Twitter’s bid for Malala Yousafzai highlights why brands need Gen Z

While many companies believe that piggybacking poignant social issues is enough to guarantee profits, it rarely turns out to be a winning formula. When it comes to sniffing out shallow and unauthentic marketing, Gen Z are as savvy as it gets. If an ad is lacking tact, slightly tone-deaf, or misses an opportunity to meaningfully draw on something real, the fallout can lead to losses in the millions or even billions if an online boycott hits the Twittersphere.

On that front, nobody is too big to fail. In 2017, Pepsi’s clumsy ad starring model Kendall Jenner, smiling police officers, and generic messages like ‘join the conversation’ failed to reflect the reality of the BLM movement leaving protestors outraged. Listerine’s collab with influencer Scarlett Dixon was slammed for sponsored ad shots portraying a faux aspirational aesthetic for young women with next to no relation to mouthwash. And Gillette’s attempt to distance its branding from roots in toxic masculinity was way too drastic in 2019, with its #MeToo ad receiving huge backlash for pushing unsubtle feminist propaganda.

These are the most severe examples of how overlooking the complexities of widespread issues, or hijacking a movement for financial gain can damage a company’s public image, but truth is there are missed opportunities and marketing blunders still made on a daily basis. Failing to enlist young voices for guidance means that often times, marketers are focusing on the tip of the iceberg, and are neglecting the larger basis for them. This can be far more damaging than ignoring the issue altogether.

Jack Dorsey seems to understand this point better than most, what with his job being to constantly keep up with public opinion on social media and all – Gen Z’s mouthpiece. In all though, the continued lack of understanding and nuance in advertising is more frustrating than anything. Like politicians, corporates have the ability to instantly engage millions but by neglecting the voices of those truly in the know and going it alone, their decisions are often misguided and create a feeling of detachment between sellers and would be buyers. On that note, what good is 40% consumers to zero voice?

It’s a delicate game, and at times the risk can outweigh the reward, but capturing the attention of Gen Z in a positive way is the ultimate marketing jackpot. If you’re curious to see what an emphatic win does look like, check out Deutsche Telekom’s recent ad featuring Billie Eilish.