For years, brands have operated on a simple formula: create a great product, build awareness, rack up engagement, and convert followers into customers.

But Gen Z is rewriting the rules. They don’t follow brands the way previous generations did. They follow values, movements, and creators they trust—and if your brand doesn’t align with what they care about, you’re invisible.

The good news? This isn’t just a challenge; it’s an opportunity. Brands that deeply understand brand adjacency, cultural alignment, and authentic creator partnerships are thriving.

Here’s how to make sure yours does, too.

Why Traditional Brand Marketing Fails with Gen Z

If you think Gen Z is just like Millennials but younger, think again.

Unlike previous generations, Gen Z has grown up in a fully digital world where they’re constantly exposed to advertising. They’ve seen every brand claim to care about sustainability, diversity, and authenticity—but they’ve also seen which ones actually follow through.

That’s why traditional influencer marketing, flashy ad campaigns, and follower counts aren’t enough. Gen Z doesn’t care how big your brand is. They care what you stand for and how you show up in their world.

🔹 70% of Gen Zers prefer brands that take a stand on social issues (McKinsey & Co.)
🔹 73% say they’d switch brands if a company doesn’t align with their values (Forrester Research)
🔹 Less than 5% say traditional advertising influences their purchase decisions (AdAge)

What Gen Z Actually Cares About in Brands

To reach Gen Z, brands need to rethink their approach. Forget mass appeal—this generation values personalized, community-driven experiences that reflect their identity.

🔥 1. Community Over Clout

Gen Z is less interested in hype and more interested in belonging. They want brands that cultivate real communities—ones where they can interact, contribute, and feel seen.

👉 Example: Gymshark didn’t grow by dumping money into traditional advertising. They built a tight-knit fitness community, collaborating with authentic micro-influencers who actually use their products.

💡 2. Brand Adjacency Matters More Than Brand Status

Gen Z sees brands as part of a larger cultural identity—which means who you’re associated with matters just as much as what you sell.

👉 Example: Glossier’s marketing is so effective because their brand doesn’t exist in a vacuum. You’ll find it subtly placed alongside Outdoor Voices, Supergoop, and indie fashion labels, reinforcing its place in a specific cultural ecosystem.

🎭 3. Creators Are the New Brand Ambassadors

Forget celebrity endorsements—Gen Z trusts creators with a point of view. They want real voices, not scripted partnerships.

👉 Example: When Chamberlain Coffee partnered with matcha and oat milk brands, it wasn’t just a promo move—it was a natural extension of Emma Chamberlain’s brand ecosystem, and Gen Z immediately bought in.

🌱 4. Actions Speak Louder Than Marketing

Gen Z can spot performative branding from a mile away. They expect brands to live their values, not just talk about them.

👉 Example: Patagonia’s "Don’t Buy This Jacket" campaign wasn’t just an ad—it was a real stance on sustainability that made customers more loyal, not less.

How to Market to Gen Z the Right Way

🚀 1. Align Your Brand with the Right Partners

Who you collaborate with shapes your brand’s identity.
Use brand adjacency data to find partnerships that reflect what your audience truly values.

📍 Example: Instead of just targeting “eco-conscious Gen Z consumers,” a sustainable clothing brand should align itself with ThriftTok creators, secondhand marketplaces, and ethical beauty brands.

💡 How to get started: Identify which brands, creators, and communities your customers already trust—and build marketing that naturally aligns.

🚀 2. Build Community-First Marketing

Don’t just sell—invite your audience into something bigger.
Prioritize real conversations, UGC (user-generated content), and micro-communities.

📍 Example: LEGO cracked the Gen Z code by turning its brand into a collaborative experience, encouraging fans to submit and vote on new set designs instead of just pushing products.

💡 How to get started: Shift from one-way marketing to two-way interaction—give your audience ways to contribute.

🚀 3. Partner with Creators (Not Just Influencers)

Authenticity > Reach. Prioritize creators whose content aligns with your brand values, not just their follower count.
Let creators shape the messaging, rather than giving them scripted ads.

📍 Example: Nike didn’t just sponsor Gen Z creator Casey Neistat—they gave him the creative freedom to make a viral campaign his own.

💡 How to get started: Use brand adjacency insights to identify creators whose audience already aligns with your brand—and build partnerships based on real affinity.

🚀 4. Make Your Brand Mean Something

Gen Z doesn’t buy what you sell; they buy what you stand for.
If your brand isn’t actively living its values, they’ll move on.

📍 Example: When Airbnb stopped charging fees for refugees during crises, it wasn’t just a PR move—it reinforced their brand’s core identity, making them more trusted by Gen Z consumers.

💡 How to get started: Take action on issues that matter to your audience—and show receipts.

The Bottom Line: Brand Alignment is Everything

If your brand isn’t aligned with Gen Z’s values, their response is simple: they’ll ignore you.

The best brands—Gymshark, Glossier, Chamberlain Coffee, Patagonia—aren’t just saying the right things. They’re aligning themselves with the right creators, communities, and adjacent brands to reinforce their message.

🚀 Want to see which brands your Gen Z customers already trust?
Let’s talk. We’ll help you build a marketing strategy that actually fits.