Gen Z scrolls. They don’t click. Loyalty? Out the window. They’ve grown up in a digital mirror—everything feels fake. Your sleek homepage? Bore. They want people, not polished pixels.
Expert Insights
Expert take 1
Ben Harms of Archrival says Gen Z can “sniff out the BS faster than anyone.” They aren’t drawn to polished ads—they want people like them shaping brand voice, online and off.
Expert take 2
Tom Ricards from Fresh Relevance shows 60 % of Gen Z trust influencer endorsements, but 37 % still rely on peer reviews as their anchor. If you don’t show UGC and real feedback everywhere, you’re invisible.
Our Take
This isn’t a marketing shift. It’s a trust revolution. CEOs: you’re selling to digital natives who demand social proof, micro‑influencers, community-first experiences. If your funnel doesn’t reflect that, your brand is a stranger on the scroll.
3 Action Items
- Ghost-shop your site as a Gen Z user. No polished marketing allowed. Are reviews, unfiltered photos, influencer clips front and center? If it’s sterile, redo content within 7 days.
- Launch a UGC campaign next month. Ask customers to share real selfies/videos using a branded hashtag. Feature these on product pages and email flows.
- Activate micro‑influencers (5–50K followers). Send them product samples, ask for candid shots. Amplify this content across your homepage and ads.
Gen Z trusts people, not brands. Give them community and real‑world proof, not perfection. Do that and your clicks turn into commitment.
Written by Karina Martirosyan
