Think You Know Gen Z? What We’re Really Paying Attention To

On October 9, I’ll be on stage at AdWeek New York with Snapchat, Alter Agents, and DOBBINO CEO, Brad Jansen, to unpack new research from 6,000+ Gen Z consumers.

As a Gen Z creator who builds brands by day and my own brand by night, here’s how I see it.

We’re not a monolith—and our feeds make that harder to see. I can’t speak for every Gen Zer, but I can tell you why we often feel “conflicted.” Algorithms (and soon, more AI) curate our worlds to reflect what we already believe. That means fewer moments that challenge us, and wildly different realities across our generation. If you’re a brand, don’t assume one message fits all. Ditch the demographic box and meet us where our beliefs, interests, and communities actually are.

We’re not lazy—we’re intentional. We value our time, set boundaries and quite frankly, shouldn’t be villainized for that. Because the truth is, many of us are multihyphenates, and that means we have to be intentional with our time and energy to avoid burnout. After a full day building social for brands with community engagement, live content, and analytics, I switch to my own projects with the same energy. Smart employers don’t fight that; they harness it. When creators bring IRL expertise into brand work, ideas hit faster, land deeper, and ultimately, the work gets better.

When we look at the idea of status from a brand standpoint, flex culture is out of touch. I get just as much joy out of finding a thrifted treasure as I do buying from a luxury label. What truly earns status is action—showing up for your community, creating something meaningful, choosing experiences over more “stuff”. If you want a place in our lives (and our feeds), make your brand part of the moments we actually care to share.

In terms of values, we look at integrity over perfection. There’s a lot of pressure on brands to take stands—and a lot of fear of getting “canceled.” Here’s the truth: you won’t win everyone. The brands we respect pick a value they can live (not just post) and they stick with it. Think of legacy players that don’t wobble with every trend versus “try-hard” pivots that stray from the core and in turn, please no one. We’re an anxious generation staring down perfectionism, so you have to show us why your brand chooses what it chooses.

Now, when talking about legacy brands and how they show up for Gen Z, you don’t have to reinvent your brand ethos to matter to us. Keep the core truth, translate it into the interests and actions we care about, and design natively for your feed. Three quick ways I’ve seen this work:

– Interest: SNICKERS with gamers “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” is timeless—but in gaming, it feels new. Creator collabs, in-stream “hanger” fixes, and clips built for Twitch and TikTok make the idea useful and entertaining where gaming culture actually lives.

– Influence: Neutrogena with talent like Tate McRae where influence isn’t just a logo slap. It’s letting influential voices bring the brand into their world. In Tate’s case, it’s with tour diaries, backstage GRWM routines, and product as performance support, and fans opt in because it’s real to them.

– Platforms: Pedigree in the metaverse (Roblox-style) turn purpose into play with virtual shelters that have adoptable pets, quests that teach care, creator-led moments—and a bridge to real-world adoption with local shelters. And in turn, that participation beats traditional PSAs.

– Interest gives relevance. Lead with what people actually care about, not a demographic label. Earn your way into the FYP by being native to the moment.

– Influence gives credibility. Partner with creators and talent who already have permission in the spaces you want to show up. Co-create; don’t append.

– Platforms drive participation. Build for the platform’s behavior—Twitch streams, TikTok formats, Roblox mechanics—so people can do something with you, not just watch you.

The Snap x Alter Agents x Dobbino study confirms what we feel every day: out-of-touch wealth signaling is out and hard work, altruism, integrity, and community impact are in. If you’re a brand, the win isn’t louder messaging. It’s truer action shown where we already spend time and with people we already trust.

If you didn’t happen to join us at AdWeek NY on October 9, catch us on our new podcast “Here for the Comments” where we dig into the research, the realities of Interest Media, and how creators and brands can build things worth keeping in the feed.

– Check out the Snapchat study: https://forbusiness.snapchat.com/blog/build-better-brands-gen-z

– Follow us @dobbinomade on Instagram and TikTok

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Kirsten is a social media strategist, community builder, and lifestyle content creator. With a deep passion for storytelling, she specializes in creating digital experiences that go beyond engagement to make audiences feel truly seen. Kirsten has partnered with powerhouse brands like Neutrogena, Maybelline, Timberland, and Bumble, spotlighting trends that matter and cultivating spaces where people can connect authentically.