deliver more personalization. 03:50
Disadvantages of personalized marketing. 05:15
Investing in personalization capabilities. 08:05
How Andrew thinks about the impact of personalization on consumers. 09:39
Advice for marketers on rebalancing. 12:32
The role of technology in supporting creative. 14:48
Advice for other CMOs. 17:12
Andrew shares a defining experience. 18:45
Andrew reflects on advice he would give to his younger self. 20:20
Andrew shares about an impactful purchase he made in the last 6-12 months. 21:54
Are there any brands, companies, or causes that Andrew follows that he thinks other people should take notice of? 23:25
Andrew’s take on the top threat facing marketers today. 25:47
Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on opportunities around brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine startups.
As national security concerns over TikTok’s US presence escalate, some users are migrating away from the app, while marketers are adding escape clauses into their contracts over uncertainty about its future.
Last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Trump said the government was considering banning TikTok over its data privacy and content moderation practices. Then lawmakers voted to prohibit the app from all government-issued devices. The clamor over the issue culminated on Friday, July 31st when Trump said he was prepared to immediately ban the app.
These events sent mega TikTok creators into a frenzy, leading some to delete their accounts and direct fans to follow them on other platforms. Shortly thereafter, TikTok launched a $200 million creator fund to encourage them to stay.
Brands, on the other hand, are pausing TikTok campaigns, and others are amending contracts so they can shift spend to another platform if needed.
For advertisers, brand safety is top of mind.
“The moderation issues have led to a bit of hate speech, bullying and sexually explicit content getting in front of younger audiences. Many of our blue chip clients prefer brand safe environments. Edgier brands are a little more open to pushing the boundaries, however privacy concerns have made them stay away. So while TikTok has seen the benefits of higher engagement during this COVID era, its issues have been an opt-out for many advertisers,” says Ayzenberg media vice president Heather Cohen.
Erik Schmitt, Ayzenberg creative director, says that although TikTok’s algorithm gives brands an equal chance of being seen by their target audience and discovered by new audiences, unlike Facebook, they should still proceed with caution.
“One alternative brands should consider is Instagram Reels – which is very intentionally set up to be a competitor to TikTok,” says Schmitt.
Today Facebook officially debuted its TikTok clone Instagram Reels, a feature that enables users to record and customize snackable clips, in the US and several key international markets.
Ignoring TikTok’s potentially intrusive user tracking comes with a high price tag for brands, says Ayzenberg vice president of product and technology Chris Strawser.
“TikTok has the potential to be really dangerous because the demographic is young, and that demographic doesn’t necessarily guard their data as intensely as older demographics. In a year, if we find out TikTok has been nefariously using consumer data, brands aren’t going to be free from the responsibility of putting their consumers at risk. There’s going to be a reckoning,” Strawser says.
Still, coupled with the app’s addictive nature and eerily perceptive algorithm, TikTok’s massive appeal among Gen Z is hard to ignore.
“For me, the true indicator of TikTok success is how Gen Z is using the platform today in so many different and nuanced ways. On top of almost solely driving the music industry (as seen on any top 50 chart), there are also subsections of TikTok driving real political and societal change,” says vice president of talent and content strategy at ION Steven Lai.
TikTok recently announced updates to its policies to expand fact-checking, flag election misinformation and ban deep fakes.
Since then, President Trump issued an executive order that would ban TikTok and WeChat in the US in 45 days if their Chinese-owned parent companies, ByteDance and Tencent, respectively, don’t sell them.
In a company statement, a “shocked” TikTok criticized the President’s move, saying it has sought for over a year to work with Washington to create a solution to national security concerns. The app asserted it “will be here for many years to come,” and urged users to express their opinion on the potential ban to their elected representatives.
Despite getting banned in India, and its US future being imperiled, TikTok was the top-grossing non-gaming app worldwide in July, Sensor Tower data show. The app saw over $102.5 million in user spending, with 89 percent of revenue from China and six percent from the US.
Customers in channel capability can be divided into existing or lapsed customers, competitor’s customers and potential new customers.
Why it matters: Understanding channel capability is critical for strategy to make sense given marketers think certain channels can reach types of people that they typically don’t.
Nike’s new 90-second spot, “You Can’t Stop Us” draws on the sense of community to display the optimism of sports during a time when many sports events are canceled due to COVID-19.
Why it matters: Created by Wieden+Kennedy, the commercial matches an athlete on one half of the screen and mirrors another on the opposite side move-for-move as if they’re one person.
The mental health of nearly 42 percent of people declined in April since the outbreak began, a study of global employees by Mind Share Partners found.
Why it matters: To support employees in times of uncertainty, managers should be open about their own mental health struggles, have regular check-ins with employees and communicate more than they think they need to.
Experts have been quick to call out Instagram Reels features that have blatantly been replicated or seem to be missing.
Why it matters: As users and marketers get used to Instagram’s TikTok clone Reels, marketers shouldn’t abandon TikTok just yet, but should have a unique purpose for posting on Reels.
Social activism posts on TikTok have inspired 54 percent of Gen Z to engage in discussions with family and friends, and 44 percent to sign petitions, a study from Reach3 Insights found.
Why it matters: Brands should tailor their TikTok messaging to reflect Gen Z’s awareness of movements.
In partnership with Tencent, Burberry debuted a 5,800-square-foot store in China designed for customers to interact with its products via social media content, QR code-induced contactless payments and their own animal character.
Why it matters: Burberry is the latest company to integrate WeChat into its strategy as part of a larger goal to reach digital savvy shoppers.
During Q2, The New York Times added a record 669,00 digital subscriptions, bringing its total subscriber count to 6.5 million. Still, its digital advertising decreased 32 percent to $39.5 million, while its print ad business declined 55 percent.
Why it matters: The company plans to sell fewer ads but with larger formats, which it’ll target with privacy-forward ways.
Eight in 10 consumers worldwide have changed the way they pay in order to reduce contact, and 54 percent of American consumers said they’d switch to a new store that installed contactless payment systems, Visa’s ‘Back to Business’ study revealed.
Why it matters: In response, 67 percent of small businesses have created ecommerce sites, or adopted touchless technology.
Obviously founder Mae Karwowski said, “We’re just having really candid conversations with our clients and writing into the contract that they have the ability to move this to a different platform if they so choose.”
Why it matters: The Trump administration has allowed Microsoft to bid for TikTok in the US after initially announcing plans to outright ban the app.
Kroger Precision Marketing and Meredith Corp. are offering a new integrated media service providing consumer packaged goods brands with closed-loop sales data, custom reports and shoppable display ad units.
Why it matters: Expanding upon the targeting capabilities of Meredith’s proprietary shoppable display and recipe units, the service will enable participating CPG brands to measure the impact of their campaigns on sales.
Your reason for forgoing sufficient sleep might seem logical, but sleep loss hinders cognitive capacity by degrading alertness and attention.
Why it matters: Investing in proper sleep, nutrition, exercise and play yields the self-control necessary to practice empathic listening and the energy to be fully present.
A survey from IAB and Accenture Interactive found 69 percent of brands have either partially or completely moved programmatic buying of display, video and/or connected television (CTV) in-house.
Why it matters: Brands are inclined to in-house programmatic following increasing data privacy regulations and the imminent demise of cookies.
New York Times best-selling author Simon Sinek suggests leaders in the age of COVID-19 should consider the wellbeing of human beings before considering their performance and results.
Why it matters: Brands thriving in the pandemic are those that have put their customers, not profits, at the center of the equation, says Sinek.
Grocery apps have become the full store experience for many shoppers during lockdowns, inspiring retailers to create a unified omnichannel experience for customers.
Why it matters: In April, the Walmart Grocery app’s average daily downloads ballooned 460 percent compared to January, according to App Annie data. Similarly, Target, which expanded same-day grocery pickup to over 1,000 stores in 47 states, saw a 98 percent surge in daily downloads of its app.
This week in leadership updates, Peloton names Dara Treseder as head of global marketing and communications, AT&T lays off 54 employees from its consumer marketing division, LegalZoom hires John Buchanan as CMO, Tim Reid accepts a promotion as SVP of repertoire and marketing at BMG Record Music, Apple names Greg Joswiak as SVP of worldwide marketing and more.
Peloton Appoints Dara Treseder Senior Vice President, Head Of Global Marketing And Communications
Peloton has hired Dara Treseder as its new head of global marketing, replacing Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, who left the company in May.
Treseder most recently served as CMO for Carbon. Prior to Carbon, she was CMO of GE Business Innovation and GE Ventures.
AT&T Lays Off 54 Employees From Its Consumer Marketing Team
Following its reduction of 3,400 jobs and 250 store closures in June, AT&T has laid off 54 employees from its consumer marketing division.
The company said the layoffs are the result of economic impact and changed consumer behaviors due to COVID-19.
Ducati Names Patrizia Cianetti As Head Of New Marketing And Communication Department
Ducati announced the launch of a new marketing and communication department, which will be led by the company’s former marketing director Patrizia Cianetti.
BMG Record Music Promotes Tim Reid To Senior Vice President Of Repertoire And Marketing
BMG’s Tim Reid has accepted a promotion as SVP of repertoire and marketing, Billboard reports.
Prior to joining BMG, Reid was VP of product management at Ingrooves Distribution. Prior to that, Reid held various marketing leadership roles at Interscope Geffen A&M Records, MCA Records and Priority Records.
LegalZoom Hires John Buchanan As Chief Marketing Officer
LegalZoom has announced it’s bringing on John Buchanan as CMO.
Buchanan joins LegalZoom from the National Football League, where he served as SVP of marketing strategy and sciences.
Apple Names Greg Joswiak Senior Vice President Of Worldwide Marketing
Apple announced it’s replacing CMO Phil Schiller, who’s worked at Apple since 1987, with veteran product marketing executive Greg Joswiak.
In his new role, Joswiak will serve as SVP of global marketing.
Joswiak most recently served as Apple’s VP of worldwide product marketing for four years.
Deloitte Promotes Matt McGrath To Global Chief Marketing Officer
Matt McGrath has accepted a promotion as global CMO of Deloitte.
McGrath joined Deloitte Australia in 2017 as CMO before rising to CMO of Deloitte Asia Pacific in June 2019.
Prior to Deloitte, McGrath served as chief brand officer for Network Ten and CEO and executive creative director of Y&R Brands, respectively.
Capitol Records Promotes Arjun Pulijal To Senior Vice President Of Marketing
Arjun Pulijal has accepted a promotion as SVP of marketing for Capitol Records, as reported by Variety.
Pulijal was most recently VP of marketing for the label since 2017. He joined Capitol Records in 2013 as director of marketing.
Prior to Capitol, Pulijal worked for seven years at Epic Records.
Vonage Hires Joy Corso As Chief Marketing Officer
Vonage has appointed Joy Corso as CMO. Corso will oversee all areas of the company’s global marketing function.
Corso joins Vonage from Virtustream, where she was SVP and CMO..
Robinhood Appoints Christina Smedley As Chief Marketing Officer
Smedley comes from Facebook, where she spent nearly five years in marketing roles working on Messenger and Calibra.
Domino’s Promotes Art D’Elia To Executive Vice President And Chief Marketing Officer
Art D’Elia has accepted a promotion as EVP and CMO of Domino’s, according to a press release. D’Elia, who will lead the brand’s global marketing initiatives, joined Domino’s in 2018 as senior vice president, chief brand and innovation officer before taking on some of the brand’s digital marketing efforts earlier this year.
Prior to joining Domino’s, D’Elia spent seven years at Danone, most recently as their marketing director in the UK.
Pernod Ricard Hires Estelle Martin As Head Of Experiential And Consumer Activation
Pernod Ricard has promoted Estelle Martin to lead its UK experiential marketing division, replacing Kenny Hyslop, who departed in June after 15 years.
Martin joined the company in 2018 as an on-trade customer marketing controller.
Prior to Pernod Ricard, Martin served as the customer marketing director for Quintessential Brands Group.
Today we talk about what the Institute for Real Growth focuses on and what it hopes to achieve for all stakeholders. We discuss how the Institute for Real Growth is helping marketers and CEOs realize that growth potential.
De Swaan Arons begins by describing the journey to founding the Institute for Real Growth, which involved thousands of interviews with brand heads and an initiative to understand the role of marketers in organizations that outperform others in long-term growth. They created an independent organization to meet the needs of CMOs without selling anything. As de Swaan Arons describes it: “We connect those CMOs and other senior growth leaders to benchmarking, research, best practices, experts, but most importantly, other practitioners around the themes of real growth.”
We discuss the importance of driving growth for all stakeholders and shifting away from shareholder primacy. De Swaan Arons says, “The new reality is going to have to be a far more balanced equation of value creation, yes, for shareholders, but also for our colleagues and our communities and our customers.” He reminds us that businesses were initially created for communities. Our conversation is about the importance of growth for everyone involved.
Highlights from this week’s “Marketing Today”:
What attracted Marc to Woodstock, NY. 01:29
How Marc became interested in marketing. 03:00
The events that led to the founding of The Institute for Real Growth. 05:41
The Institute for Real Growth’s mission. 14:26
The Institute’s progress after one year. 15:06
Their pivot from in-person meetings to an online program when COVID hit. 17:04
The Humanizing Growth webcast series. 19:06
Conclusions from the Initiative for Real Growth. 21:13
Businesses were initially created for communities. 23:40
The Institute’s focus on CMOs. 26:21
How CMOs can get engaged with the Institute for Real Growth. 29:35
The Institute’s end goal. 32:04
Marc shares a defining experience. 35:20
Marc shares about an impactful purchase he made in the last 6-12 months. 37:32
Are there any brands, companies, or causes that Marc follows that he thinks
other people should take notice of? 38:20
Marc’s take on the top threat facing marketers today. 40:49
Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on opportunities around brand, customer experience, innovation, and growth. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine startups.
We’re back with another episode of Listen In. This week, we’re featuring a conversation between Ayzenberg’s Matt Bretz and Ashley Owen about the roles of creatives and strategists. Topics include: Where does the job of a strategist end and a creative editor begin? What does it mean to be a strategy director?
About Listen In: Each week on Listen In, Bretz and a rotating cast of hosts from Ayzenberg interview experts in the field of marketing and advertising to explore uncharted territory together. The goal is to provide the a.network audience with actionable insights, enabling them to excel in their field.
In mid-2018, a whopping 61 million members of Gen Z entered the US workforce, making there five generations in the workforce at once. During a panel entitled “The Inherent Rebellion of Gen Z” at this week’s 3% Conference, Alain Sylvain—the founder and chief executive officer of strategy and design consultancy Sylvain Labs—makes the case for employers to ask how they can work with the TikTok-loving cohort, instead of asking how Gen Z will work for them.
Sylvain’s case study, which highlights how Gen Z’s tech-savviness will catalyze social progress and a workplace revolution, has important implications for brands looking to understand and appeal to Gen Z.
A little rebellious, very socially conscious and more digitally connected than any other group, Gen Z is perhaps the savviest generation when it comes to risk, creativity and invention, argues Sylvain. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, people revolted against innocence and authority, respectively. Later, Gen X would lead an anti-establishment rebellion, embracing all things alternative. For millennials, it was about shunning the conventional idea of adulthood and the milestones that came with it, such as getting married or buying a house at a certain age.
Unlike the generations before them, Gen Z—digital natives born during times of crisis spanning the 9/11 attacks, the 2008 recession and now, COVID—have a vastly different perspective than others, and therefore is not anti-anything, but rather pro-change.
“Gen Z only knows a world where things aren’t making sense or things are falling apart, and they’re looking to the rest of us to do something about it. Add to that they’re looking at it through the lens of technology,” Sylvain says.
From Gen Z’s reliance on technology was born a new humanity, one characterized by a collective connectedness, enabling Gen Z to have a greater sense of awareness thanks to information about anything being just a smartphone tap away. Because of their ability to connect with people from every corner of the globe, Gen Z feels a sense of responsibility to care for their neighbor, which Sylvain notes is inducing Gen Z-created businesses and content that simultaneously benefit society and challenge norms.
“If millennials shunned the system in pursuit of their own personal purpose, Gen Z is hacking the system in pursuit of collective progress. For them, work is a medium used to solve their desire to change the world. Work is an extension of that pursuit.”
The truth is, Gen Z, having reimagined what rebellion can actually be, is a political force to be reckoned with, according to Sylvain. In one savvy act of rebellion, Gen Z activists in Hong Kong used Animal Crossing to stage a virtual anti-government protest, featuring characters holding torches and signs that read “Free Hong Kong.” As a result, the game was banned in China.
Gen Z’ers also have higher standards for the companies they work for. In fact, a recent study by Girls With Impact found that 45 percent of Gen Z want to work for a company that makes a positive difference in the world, while 65 percent wish to personally create something world-changing.
To reach the group not afraid to call it like it is, Sylvain recommends employers act as allies toward Gen Z by listening, and being supportive and humble in their interactions with them.
