Main Character Energy: Building Brands’ Gen Z Follows

Innovation Stage

With over half of the Gen Z population now shopping inside social apps – and Gen Alpha, raised on ad-free streaming and algorithmic curation, rarely encountering traditional ads at all – the rules of brand engagement are due for a reset. Today’s young consumers demand authenticity, inclusion, and emotional resonance from the brands they choose to align with. A new wave of creator- and celebrity-led brands are turning culture into commerce, reshaping how marketers build identity.

Speakers

Key Takeaways

  1. 1.Tactics for building communities across TikTok, CTV and beyond.
  2. 2.Why Gen Z & Alpha demand brands that behave more like creators than corporations.
  3. 3.How celebrity-driven brands are shifting the definition of marketing leadership.
Presented byAdvertising Week