In this exclusive op-ed, The Growth Distillery’s research director, Tom Boxall explores why, despite being the most analysed generation in history, Gen Z remains one of the hardest for brands to genuinely connect with. Drawing on new research, he unpacks the growing disconnect between how marketers perceive Gen Z and how the generation actually wants to be engaged and outlines the four critical “Danger Zones” brands must navigate to build credibility, relevance and lasting cultural connection.
Gen Z is the most analysed generation in history, yet one of the least effectively engaged.
It can feel like every brand is trying to “win Gen Z” right now, yet as someone from this generation, much of the work still misses the mark.
According to recent research from The Growth Distillery, we are arguably the most analysed generation in history – mentions in news articles reached 133k in the last year, nearly four times that of Millennials. So why are brands still struggling to genuinely engage us?
The disconnect lies in the perspective.
Most commentary is about Gen Z rather than from Gen Z. Here is the stark reality: only one in three Gen Z believe brand advertising accurately represents them, and just one in five believe brands are effectively connecting with people their age.
To bridge this gap, brands must navigate four critical “Danger Zones” where conventional assumptions fall apart.
The first is the try-hard trap. Around half of Gen Z switch off when brands feel “too cringey” or overly trend-driven. Forced slang and meme-hijacking don’t signal relevance, they signal desperation .
For marketers, this means shifting from reacting to trends to understanding context. Gen Z are social natives, they’ve grown up immersed in content and can instantly tell when a brand is participating in culture versus chasing it.
The brands that get this right don’t insert themselves into trends, they build ideas from real tensions. Knorr’s #UnlockYourGreenFlag campaign is a strong example, tapping into the genuine pressure Gen Z feel in modern dating and turning cooking into a social signal, rather than forcing relevance onto a trend.
The second is lazy labelling. Almost half say brands rely on stereotypes instead of reflecting the realities of their lives.
In practice, this requires moving beyond broad demographic targeting and toward communities and lived context. Gen Z isn’t one audience, it’s a collection of identities and life stages.
Brands like Mecca respond to this by acting less like retailers and more like educators, offering tailored guidance, communities and experiences that reflect where individuals are on their journey, not a one-size-fits-all version of youth.
The third is performative influence. An overreliance on scripted influencer content and surface-level “purpose” work that feels more like PR than something genuinely held.
In fact, 34 per cent of Gen Z say brands miss the mark when they overuse or rely too heavily on influencer partnerships, reinforcing just how quickly inauthenticity is spotted.
This calls for a rethink of how creators are used. Influence isn’t built through control, but through credibility. Knorr’s campaign again demonstrates this, activating hundreds of creators across markets in ways that felt locally relevant rather than centrally scripted. When creators are treated as collaborators, not channels, the work lands with far more authenticity.
And finally, there’s a highly tuned authenticity radar. Greenwashing, AI-generated filler and box-ticking “authenticity” are spotted instantly.
Another 34 per cent say connection is lost when brands feel performative, such as engaging in PR activism or greenwashing, highlighting just how little tolerance there is for anything that feels surface-level.
Trust is earned through proof, not positioning. e.l.f. Cosmetics is a clear example of this in action, embedding ethical practices into its core model while remaining accessible, proving that purpose doesn’t need to come at a premium.
In a generation that scrutinises everything, credibility is built operationally, not just creatively.
The opportunity for marketers isn’t to try harder, but to rethink the fundamentals of how brands show up.
That means moving beyond surface-level relevance and investing in ideas, communities and experiences that reflect real lives, not assumed ones.
Because for Gen Z, connection isn’t built through visibility alone, it’s built through consistency, credibility and cultural understanding over time.
