Marketing to Gen Z : Why Brands Need Young Marketers Now More Than Ever! 

If you want to start marketing to Gen Z, you should start hiring Gen Z. This generation grew up chronically online, so when it comes to social media marketing, they know the platforms inside and out! 

According to McKinsey, Gen Z now accounts for 27% of the workforce across OECD countries, significantly growing their economic and cultural influence and making them a force that brands simply can't ignore.

With their instinctive understanding of trends, metrics, audience behavior, and creativity, Gen Z marketers don't just execute ideas; they elevate them, building brands that resonate not only with their generation but with the ones that follow.

The Generation That's Ready, But Not Being Given the Chance:

 Gen Z hasn't even had the opportunity to grow within their skills because they don't have enough "experience”, but isn't experience exactly how you build those skills in the first place?

Sure, entry-level jobs exist in theory, but reality tells a different story. According to Marketing Dive, active job listings for marketing roles fell 5.2% between Q2 and Q3, with new listings dropping another 4.4% in that same period.

Because of these circumstances, Gen Z has been forced to take a back seat and is unable to show their real potential to the very brands they'd do anything to work with.

Why Gen Z Belongs in Marketing :

Gen Z Marketing can be harder than you think. With shorter attention spans and a lower tolerance for content that doesn't immediately resonate, they lose interest fast, and they're not afraid to scroll right past you.

But that's exactly why hiring Gen Z marketers is such a competitive advantage. When you bring them onto your team, you're getting insight straight from the source, and that insider knowledge is what helps your brand awareness not just grow but actually stick.

Brands that don’t have a Gen Z voice in the room are already falling behind! According to Billo 85% of Gen Z say social media directly influences their purchasing decisions, meaning the brands winning their attention are the ones operating in their world, not just studying it from the outside.

Picking their brain to help generate ideas isn't just a bonus; it's crucial when it comes to building real brand awareness that resonates.

Gen Z was the first generation to grow up fully immersed in social media, learning and adapting across platforms from a very early age.

Over the years, they consumed and studied how creators and brands built content and campaigns that reflected true values, evoked real emotion, and established genuine trust, and the three pillars of building stronger, lasting relationships with consumers. That kind of instinct isn't taught in a classroom. It's through experience. 

Back in 2024, Aerie created the Aerie Real Power campaign, which was built entirely on Gen Z marketing, creating authentic user-generated content created by and for Gen Z, in a language that was truly their own.

The result? A 15% sales surge.

And honestly, it's not surprising. That's what happens when a brand takes a real chance on Gen Z and trusts them to lead. The success of that campaign was no coincidence, and it's what happens when a brand lets its target audience drive the strategy rather than trying to imitate it from the outside.

From Consumer to Creator, Gen Z Is Both :

When you're scrolling through your FYP or Explore page, chances are you've stopped on something trending; a piece of content so engaging it made you want to jump in on the creativity yourself. Well, more often than not, that trend started with Gen Z.

The beauty of hiring a Gen Z marketer is that you're not just getting a consumer who understands the audience; you're getting a creator who knows exactly what kind of content stops the scroll.

Think about it this way: if you were launching a campaign for a skincare brand, would you trust a celebrity who's being paid to show up, or someone who genuinely loves the product and uses it every single day? Exactly. The answer is always the person who loves it.

There are many angles when it comes to advertising, but nothing gives a brand a more authentic edge than the people who genuinely believe in what they're promoting. That's exactly where Gen Z marketing comes into play.

This generation doesn't just create content; they crave authenticity, and they can spot the difference between a brand that's real and one that's just performing.

Whether it's a UGC creator, a Gen Z marketer, or even a loyal customer, using someone truly passionate about your product will always drive better results than spending your entire marketing budget on a celebrity who may have never even tried it.

Honest, relatable voices build the kind of trust that no paid endorsement can buy.

The Cost of Leaving Gen Z Out of the Room : 

Some brands think they know how to market to Gen Z, but what they think they know is actually hurting them. Top CMOs like Hilton, H&R Block, and Bose spoke at Advertising Week New York, explaining some common conceptions when it comes to marketing to that generation.

A lot of people believe that Gen Z is not brand loyal, but that fails. According to Marketing Drive, EOS's internal research found Gen Z is actually 30% more likely to be loyal to one brand across its product categories than older generations. 

Most businesses think that Gen Z hates advertising, which fails. They hate bad advertising. Jim Mollica, president of luxury consumer audio and CMO at Bose, said roughly 90% of their budget and effort goes into actual content creation, with advertising used as a supportive tool rather than the main driver.

When you think about traditional ads that you see on TV or through social media will not gain a lot of traction when it comes to this generation! Gen Z marketing is meant to be fun and authentic. Not polished and forced through paid actors, not knowing anything about the brand and what they stand for. 

Companies need to know that Gen Z marketers are well-informed and not easily fooled. Soyoung Kang, president of EOS, explains the reason why Gen Z is well informed is that they "grew up in an age where information is oozing out of every crack and crevice".

Meaning they know how to navigate authentic marketing and how to detect inauthentic marketing from a mile away. When it comes to Gen Z marketing, you want the Gen Z marketer in the room!

Stop Studying Gen Z And Start Hiring Them :

When it comes to marketing, the job descriptions at most companies are heavily focused on credentials and years of experience.

What brands actually need is cultural relevance, social media instinct, and authenticity. And those? Those are things Gen Z marketers already have. This generation doesn't just need a job; they need space to grow, gain real experience, and test their ideas through actual, hands-on scenarios.

Yes, the certifications, the bachelor's or master's degree, and the marketing programs are all valuable, but the real way to thrive in marketing is by getting in the room, working on real brands, and making a real impact. You can't learn that in a classroom. You earn it through experience.

The job market has been incredibly tough on recent college graduates and those who are passionate about growing Gen Z marketing, and that needs to change.

Companies need to start creating more entry-level positions for people who are ready and eager to advance Gen Z's presence in the industry. And trust me when I say this, it will not only be beneficial for them, but for you, too.

So instead of filtering applicants by years of experience, start looking for the people whose skills, creativity, and values align with what your brand stands for. Your company could be a Gen Z marketer's dream place to work. Give them that chance.

🪽 Written by Maddy Campbell