Avid Collective is set to delve into what makes Gen Z tick with a new masterclass series for publishers, agencies and brands. Gen Z, representing people born from the late 1990s to early 2000s, is a generation of digital natives, well-known for their distrust in traditional advertising, shifting media consumption habits and demand for community-driven experiences.
Avid Collective’s masterclass series, set to be held in Sydney on March 20th and Melbourne on April 3rd, aims to help marketers engage this notoriously tough audience, providing clarity for brands looking to connect with ‘Zoomers.’
The sessions will bring together leading voices in publishing, media and strategy to explore how brands can build trust and relevance with Gen Z. It will offer actionable insights into what’s working – and what’s not – when it comes to Gen Z marketing and content strategies.
Panellists for the sessions include Centennial World Founder and Director, Lauren Meisner, Initiative Associate Strategy Director, Leah Franco (Sydney), Bolster Group Media Director, Paige X. Cho (Melbourne), and Avid Collective Head of Direct Advertising Partnerships and Marketing Lead, Leah Stalker.
Meisner is the founder and director of the award-winning digital youth publication Centennial World. Reaching millions of Gen Z users every month, Centennial World covers internet culture, the creator economy, and social media trends across the platforms that Gen Z really care about. Meisner currently hosts Centennial World’s daily internet culture podcast, ‘infinite scroll’, and also consults for brands on youth marketing trends, habits and behaviours.
Franco brings nearly 10 years’ sales and media experience to the panel, working across a range of retail, education and luxury clients. She started her career as an intern at Carat before joining the Amplifi team as a Media Investment Executive. She spent nearly three years at PHD as a Planning Manager, working across the Unilever account, before joining Initiative in 2022. She is currently Initiative’s Associate Strategy Director, overseeing client strategy.
Cho is a Melbourne-based media strategist and music marketer. She is currently the Media Director at Bolster Group, Australia’s premier entertainment and culture marketing agency, working with a range of high-profile clients and artists, including Laneway, Pitch Music & Arts, Rising, and Beyond the Valley, among others.
Cho is also passionate about fostering access and equality in music. She is a two-time Australian Independent Records (AIR) Women in Music mentor and has also contributed to various advisory and assessment roles for organisations like Creative Victoria, Music Victoria, Create NSW, AIR and more. Cho also sat on The Push board for three years, a non-profit for-purpose organisation that helps young people within the music industry, and currently sits on the board for Melbourne Fringe.
Stalker has extensive experience in publisher partnerships and tech, having held senior partnership roles at Seven, SBS, The New York Times and Blis. Stalker has led direct partnerships at Avid Collective for five years, working with tier one and blue- chip clients to drive marketing outcomes.
Meisner said: “Gen Z is a difficult generation to win over, but for brands that get it right, it’s definitely worth the pay-off. Gen Z has a whopping US$360 billion in disposable income, which is only set to grow as Zoomers continue to enter the workforce. The problem is that they also have advertising fatigue, which makes them a difficult market to engage. This masterclass series with Avid Collective is an opportunity for brands to learn how to effectively tap into the Gen Z market, as we share tried and tested strategies to boost engagement and the importance of authenticity and transparency in storytelling.”
Stalker said: “Gen Z is reshaping the way brands communicate. Traditional campaigns are struggling to cut through, and brands need to rethink their approach to content, community and storytelling. These events will unpack how publisher-led communities, creator-driven storytelling and culture-first branded content are the key to unlocking authentic engagement. Publishers are the critical link between brands and culture – unlike other channels, publishers offer trusted, community- driven spaces, where audiences can actively seek out content, creating a more authentic and impactful environment for brands to connect with Gen Z.”
Avid’s event series has quickly become a must-attend for brands and agencies looking to overcome category and audience-specific challenges through publisher partnerships and branded content. The Gen Z masterclasses follow successful content sessions held last year, which tackled the unique challenges of branded content in the finance and travel industries.
The ‘Vibe Check: Mastering Gen Z Engagement with Publishers, Community and Content’ sessions will be held in Sydney on Thursday, March 20 from 3.30pm to 6.30pm at the Hotel CBD and in Melbourne on Thursday, April 3 from 3.30pm – 6.30pm at Rokeby 100.
