Webinar recap: Why Gen Z chooses one brand over another

A lot of Gen Z brand conversation starts with “quality”, but what they mean by it is more specific than most brand teams assume.

It is not shorthand for premium pricing. It is a practical test: does it feel good, does it look good, does it last, does it work across contexts?

One panelist broke it down simply:

“By quality, I mean something that looks nice from the outside and feels good as when you wear it.”

Another added the commercial logic behind it:

“It’s like an investment… I’d rather spend a little bit more money on this quality basic t-shirt than have to buy the same one again multiple times.”

This definition showed up across categories, from skincare to clothing basics. Diesel, Buck Mason and Aritzia were praised not for hype, but for dependable design and durability. Doctor Bronner’s came up for multi-use practicality and a heritage story that still feels intact.

What this means for you:

Quality is a commercial filter. If the product does not hold up, no amount of positioning or purpose will compensate.

Gen Z do not reject marketing. They reject marketing that feels forced.

When we asked about the difference between a brand that is trying versus trying too hard, the panel kept returning to the same signals: repeated ads in their feed, influencer content that feels transactional, and trend-chasing that lands late.

One panelist described the feeling perfectly:

“I’d rather it be like suggested to me by one of my friends or come across it myself than having it shoved down my throat with like a bunch of ads that they think are trying to relate to me.”

And when the ad volume is too high, it flips from awareness to distrust:

“I can tell that the person is just doing it for the money and don’t really care about the product. That doesn’t do anything for me. I’m not gonna go buy it.”

On the flip side, brands that set trends rather than chase them feel credible. Casting that preserves individuality feels real. Consistency beats constant reinvention.

What this means for you:

This is as much a media discipline as a creative one. Overexposure erodes trust. Restraint can build it. Frequency, partnership choice and timing matter as much as tone.

One of the sharpest moments in the session was the idea that Gen Z can tell when brands are copying a Gen Z voice rather than involving Gen Z people.

This is where authenticity shifts from messaging to operating model.

As one participant said:

“I hate when brands like to use outdated slang… it’s so cringy.”

Kayla’s metaphor landed harder:

“It feels like when you hire a 30 year old actor to play a high schooler in a movie, it’s like we know.”

And perhaps the clearest advice of the day:

“If you want to market to us, the most authentic way to do that is to hire us on your team.”

What this means for you:

Gen Z are not asking you to sound younger. They are asking you to be closer to reality. If your “Gen Z voice” is being built by people who are guessing, it will show, and it will age badly fast. The fix is not better slang, it is better proximity: bring Gen Z into the work, pressure-test creative with them early, and build campaigns around real language and real behaviors, not assumptions.

Across the session, the ‘realness’ of a brand was treated as something tangible.

It is visible passion. It is creativity that does something unexpected. It is work that feels owned, not assembled.

“To be authentic, you need to be creative. Do something that I didn’t expect you to do.”

There was also a strong preference for human creation, particularly in creative fields. AI-generated advertising was described as unnatural, unreal and emotionally flat. Familiarity with AI means novelty is no longer impressive. Intent and craft carry more weight.

One comment captured the mood:

“I’m already so over it. I just want to see human creation… human art… just something that was made with hands.”

The deeper theme was connection. They want warmth and realness through a screen. They do not associate that with automated creative.

What this means for you:

Authenticity is a creative discipline. If the work looks engineered to perform, it will be read that way. Invest in ideas that feel genuinely owned by your brand. Use AI as a tool if needed, but do not let it replace human intent. In a synthetic feed, craft stands out.

When the conversation moved to banking and finance, the tone changed. Identity-led marketing mattered less than product experience.

Here, relevance is functional, not cultural. It either works, or it doesn’t.

Interface quality, customer service and trust were the deciding factors. Apps such as Bilt, Mercury and Robinhood were mentioned for ease and usability, not brand storytelling

“It comes down to customer service, and is their interface really easy to use, and does it feel modern?”

They also highlighted the role of reliable recommendations, especially parents or friends with domain knowledge.

What this means for you:

In high-stakes categories, positioning cannot compensate for friction. If the interface is clunky, support is slow or trust signals are weak, Gen Z will move on. Marketing may open the door, but usability and service quality close the deal.