Move Over Millennials – Gen Z and Gen Alpha Are The Next Dominant Consumer Group, and They’re Here to Stay.
Welcome back to another edition of Brand and Demand 3.0, a series curated by The Continuum, where we invite industry leaders to share their insights on cultural moments, events, trends, and ideas that matter to brands and marketers. As always, we aim to bridge the gap between top-of-funnel brand awareness and day-to-day performance marketing.
Gen Z and Gen Alpha have quickly emerged as the new dominant consumer groups. Raised in a digital-first environment, where technology is woven into nearly every aspect of their daily lives, both generations have redefined the ways brands communicate and engage with their consumers, with authenticity, personalization, and interactivity becoming non-negotiable expectations. Gone are the days when traditional marketing was enough to drive engagement – today’s brands must create dynamic, innovative, and purpose-driven experiences that resonate with the values and interests of these generations to truly capture their attention and stay ahead of fast-moving trends.
With Gen Z and Gen Alpha top of mind for brands and marketers alike, we spoke with several industry leaders to get their take on what this means for the industry as a whole. Specifically, we asked if there are specific challenges brands are facing when marketing to both demographics, and their take on how to overcome these obstacles while maintaining relevance and authenticity. We also encouraged leaders to reflect on media strategies that have proven successful when engaging these audiences, and for insights on how marketers can leverage data to develop a deeper understanding of Gen Z and Gen Alpha, building lasting relationships and creating highly meaningful brand experiences for them in the process. Here’s what they had to say:
Randi Stipes, CMO
Marketing to Gen Z and Gen Alpha requires brands to meet them where they are—on platforms like TikTok and Instagram—with dynamic, purpose-driven experiences that align with their values of inclusivity, sustainability, and social impact. In fact, 72% of Gen Z prefers to buy from brands that share their values, according to a study by McKinsey. This makes it essential to "talk with" these audiences in a relatable, human tone, avoiding marketing jargon, and ensuring experiences align authentically with the brand’s core values. As the saying goes, "If your brand’s values aren’t aligned with theirs, you’re not just missing the mark—you’re missing the point." Leveraging data is crucial for personalizing content, predicting trends, and measuring impact while building meaningful and lasting connections that contribute to the greater good.
Rishad Tobaccowala, Senior Advisor
Gen Z and Gen Alpha want to be their own bosses. They are their own media companies, and to resonate with them, one needs to empower their pursuit to be independent and a media company. Marketers who align with these already powerful and influential people will do so with authenticity, purpose, and transparency. Data should be leveraged not as a means to target and engage, but as a way to create experiences and resonance. Think of Gen Z not as media targets, but as media partners.
Jeff Ratner, President, Media and Analytics
Generations Z and Alpha exhibit a tendency to perceive traditional advertising as an unwelcome disruption to their desired digital experiences. While acknowledging the financial underpinnings of ad-supported content, their preference leans towards promotional material that is contextually relevant and seamlessly integrated. This is where performance media tactics, such as strategically executed search and social media advertising, gain prominence due to their potential for delivering more pertinent messaging to active users.
Cultivating relationships through curated content and experiences is paramount for these demographics, fostering a sense of connection beyond mere transactional exchanges. Influencer marketing remains a significant avenue for cultivating product awareness and encouraging initial adoption; however, authenticity is paramount, as overtly commercialized influencer endorsements can lead to audience disengagement.
Despite these evolving consumption patterns, established media metrics like reach and frequency remain relevant for driving conversions, particularly when amplified through sophisticated performance media campaigns. The critical imperative lies in adopting a nuanced engagement strategy, moving beyond broad, interruptive advertising towards building genuine connections through valuable and tailored content. Artificial intelligence is increasingly instrumental in this endeavor, enabling brands to discern resonant content and optimize ad delivery for enhanced contextual relevance and personalized experiences. Consequently, opportunities for transactional engagement should be thoughtfully embedded across relevant touchpoints, with AI potentially facilitating personalized and frictionless purchasing experiences that align with these curated interactions.
David Shing, Founder
We used to segment consumers by age, income, or location. Now? We’re dealing with generational software updates. Gen Z and Gen Alpha aren’t just younger versions of their Millennial siblings. They’ve been raised inside the feed. They’re fluent in algorithms. And they’ve never known a world without TikTok, Roblox, or AI-generated everything. For them, swiping, streaming, shopping, and sharing are native behaviors. Not learned. Not layered in. Innate.
So, what does that mean for brands still operating with legacy marketing muscle memory? It means we need to stop treating them like a niche and start adapting to the fact that they’re setting the pace for culture and commerce.
Gen Z & Gen Alpha: Not Just Digital Natives, but Digital Architects
They’re not just consuming the internet; they’re coding its next chapter. From microtrends born on niche Discord servers to global movements sparked by a single TikTok, this is a generation building meaning in real time.
Authenticity isn’t a buzzword to them—it’s a baseline.
They expect brands to show up with something to say and the receipts to back it. Aesthetic is important, yes. But tone, transparency, and values carry weight.
They can smell corporate performance from a mile away—and they’ll roast it in the comments before you’ve even hit “Post.”
So, what’s actually working? Let’s break it down.
Dynamic storytelling over static selling
Campaigns have evolved into conversations. Successful brands build narratives that unfold across platforms—often co-created with the audience. Think of it as transmedia storytelling meets meme fluency.
Platform fluidity over platform loyalty
While Millennials had their Facebook moment, Gen Z and Alpha are multi-tabbed across Twitch, Snap, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Roblox, and whatever’s next. They don’t commit to platforms—they flow through them. Your strategy should, too.
Personalization at scale
Yes, we’ve been talking about 1:1 marketing forever. But now it’s not a nice-to-have—it’s expected. That means leveraging data ethically but creatively. Your brand needs to feel like a best friend, not a banner ad.
Co-creation > control
The most effective content isn’t fully “owned” by the brand—it’s remixed by the audience. Be memeable. Be duetable. Create assets meant to travel, mutate, and come back stronger.
Challenges? Plenty. But so are the opportunities.
Challenge #1: The Attention Economy is brutal.
Solution: Don't fight for attention—earn it. Be useful, be entertaining, or get out of the way.
Challenge #2: Platform shifts are constant.
Solution: Build brand behaviors, not just platform strategies. Know who you are off-platform so you can flex on any platform.
Challenge #3: Data fatigue is real.
Solution: Use data not to stalk, but to understand. Behavioral insights should guide empathy, not intrusion. Data is only as good as the humanity behind it.
TL;DR? You’re Not Marketing To Them—You’re Marketing With Them.
These aren’t passive audiences. They’re participants. Collaborators. Critics. And sometimes, your most valuable creative department.
If your brand wants to matter to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, it can’t just show up in the feed. It has to live there, evolve there, and let go of control. It’s not about chasing relevance. It’s about designing for resonance.
Jason Dille, Chief Media Officer
Generational targeting often risks reducing individuals to stereotypes, oversimplifying behaviors, and attitudes within broad age groups. In reality, even within cohorts like Millennials or Gen X, there is wide variation in media habits and technology adoption. A more effective and inclusive approach focuses on life-stage moments, such as buying a first home, launching a career, or getting married. These pivotal events offer more meaningful context for shaping creative and media strategies. For younger audiences, especially, these milestones often represent their first major interactions with a brand, making it essential to deliver messaging that resonates with their current life experiences. This life-stage lens enables brands to show up authentically and build stronger, lasting connections.
April 22, 2025
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