Steven Denekas leads the creative team at DEPT® and BASIC/DEPT® which is responsible for designing experiences for the world’s most admired brands. He fosters creative environments that cultivate ideas big and small. From the start of his career behind the colour copier at Kinkos, the mount room of BBDO, to the design studio of W+K, he brings raw energy, originality, and a poetic approach to digital experiences. His mission is simple: make work that creates legacies.

It seems like everyone these days is obsessed with gen z. Brands want to know everything, from what they want and think to how they shop.

And for good reason — while most of this generation born after 1996 are not yet able to vote and are set to inherit an uncertain economy and future, they command $360bn in buying power and are more politically engaged than previous generations.

So how can brands tap into, and cater to this generation? Well, scratch all the above, because it turns out that gen z are not so easily scrunched into a box. 

Recently, DEPT® asked 3,000 gen zers how they feel about their portrayal in the media, what it means to be labelled as the generation that will “save the world” and how they approach interactions with brands.

Here’s what we found:

#1: Only 20% of gen zers feel the media portrays them positively
When asked whether the media portrays gen z as more positively or negatively overall, just 20% of respondents felt they are portrayed positively. Conversely, just over half of gen zers surveyed felt they were portrayed negatively, and the remaining 28% felt their media portrayal was balanced.

When it comes to the accuracy of media and marketing portrayal, 67% felt that media accurately represents diversity within gen z, including factors like ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic background.

Brands that successfully connect with gen z will be the ones who understand who they are and create campaigns in which they are represented diversely and accurately. 

#2: 27% of gen zers feel proud of being labelled the generation that will “save the world”
When asked how they feel about being labelled as the generation that will “save the world” or “solve climate change”, 27% feel proud and motivated.

Surprisingly, 36% percent feel indifferent to the label and 27% feel scared or stressed, citing specifically the unrealistic expectation and pressure it creates. 10% feel angry about the label, and claim it is “unfair”. 

While gen z may feel the “save the world” label creates unjust pressure, they are the ones creating pressure on businesses to define success differently, beyond just dollars and cents.

#3: When it comes to purchasing decisions, gen z demands quality
When it comes to buying a product, gen zers rank price and quality as the two most important considerations — 39% prioritise quality while 36% focus on the price. And yet, carbon footprint and sustainability come in far lower, with only 16% of respondents citing it as their most important factor. 

While this may seem at odds with gen z’s penchant for societal and environmental issues — as mentioned, 78% of those surveyed said these issues were somewhat or very important to them — it creates an interesting dynamic. 

Only three years ago, McKinsey found that consumers expressed a greater willingness to pay more for sustainable goods. But thanks to inflation, cost of living crises, and an uncertain economy, today’s consumers, especially the younger ones, are now singing a different tune. 

#4: From advertising to shopping, personalization is key 
When asked which type of advertising resonates with gen z the most, 27% of respondents ranked personalised ads on platforms like YouTube and Instagram highest, followed by influencers and brand’s social media at 22% apiece, search ads at 12%, television advertising at 9%, billboards and outdoor digital signage at 4% and print media at 3%. 

57% of gen z respondents said they are more likely to buy from a brand when they feel the shopping experience is highly personalised to their needs, interests, and past purchases, while just 23% said they don’t care much about personalised experiences. 

My advice? Throw out traditional altogether. In the year ahead, traditional media buys and brand awareness campaigns won’t cut it. Brands that hold on to the way things are (or should be) will fall out of favour and fail to connect with tomorrow’s consumers.

#5: Gen zers spend 2-3 hours online daily, and 40% are scared about the rise of AI
As the first generation to be completely digital natives, gen z is incredibly savvy when it comes to tech. They spend a lot of time with it, and they are wary of where it is headed.

When asked how long respondents spend online a day, 44% said 2 to 3 hours, while 40% said four hours or more. 59% of respondents say they spend the most time on Instagram, 55% chose TikTok, 32% voted for Snapchat and 28% selected Facebook. The rest of the votes were split across Discord and X (both 19%), Reddit (18%) and BeReal (8%). 

Finally, 40% said they are scared about the rise of AI and frequent headlines about how it will replace jobs soon. 14% said it leaves them angry. Just 22% said they are optimistic about its potential impact on their future careers.

Thanks to a peek behind the curtain during OpenAI’s internal coup d'etat, it’s clear that even amongst the industry’s biggest stakeholders, there are very differing points of view on AI’s potential. Gen z is demanding the industry look into the implications of mass adoption from all sides, rather than letting short-term monetary gains guide our path forward.