Generation Z is notoriously hard to please. They’re skeptical of marketing, lack the brand loyalty of older generations, and increasingly demand social responsibility from the brands they purchase from.

How hard to please? Well, in 2021, Kylie Jenner’s premium tequila brand 818 found itself in a spot of hot water. That’s not the mixer anyone would choose.

In a controversial ad, Jenner strolled through an agave farm, her hair in rustic braids and a cowboy hat on her head. The outcry centered on a (merited) accusation of cultural appropriation, but at its heart, it was the inauthenticity of Jenner’s attempted connection to Mexican culture that caused the backlash.

But despite that rocky start, 818 has now firmly established itself as a premium tequila and the brand is going from strength to strength, with domestic and international sales booming. Tequila is now the second most popular spirit for Gen Z, and the 818 brand has rehabilitated itself in the eyes of this demographic by leveraging two essential elements: authenticity and social proof.

To do this, Jenner, a social media influencer in her own right, has emphasized: “Along with saving the planet it’s important for us to be friendly to the community as well. We’re donating them and building homes for people that need homes.”

But it’s not just trendy young tequila brands that need to market to Gen Z. “Zoomers” will be the largest generation by 2026 — every business needs to understand the unique branding angles that appeal to this digital generation.

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Who is Gen Z?

The oldest Zoomers are now in their mid-20s and have increased purchasing power and influence in the marketplace.

This demographic has grown up steeped in social media. In fact, for Zoomers, the overlap between personal identity and brand is blurred: they’ve been making decisions about how they’re portrayed online since an early age, unconsciously branding themselves.

This makes them super-savvy, and highly skeptical of transparent marketing efforts. But brands can still successfully target Gen Z, and build a loyal following among this demographic. This is done by connecting the personal identity and fundamental values of Generation Z with a brand’s outlook and commitments.

The Gen Z need to know:

4 Things you Must do When Branding (or Rebranding) for Gen Z

Put Authenticity Above all Else

Gen Z’ers live on their phones, immersed in a digital world. They’ve grown up around fake news and are switched on to traditional marketing ploys: if you’re not practicing what you preach, they’ll see through it in a heartbeat.

Whatever you’re expressing, from your ethical commitments to your cheeky brand tone, authenticity needs to be at the heart of it.

And given that 75% of Gen Z’ers think brands are disingenuous in their social, ethical, and environmental commitments, many businesses are failing the authenticity test.

In recent years, outdoor brands such as Patagonia and North Face have evolved away from their rustic roots to become fashionable brands, as at home in Silicon Valley as they are in Yosemite Valley.

But even as they’ve pivoted into the fashion sphere, they’ve used their outdoor origins to enhance their ethical positioning. Environmental credentials and trendy clothing aren’t at odds: both are cool in the eyes of Gen Z.

Gen Z needs to perceive a brand’s values as aligning with their own, with an emphasis on social responsibility. So figure out what you stand for, and apply consistency throughout your business practices and marketing strategies. Show your audience that you’re committed to those values, every day.

Help Your Customers Be Themselves

Gen Z has more ways of expressing themselves than ever before —  alongside fashion and music, there’s identity politics, ethical commitments, and social media representation thrown into the mix. That leads 73% of Gen Z’ers to say that personal expression is essential to a happy life.

Brands can leverage this by integrating themselves into the way consumers express themselves. Position your product or service as playing a role in how your audience builds their identity.

This comes naturally to fashion brands or styling products, but it can be applied by any organization, from a new fintech app to household goods. Make it a part of your branding that you enable them to be themselves: position your brand not as something consumers use, but as something that they are.

Keep Things Simple 

When you’re dealing with a highly digitally sophisticated audience with an in-built skepticism, it pays to keep things simple.  Companies like Casper and Ollie have appealed to a Gen Z audience by humanizing their brand, right down to the name.

These lifestyle brands have been built around products that let Gen Z prioritize themselves, and the brands themselves prioritize a clean image, focus on social media and don’t overcomplicate things. Don’t get led astray with virtue signaling or engaging with things that aren’t relevant to your brand: identify how you improve your customers’ lives, and stick to the message.

A Brand is Built in the Relationship With its Customers

Peer-to-peer recommendations trump brand reputation for Gen Z but that doesn’t mean brand reputation is irrelevant. Rather, brand is perceived differently: not solely on its own terms, but as an element of a social web.

For Gen Z, brand reputation has to integrate social proof. So build your brand by ensuring your target audience is seeing it in their visual world, both on social media and offline.

Conceive your branding project as a collaboration with your customers, and you’ll begin to build the relationships that feedback into personal recommendations and a meaningful brand reputation among this demographic.

The SuN Takeaway

They might be young, but your average Zoomer is the most digitally sophisticated consumer in the marketplace.

Brand reputation remains important for Generation Z, but the big difference is that now, strong brands are an extension of an individual’s identity. Brands no longer exist as separate entities, but have to conceptualize themselves as part of a wider web of identity.

Once you tap into this, personal recommendation and brand reputation become synonymous, as do your brand’s values and those of your customers. This is a powerful connection that ensures success in the hearts, minds, and wallets of your target audience.