Geographical boundaries don’t exist when it comes to influence. As Jane notes, “Good content is good content. It doesn’t matter where it starts out. If it’s telling us something as a worldwide audience, that content is going to speak to us.”
Brands that are born in a local market can now explode online and suddenly become global. Brands now need to be ready for this sudden growth by ensuring that they are capable of growing at scale.
Example
K-Beauty is a very popular Korean skincare brand. It established Korea as the world’s leading skincare geography after the brand surged as a result of everything that was on TikTok. This is a great example of a brand that was born to cater for a local market becoming a global phenomenon.
6. Consider the lifestyle your brand wants to be associated with
This generation of young people is the most gambling database health-literate generation yet. They reject stressful, ‘heavy’ lifestyles and seek out healthy alternatives. As Jane notes, “Healthy for a lot of young people is not just ‘healthy’. It’s trendy, it’s cool, and it’s fun. But it’s not puritanical.”
This aesthetic has also, paradoxically, led to the popularity of ‘unhealthy’ lifestyle choice. So the brands that are winning are those that are delivering novel experiences on both sides of the health spectrum.
The brands thriving with youth are those offering fresh, novel experiences across both ends of the health spectrum, all while embracing a lifestyle aesthetic that resonates. If your brand can balance health, aesthetics, and lifestyle appeal, you’ll win over this market.
Example
The Mukbang trend is where people post videos of themselves consuming junk food. It explores the guilty pleasures of consuming unhealthy food. For example, people livestream themselves consuming Raising Cane’s fast casual food. If you’re in that food and drink space, consider how your brand could show up in this world.
7. Replicable visual signatures are branding gold
In a digital world where short-form videos are increasingly coming out on top, visual signatures are the key to brand resonance. These are simple visual elements that can be easily identified and emulated. They can be made up of many elements: color palette, logo, icons, typography, images.
If your brand can create a striking visual signature that not only resonates with the youth market, but is easily replicable, it could soon become a real brand asset.
By staying relevant, interactive, and aligned with youth values, brands can leverage their visual identity to create a strong, lasting impact on young consumers.
Example
Charli XCX inspired an online sensation through her 2024 Brat album. The so-called ‘brat summer’ was built around the vibrant green album color and became a celebration of positive vibes and carefree lifestyles and was notably picked up by the Harris election campaign. Interestingly, Charli XCX herself wrote the creative brief and chose the iconic visual signature.
Gen Z and Gen Alpha are highly creative generations that wish to be immersed in experiences, with all senses engaged. Remember, this is the generation that grew up with ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) content on their phones.
What does this mean for brands? You need to think about using all five senses (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, and feel) to improve the brand’s ‘vibration’.
You could create virtual reality experiences that engage multiple senses. Or you could tell a story about your brand, again appealing to many senses. Include the details that bring the story to life. It could even involve creating immersive art experiences around your brand!
Examples
Mr. Foggs Society of Exploration offers a multi-sensory re-creation of the experience of a traditional Victorian pub. As well as savoring a range of food and drinks, customers can immerse themselves in a bygone age.
9. Bring your values to the fore to capture youth attention
Today’s youth audiences are very literate when digital marketing news 04/26/2022 – 05/02/2022 it comes to issues and causes to care about, recognizing the power their purchasing decisions hold. They are aware that their spending can drive positive or negative change, and they understand their collective influence to elevate or dismantle a brand. With access to a wide range of online political commentators – often from diverse perspectives and not always factually accurate – they act with intention and discernment.
Tailor your messaging to align with issues, values, or experiences that directly impact young people’s lives. And build trust with open, honest communication. Remember, younger audiences value brands that stand for clear principles.
8. Experiences are rooted in sensorial marketing
Because they are so careful with their money, they think cell phone number before they spend. They don’t just consider the cost of the product. They know that their wallets can impact for good, but they can also impact for bad. And they understand this power can make or break a brand as well.
When targeting this audience, it’s important for a brand to show that your values align with the social issues that young people care about. For example, how can your brand show its sustainability credentials or its commitment to ethical supply chains? What charities and local suppliers should you support? And how can you show how that can help young people to live their values?
However, try to do it in an engaging way that will appeal to younger people. You don’t have to be all sanctimonious about it!