For many marketing teams, the change did not happen overnight. Campaigns that once delivered steady results began to feel less predictable, especially when trying to reach Gen Z audiences. Channels that used to drive attention started to lose traction. Over time, a pattern became clear: Gen Z was responding differently, and familiar marketing assumptions were no longer reliable.
Generation Z sits at the centre of that shift. The group is no longer in the background — it already drives a growing share of consumer spending. Research shows Gen Z’s global spending power could reach around $12 trillion by 2030. Combined with millennials, the group already accounts for roughly a third of consumer spending — figures that add urgency to how brands plan and communicate.
From audience segment to decision driver
Gen Z is often discussed as a demographic category, but many organisations are starting to treat it as a decision driver. Younger employees influence which tools teams adopt. Younger customers shape which brands feel relevant. In some cases, early opinions formed by Gen Z voices help determine which options are even considered later in the buying process.
This influence does not always appear in a clean data trail. Final sign-off may still sit with senior leaders, but discovery and comparison often happen earlier and across more informal channels. Deloitte’s Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey has highlighted how younger workers increasingly shape workplace decisions, even when they do not hold senior titles.
As a result, marketing strategies that focus only on the final decision point risk overlooking where preferences are formed.
How Gen Z is changing discovery in marketing
One of the clearest shifts tied to Gen Z is how discovery works. Linear paths, where people move from search to site to purchase, are less common among younger users. Recent survey data shows many Gen Z shoppers now discover brands and products on social platforms like TikTok and Instagram, often ahead of traditional search engines, and more than half use social media to look up brands before buying.
A product might first appear in a short clip, then resurface in a group chat, before being checked against reviews or resale prices. A brand website may come much later, if at all. This behaviour challenges long-held assumptions about visibility and intent.
For marketing teams, this raises practical questions. Being visible no longer means ranking well in one channel. It means showing up in situations where context matters and attention is brief. Reporting becomes more difficult when influence does not result in an immediate, measurable action.
Trust forms across communities
Trust is another area where Gen Z varies from older audiences. The Pew Research Center’s Teens, Social Media, and Technology survey shows that younger users are more likely to question official claims and seek confirmation from numerous sources.
Comments, peer responses, and creator opinions often carry more weight than brand statements. This has changed how credibility is built, and rather than flowing from brand to audience, trust forms across communities. Silence or overly managed responses may be read as avoidance, while rigid messaging may feel disconnected.
Marketing teams are learning that participation matters more than presentation. Being present in the conversation, even without a perfect message, can carry more weight than polished campaigns that feel distant.
Measurement under pressure
As behaviour changes, measurement models are under strain. Engagement from Gen Z often unfolds over time and across platforms. Influence may build slowly, then surface in a purchase that appears disconnected from earlier touchpoints.
According to industry reports, traditional marketing attribution models often struggle to reflect complex customer journeys when interactions span many platforms and touchpoints, which is especially true for younger audiences whose discovery and purchase paths tend not to follow linear patterns.
In response, some teams are broadening how success is defined. Signals like repeat exposure, saved content, and discussion activity are increasingly used to explain momentum, even when they do not translate directly into revenue.
This shift is not without tension. Finance and leadership teams often expect clear links between spend and outcome. Marketing leaders are left to bridge the gap between what the data shows and what decision-makers want to see.
Creative work speeds up
Gen Z’s expectations also affect how creative work is produced. Long approval cycles and rigid brand rules can slow response time. Coverage of Gen Z content habits in Social Media Today points to higher engagement with material that feels current and conversational, even when it is less polished.
Many teams are testing shorter production cycles and smaller experiments. Creator partnerships are part of this shift, though they bring risk. Tone and context cannot be fully controlled, and reactions can be unpredictable.
Teams that manage this well tend to set clear boundaries, then allow flexibility within them.
What Gen Z means for marketing leaders
For marketing leaders, Gen Z is not a single-channel challenge. It touches planning, measurement, workflow, and internal expectations. Treating it as a social media issue alone understates the scale of the shift.
The task is not to copy Gen Z behaviour or chase every new platform. It is to build systems that can respond without constant reinvention. That includes clearer feedback loops, shared definitions of success, and comfort with early signals that may not look final.
Gen Z’s influence will continue to grow, but the lesson reaches further. Audiences change faster than strategies. Teams that can listen, adjust, and explain their decisions clearly are better prepared for what comes next.
(Photo by Eliott Reyna)
See also: Why AI agents are moving into enterprise marketing operations
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