Brands must do more to influence Gen Z and earn trust

The first-ever cl!ckbait report found 90% of Gen Z say brands don’t fully understand their lives

One in 10 members of Gen Z (10 per cent) believe brands “don’t even try” to understand them, according to a survey conducted by PR agency Mischief’s youth insights division, Cl!ckbait.

The agency surveyed 1,000 Gen-Z participants for the study, as well as gathering qualitative data via focus groups – breaking down attitudes across health and fitness, food, travel, and sex and relationships.

When it comes to food, three-quarters (73 per cent) said they’d tried a viral food or drink product in the past six months, but fewer than one in three (29 per cent) would buy it again – highlighting that “impulse purchases are a quick win, but long-term brand loyalty is more elusive”, according to Mischief.

In the fitness space, although 88 per cent of Gen Z are exercising, half (51 per cent) said brands have no influence on their health decisions.

Anecdotally, young people reported feeling “fatigued” and alienated by polished fitness content, leading Cl!ckbait to conclude: “They want brands to support their health and fitness journeys, not cause that anxiety that pushes them to start them.”

Regarding relationships, only 13 per cent of Gen Z believe they feel more comfortable talking about sex and intimacy than other generations, with many saying they want “brands to ditch the humour, and instead engage with the human, unglamorous side of sex, whether speaking to traditional relationships, celibacy or situationships”.

According to Mischief’s study, travel was the category with “clearer evidence of trust in brands” among Gen Z: 33 per cent of respondents said they’d go directly to a brand for travel advice, while an equal proportion would chat to a friend or family member for recommendations.

Two-thirds of respondents (68 per cent) said they feel guilty about the environmental impact of travelling, but with 63 per cent not having reduced their travel, many think “brands should be helping alleviate their concerns by making travel more ethical and environmentally friendly”, the research suggested.

“We’re all obsessed with Gen Z and they often get a pretty bad rep,” said Cl!ckbait lead Jordan Mulvaney. “There are red threads throughout this report that can help us build an understanding of their needs and desires.”

Charlotte Brooks, managing director of Mischief, said of the report: “There’s some tough love in there, but our job at Cl!ckbait and Mischief is to take that direct audience feedback and use it to inform long-term strategy and campaign plans for our clients.”

Mischief, part of MHP Group, launched Cl!ckbait last November in response to over 85 per cent of incoming briefs being centred on Gen Z and Gen Alpha, it said.

The cultural insights and digital division aims to help brands understand and engage with young people.

This story was originally published in PR Week.