Were you forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here!

Hello everyone and welcome to our newsletter on all things Gen Z.

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

Edition 20! Thank you so much for supporting us as we unwrap the joy that is the next generation of consumers. And if that’s not worth a few more 🎉🎉🎉, we don’t know what is. We are now a happy tribe of 2,336 subscribers - do share or forward to a friend if you are finding this newsletter as nourishing to read as we are finding it to write.

Every week we pull together the gems of information which pepper our conversations in London and New York. Our next target is 2,500 subscribers - let’s see how quickly we can get there.

We were going to say it’s been a roller-coaster month for Gen Z fast-fashion favourite Shein - but roller-coasters go up as well as down, and the Chinese retailer has been suffering rather more downs of late. Plus a few sickening bends.

Each is a lesson in how brands navigate the ever turbulent world of social media - where we know 75% of Gen Z receive their first hit of new information and trends doing the rounds.

First there was the controversy over inviting influencers to check out Shein’s factories (such was the socials backlash that one of the creators has since deleted her post and apologised). Then came legal action in America over allegations of copyright infringement. Our very own Kiki Sideris unwraps that tale and shows you how to create fab video content from a story with almost no actual video.

And now there is news that Gen Z are certainly reacting to Shein’s missteps.

It’s a tricky world out there.

Tough love

“Don't try to be everyone's friend”, “Be the boss you needed when you started your career”, and “If something makes you upset, take a step back and come back to the conversation when you can answer as a leader”. These are some of the pieces of advice the young female readers of Girlboss would like to give to their bosses. The female-focused publisher asked their community for the most honest advice they’d give their manager without fear of repercussions or blowback, and the answers are well worth a read for anyone in a leadership position - or any position, frankly.

Soft skills

We’ve talked a lot in this newsletter about the hard-to-measure things that were lost for young people entering the workforce during lockdown: water cooler conversations, asking for help, getting a feel for the cadence of communication in an office. And now it looks like some key players are getting serious about bridging the gap. KPMG is the latest firm to offer extra ‘soft skills’ training for Gen Z workers - something Deloitte and PwC already offer. The classes include foundational skills such as teamwork, giving presentations and effective face-to-face communication. AKA - everything that people used to learn by osmosis during the earliest stages of their career.

Gen C-suite

Speaking of Gen Z and consulting firms… Some young people are starting their own. Undergraduate “consulting clubs” are popping up to offer their services. The idea is to band together and offer to do work for firms for a fraction of the cost of hiring regular consultants, and in the process learn a lot about business. The desire to ‘get ahead’ seems to be starting earlier and with more seriousness than ever before - and while great jobs will probably follow, we only get to be young once.

Bye bye Bubble Characters

We learnt this week that Google quietly ditched plans for an AI-powered chatbot app (is that enough buzzwords?!) designed for Gen Z. The app, called “Bubble Characters,” featured cartoonish figures having conversations with young users and offering advice. While this specific project is on ice, the use of AI chatbots for advice is still prevalent, especially in the online therapy space. These products target young users, for their accessibility and cheap price point in comparison with private therapy. We are wary of their impact over time, and the type of outcomes they guide their users towards.

And finally…

36%

Of Gen Z and millennials have a friend who drives them to overspend, which can lead to relationships ending and a cycle of debt. While this seems like a controllable issue, young people say they spend beyond their means with certain friends because they don’t want to feel left out, they want to please their friend or they simply don’t know how to say no. As a result, young people value making friends with people who are in a similar income bracket.

Have a lovely weekend everyone, baking hot in much of the USA. In the UK, not so much . . .

How can we help?

In my many travels and conversations, I’m increasingly talking to CEOs, executives and civil society leaders wanting to better understand the next generation of consumers and the next generation of employees. Gen Z is putting pressure on us all to transform in fascinating ways, and many of us are asking questions about how to cater for younger workers and future proof our organisations.

If this sounds like you, we’d be keen to have a chat and see if TNM can help. From our own content production to work we have done, for example, with The Oliver Wyman Forum, we have a raft of insights and data which can support you. We work closely with a number of global organisations – helping with high-impact story-telling, digital media, internal communications, through to employee benefits, HR and working structures.

Email me direct and all of us at TNM look forward to speaking further.

Kamal Ahmed
Editor-in-Chief and Co-founder
The News Movement