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

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

Ok, who is doing the mega BarbenHeimer thing this weekend? If your offices/houses/general life have not been awash with discussion about Barbie/Ken vs the end of the world/nuclear bombs, you clearly haven’t been living - or listening to your Gen Z colleagues.

At The News Movement’s New York office, here’s our documentary moodboard on the Barbie phenomenon (do follow our channels this weekend to see the beautiful video results):

Yes, we take the 64-year-old toy doll very seriously, but did sneakily like one take on the Barbie movie: “Are we all just watching longform commercials now?” (More on where that smart bomb came from below).

Beyond the “pink explosion” is a whole new conversation about the Oppenheimer movie also launching this weekend - and the interweb is having a field day.

Welcome to the world of counterprogramming (MamaMia! and The Dark Knight anyone?), a world of swirling, very different themes which are all dragged together in conversations which rattle around the digital world as much as they rattle around the office.

Fast moving, witty, not too deep (but very aware of the need not to misstep - Barbie has changed a lot since 1959), it’s a world which in its own way is very “Gen Z”.

Time to be your best selves everyone . . .

Long form commercials

Day One is a Gen Z agency in New York, and Day One FM is their podcast on insights, trends and deep dives on the future of Gen Z and media. So, of course, Ken and Barb are their thing. #Barbie has 49 billion views on TikTok, #barbiecore has 579 million. ASOS is selling a whole Barbie collection of clothing and accessories. You can buy Barbie Crocs, toothbrushes, suncream, makeup… just about anything. And whether you think all of this is absurd or genius (or both), the movie industry is leaning into the marketing and commercial opportunities of new franchises. Where is the line where fatigue takes over, and a big chunk of Gen Z suddenly slaps all this with #Ad #PR (death, frankly).

Entrepreneurial spirit

We talk about Gen Z’s appetite for flexibility and purpose at work, and these two factors are also key reasons propelling this generation towards entrepreneurship. Take a read of this new research from ZenBusiness which shows the number of 18-25 year olds who have “taken a step toward exploring business ownership". Woah, it’s high and there is plenty to unpack on the reasons why. Dr Corey Seemiller, author of several books on Gen Z, noted that we haven’t seen this kind of movement towards entrepreneurship since the 1930s - what businesses will pop up in the next decade as a result?

Another string to their bow . . .

As we have discussed in previous Get to Knows, AI is a net positive for the next generation of consumers. Now there is more evidence that Gen Z’s enthusiasm for AI will be an asset in their careers. This doesn’t just mean they’ll rely on AI to write their emails (although that’s a thing, too), it also means a willingness to try new technologies. That adds value, like reducing the gap between technical and non-technical roles. This generation will also be crucial when it comes to shaping the ethics of AI, and this deep dive by our friends at The Conversation is well worth a read to see where we are at in that vital debate.

With risks attached

Forbes published an article this week claiming that AI is “hurting Gen Z careers”. AI technology often targets “junior-level jobs”, putting early career roles at risk. A recent survey by ZipRecruiter also found that 76% of Gen Zers feel concerned about losing their jobs to ChatGPT. While it's undeniable that junior staff take on more of the grunt work, lots of companies are seeking to reduce workplace monotony with AI-powered work models. That’s not just about getting more efficient, it’s about allowing talent to flourish in different ways, working out what to do with the time that’s freed up and empowering younger minds to think differently.

And finally…

35%

… of Gen Z have joined Threads, according to YouGov data. Now, that is similar to millennials at 33%, but the interesting point is that those who are not early adopters among Gen Z are more likely to never want to join than other age groups. We know that younger demographics are more intentional about how they interact with social channels - controlling the amount of exposure they have.

Unless, of course, it’s about Barbie. In which case, bring it on like a blowtorch . . .

Have a good, beach-based weekend everyone.

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