Influencers have become important brand advocates, whose videos, posts, and images initiate consumer word of mouth about a product, service, or brand.  They are particularly important for attracting millennials and Generation Z consumers.  An implicit assumption among marketing managers is that picking the influencer with the largest audience is best for the brand. But that…

Gregg L. Witt, youth brand strategist and Chief Strategy Officer of Engage Youth Co. has conducted hundreds of interviews with Gen Z kids, tweens, teens and young adults and has distilled his findings into a list of youth culture attributes. These generational markers are the identifying traits of what will be the most significant global…

Most people, at some point, have experienced a form of bullying. In fact, a lot of bullies were bullied, and they are just doing what they were taught. There is no excuse for this behavior, however, and awareness and education around the issue has made a big difference. What more can we do to address…

Today’s young people tend to be highly individualized and making culturally relevant connections is non-negotiable. If you want to be noticed, followed and garner their attention, find and align with the most relevant groups within youth culture. Successful brand alignment with young people depends, in part, on your organization’s capability to make psychographic and situational…

As small banks and credit unions strive to market more effectively to the millennial generation, the next cohort has started coming into its own as consumers. And while Generation Z — generally defined as those born between 1996 and 2010, making the oldest among them 24 — is the first truly digital-native generation in history, connecting…

The following is excerpted from “The Gen Z Frequency: How Brands Tune in and Build Credibility” by Gregg Witt. First published in the U.S. in 2018 by Kogan Page Limited. All rights reserved. Perhaps the most important content goals, when marketing to Gen Z, is to attract and keep their attention, and help them look…

Generation Z, which consists of people born approximately between 1996 and 2011 and are currently in their tween/young adult years, is shaping a new era of individuality that impacts every business. An estimated 1.9B people, or 27% of the global population, make up this demographic, which is projected to be the largest consumer demographic in…

We all know what it’s like to not fit in, maybe in our family, at school, at the office, or when trying to start a new business. How do we reconcile being true to ourselves, and being a part of larger group? Trying to fit in with a group that doesn’t share your core values…

Kids aren’t media consumers, they are “knowledge managers,” constantly evaluating content and data, and discarding what doesn’t help them build their personal brand. How can brands adjust to the new reality? That‘s the challenge posed by youth marketing experts Gregg Witt and Derek Baird in The Gen Z Frequency: How Brands Tune In & Build Credibility….

Marketers once targeted young people through television, but that doesn’t cut it for Gen Z, whose screen of choice is a smartphone, and who seek to identify with brands they not only trust but feel connected with. Developing that sense of belonging is the real key to success with this market. Gregg L. Witt, co-author…

It’s reader competition time! Now is your chance to win a copy of a The Gen Z Frequency: How brands Tune In and Build Credibility.  It’s co authored by Gregg L Witt and Derek E Baird and is a comprehensive guide for any brand or organization trying to reach this demographic. It covers fundamental truths, content creation,…

The newest generation of professionals is entering the professional world, and their stress levels are already higher than their parents. According to research from the American Psychological Association, Generation Z—those born anywhere from 1994-1997 depending on which expert you reference—are more likely than any previous generation to report their mental health as fair or poor. Over 90%…

  Excerpt from The Gen Z Frequency featured in Brand Strategy Insider A powerful social engagement strategy to boost engagement is to integrate elements of gamification into your marketing, social media, community and other digital brand experiences. Gamification is the term used to describe the use of game-design principles (points, levels, leader boards, social sharing, rewards)…

A powerful social engagement strategy to boost interaction with youthful audiences at retail is to integrate elements of gamification into merchandising, content, social media and event-driven brand experiences. Here’s what Tilly’s is doing right on their ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS promotion: They’ve aligned with a vendor brand, JanSport and two pop culture influencers, @shonduras and Echosmith’s @sydneysierota, who…

Beyond Stoked! This week I was finally able to unbox my first book, The Gen Z Frequency, published by Kogan Page and co-written with friend and colleague Derek E. Baird — it’s been a goal of mine for years and surreal to see the physical product come to life! The purpose of the book is…

QUESTION: How can retailers future-proof their brands and build credibility with Gen Z consumers? ANSWER: Well, for starters if you want to build credibility and create winning retail solutions/experiences that future-proof your brand, you have to establish trust and cultivate relevance with your targeted youth segments (assuming you have them). Brands need to realize young…

Embrace the Conflicts with Youth Culture   Companies all over the world face similar challenges when targeting youth culture, but what makes understanding today’s young consumers so difficult or elusive? While we were all young at some point, unless we are under the age of 21 in 2018 we are not a part of Gen…

Establishing trust is absolutely critical when building consumer relationships. The process, while it might not always be easy, doesn’t need to be complicated. Trust in youth culture comes down to a simple equation: Transparency + Authenticity + Action = Credibility. By avoiding pretense or deceit and being true to core beliefs, young people will be…