Gen Z Isn't Hard to Reach, You're Just Trying Too Hard

Account director and adjunct professor at Towson University, Alyssa shares field notes on both Gen Z and the marketers chasing this puzzling generation. Follow along as she offers insights from her classroom and smart reminders for brands with Gen Z on the brain.

Every Wednesday evening, I remove my witch hat to spend three hours as an adjunct professor teaching Public Speaking to a large group of the Gen Z–est Gen Z-ers that Towson University has to offer. Adorned in star pimple patches and their finest Crocs, my students have taught me a few lessons of their own. And with Gen Z on track to become the largest and most powerful consumer generation in history, you should probably take notice as well.

So, listen up. Class is now in session. 🤓

#1

They can smell you trying.

Despite your best wishes, you're no longer a teen. You're a millennial marketer who relies on your niece to keep you cool. So when it comes to this audience strategy, the more authentic, the better. Keep that Gen Z lingo to low-stakes social banter, not larger brand campaigns. Because chances are, by the time that campaign makes it through leadership approvals, your trendy copywriting will be yesterday's news. How cringe. Which leads me to my next point…

#2

They want to hear from their peers.

Unlike your aunts on Facebook, our Gen Z pals are acutely aware that they're being marketed to. So when it comes to content, they don't want to be served an ad; they want to be served a recommendation. When polling my class on their top platforms and most-consumed content, it's video all day. They seek information from their digital peers on TikTok and Instagram Reels, building trust with people, not brands. So when you revisit your 2026 strategy, consider allocating budget for influencers or creating student ambassador opportunities with local universities.

#3

They can't be put in a box.

In a dramatic turn of events, the mainstream is no longer "in." Our Gen Z friends are discovering self-expression through an ever-expanding digital experience. This exposure allows them to carve out micro-identities built around feelings and values, not mass appeal. So give them that space to express themselves. How customizable is your product or service? How diverse are your visuals? Is your product actually for them, or are you shoving a square peg into a round hole?

Now… I get it. This approach did work. Brands used to win big by eating, sleeping, and breathing Millennial culture. But like every generation, the world shapes how people move through it. We've collectively lifted Gen Z onto a strange, performative pedestal to be studied…but they're not robots. They're just the first kids to be born with an iPad in their hands.

So next time the IT guy suggests a campaign centered around “building aura,” take a deeeeep breath and tell them Professor D said, “Respectfully, no.”