蘑菇AV

For each consumer who supports brands stepping away from DEI initiatives, four to five would reward companies that stand by them. 77% of consumers are willing to abandon brands that reverse support for diversity. 40% of Gen Z adults have stopped using or purchasing from brands who contradicted or reversed their DEI efforts鈥攃ritical as Gen Z represents the primary source of digital buyer growth.

The platform maintains strong penetration with Gen Z, a key source of digital buyer growth. While platforms like Instagram also have millions of Gen Z users, Gen Z represents over 50% of Snapchat鈥檚 user base鈥攚hich isn鈥檛 the case for Meta platforms. Highlighting Snapchat鈥檚 ability to provide authentic social connection is critical in a time where many platforms are evolving toward broadcast models.

With the average US tax refund totaling over $3,000, Gen Zers鈥攁nd all banking customers鈥攚ould benefit from their financial institutions (FIs) helping them put that money to work. And if their FIs don鈥檛 give them that advice, they鈥檒l turn to other sources like social media.

Most Gen Zers rely on AI for financial advice. Banks that offer AI-powered tools may have a major growth opportunity.

And 69.5% of Gen Zers and 53.1% of millennials who encounter health-related information on social media have followed the medical advice even if it contradicted their physician. Consumers are also acting on medical information they get from AI tools.

The marketing take: All FIs with digital investing options should be marketing these products to Gen Zers, positioning them as simple, self-directed, and seamlessly connected to everyday banking. When doing so, don鈥檛 forget to emphasize ease, flexibility, and trust to stand out from competitors and keep younger members engaged.

Reaching consumers when they鈥檙e touching grass. 73% of global consumers agree that brands should aim to engage all their senses, according to VML鈥檚 Future 100 report. 70% of Gen Z believe that the scent they use reflects their identity, and 60% say they are willing to spend a lot of money on it.

One in 3 Gen Zers order groceries online at least once a week, according to NIQ. Key stat: Fast food eaters aren't interested in telling a chatbot their order. Over half (55%) of US consumers prefer for a human to take their order at a drive-thru, according to a February report from YouGov.

Influencers have significantly more sway among Gen Z and social shoppers. Gen Z consumers are more than 2.5 times as likely to be swayed by celebrity and influencer endorsements of beauty products (30.1% versus 12.1%), per our Path to Purchase survey. Half of social shoppers in our US Social Commerce survey reported purchasing a beauty product as a result of creator/influencer content.

Our take: Gen Zers鈥� top factor for choosing where to bank (42.2%) is their proximity to a bank鈥檚 ATM. That鈥檚 partly because they heavily rely on cash to budget and save for the future. If Robinhood can make its users feel secure choosing its cash-delivery service, it could attract banks鈥� Gen Z customers in particular.

The final two ads will focus on Cash App鈥檚 Afterpay feature, which lets users pay over time retroactively and is gaining traction among Gen Z customers who prefer flexible payment options. Can it work? The products will likely resonate with Gen Z, which Cash App is also targeting with these ads.

Forty percent of Gen Zers have stopped purchasing from brands that contradicted or reversed DEI efforts鈥攕o brands that remain vocally committed to mental health stand to benefit. Our take: Brands will benefit from investing in mental health messaging during May鈥攂ut those that show sustained commitment will gain the most, earning long-term trust and loyalty.

Gen Zers and millennials have the highest rates of digital gaming adoption at 73.8% and 65.5%, respectively. Another strategic tie-up: DoorDash reached a multiyear agreement with reward platform Ibotta to offer users cash-back digital offers across categories like grocery, home, and health.

The news: Gen Z鈥檚 digital communities鈥攌nown as digital third spaces鈥攁re increasingly essential to how brands drive buying decisions, as Gen Z remains the predominant source of digital buyer growth. Social media use is increasing quickly for Gen Z, growing 7.7% in 2024 compared with 1.8% for the general population.

Neutrogena debuts product line on TikTok Shop in a bid to woo Gen Z skincare obsessives: The brand hopes to regain market share in the dermatological space after ceding ground to L鈥橭r茅al鈥檚 CeraVe and La Roche Posay.

Win millennials, win Gen Zers too: For millennials and Gen Z, digital banking and personalization aren鈥檛 just nice-to-haves鈥攖hey鈥檙e a must. If these lag behind competitors鈥�, young customers will leave for greener pastures.

Gen Zers (25%) and millennials (22%) most often see ads for medications, treatments, or doctors on social media platforms, per our survey. Weight loss drug ads are a prime example of this trend. Gen Zers see more GLP-1 medication ads on social media (55%) than on linear TV (48%). Consumers compare and evaluate healthcare products and services online鈥攚hen they can.

While Gen Zers still use traditional search engines, social media is becoming their gateway to content discovery. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of US Gen Zers find new media content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, per Toluna. The competition: Instagram has an opportunity to successfully move into the search space that鈥檚 dominated by Google, with other platforms closing in.

In the past year, 77.9% of Gen Zers in our survey purchased a medical service online versus 20.4% of baby boomers. 蘑菇AV twice as many Gen Zers compared with the average (33.6% versus 16.7%) have purchased a membership to a company offering online healthcare services or prescription medications, such as Hims & Hers Health, Ro, or One Medical.

Younger generations are leading the charge, with 68% of millennials and Gen Zers buying secondhand, up 3 percentage points over last year, per ThredUp鈥檚 2025 Resale Report.

Younger consumers鈥� attitudes toward drinking mirrors their approach to health and wellness. 53% of US Gen Zers want brands they patronize to support mental health, according to a survey from ICSC and Big Village. Gen Z engages heavily with skincare brands, prebiotic soda, and brands that support their sleep.