Navigating no man’s land: How brands can truly connect with Gen Z

Opinion
Advertisers have a challenge on their hands when Gen Z are struggling with the concept of truth and represent a wide range of worldviews as they face up to close-to-home concerns.
Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon delved into the results of our landmark study Gen Z: Trends, Truth and Trust last week, concluding with a call for urgent joint industry action and new regulation to ensure young people can find verified, independent news easily on social media.
The research at the heart of the study shows that Gen Z are struggling with the concept of truth, facing growing uncertainty in who and what to trust.
While the report showed Gen Z have low confidence and trust in some institutions, they have more trust in advertising than their older peers. As an industry, our focus now should be on how we can keep growing that trust, making sure that we’re listening to and engaging with how Gen Z feel.
C4 CEO: Social platforms should give ‘algorithmic prominence’ to public-service media
Marketers absolutely have a role in supporting media owners that live up to the highest standards. It doesn’t fall solely on brands — regulators have a role and consumers can vote with their eyeballs.
However, my challenge to media owners — and something you’re going to see from Channel 4 Sales under my leadership — is we will always work with agencies and brands as they choose how and where to invest. We know our audience and we will bring every ounce of our purpose-driven insight to the conversation when it comes to brands investing.
What do Gen Z stand for?
I have some other reflections from the study.
First, Gen Z have plenty of different of worldviews — as a group, they’re made up of the socially conscious, the self-starters, the frustrated, the indifferent and more.
To communicate with Gen Z in the most effective way, brands will need to understand each worldview thrown up by the report. Leave the assumptions of who Gen Z are behind and engage with real-world findings.
Young people don’t read news? Research from Newsworks suggests otherwise
Second, while societal issues like climate change and immigration are important to Gen Z, the report suggests that these are less pressing compared with the challenges of navigating daily life.
The cost of living, their freedom and their physical and mental wellbeing are among what young people worry about most. We’ve seen some incredible campaigns related to big societal issues in recent years, but are brands connecting enough with young people’s close-to-home concerns?
Thirdly, the research reveals a “boys can’t be boys” worldview that reflects a predominantly (though not exclusively) male segment who feels trapped by shifting societal expectations around masculinity.
Numbering around 2.7m — 14% of Gen Z in the UK — these young men occupy a “no-man’s land” and are uncertain about what it means to be a man today. There’s an opportunity here for brands to support young men in navigating their identities and showcase important values.
TV’s role in the debate
Look out for more on this from Channel 4 Sales.
We’re going to be taking this report around the country to clients and agencies from the spring, sharing the brand and advertising out-takes. We will be working on the opportunity this report underlines for TV advertising — with its high levels of trust — to extend its place as the most brand-safe, high-quality medium for brands.
As Channel 4 Sales works hard towards becoming provider of the best sales and service approach in the market, our team will seek to honour the spirit of this report, working hand in hand with brands to find the best solution for their story.
Rak Patel is chief commercial officer at Channel 4