In a world where there are more ways than ever for companies to promote their brand, young consumers are becoming an increasingly important market - but not necessarily the easiest to win over.
Having grown up as digital natives, Gen Z is tech savvy and used to being influenced by social media accounts. But brands should not underestimate this generation’s desire to earn trust before they part with their money.
“They understand how brands work,” explained Logan Murtha, associate director of brand strategy at Marks. She told Newsweek: “They know when they're being marketed to and they see through the smoke and mirrors of marketing very quickly. “They're not here for it. Authenticity matters.”
Defined as being born between 1997 to 2012, Gen Z’s oldest members are now hitting their late 20s in a world where the cost of living is soaring and they are bombarded with cunning digital advertising tactics designed to encourage them to spend money.
Newsweek, in partnership with Statista, recently ranked the World's Most Trustworthy Companies. The ranking lists companies in 20 countries, rating them based on independent surveys of customer, investor and employee trust and large-scale social listening analysis of online sentiment, reach and engagement..
According to Deloitte’s 2026 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, the top concern for Gen Z respondents was cost of living, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that saving money is a priority for this generation of consumers, much as it has been for those who went before.
But while older generations may have diligently cut coupons out of newspapers or earned loyalty rewards through repeat business, Gen Z uses what they have learnt from growing up with smartphones to seek out the best deals in seconds and work out if what they are being shown is a credible offer.
“That lines up with what we see in deal-seeking behavior: younger shoppers may care about brand image, but they still compare prices, search promo codes, check reviews, and look for lower-cost alternatives before buying,” said Andrew Gosselin, a certified public accountant at Save My Cent.
He told Newsweek: “For Gen Z, trust is built in the gap between the advertised price and what shoppers can verify before checkout.
“That differs from older cohorts in practical ways. Baby Boomers often grew up with brand loyalty built through stores, TV advertising, and long-term familiarity. Gen X adopted online shopping but still tends to value efficiency and reliability. Millennials pushed brands toward experience, identity, and peer reviews. Gen Z came of age with TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, price trackers and creator recommendations, so discovery and due diligence happen almost at the same time.”
Research by Salesforce shows that while 36% of Baby Boomers use social platforms to discover products, the figure soars to 76% when it comes to Gen Z. But for creator content to cut through, it must be seen as authentic and honest.
“Brands shouldn’t assume this audience only wants the lowest price. They’ll pay more when quality or convenience is clear, but they’re more likely to test the claim before they believe it,” said Gosselin.
Having grown up with their own lives displayed on social media, Gen Z consumers also place importance on brand identity and effectively use their consumer habits to help build their own social profile. Retail purchases, food choices and travel experiences are all shared with followers, so who they choose to spend their money with becomes an extension of themselves.
“Gen Z isn't simply Millennial behavior at an earlier life stage,” said Logan Murtha. “They have grown up in a different consumer culture and appear more attuned to the brand, the context around a choice and what that choice might communicate.”
Crucially, this can affect brand loyalty within Gen Z if a brand does something that conflicts with their personal beliefs, or how they identify.
“I don't think loyalty is disappearing. But for Gen Z, association itself carries meaning,” said Murtha. “Familiarity may get a brand into the consideration set, but it has to continue earning its place through distinctiveness, newness, relevance and what being associated with that brand says about the person choosing it.”
This means brands who are targeting Gen Z need to be clear about their sourcing and product development, with policies and customer reviews easily accessible and communication clear between the brand and its consumers.
Lindsay Marty, founder of Above the Bar Marketing, told Newsweek: “To engage with Gen Z effectively means making it simple for your business to verify your company's practices.”
She added: “In addition to providing transparency around your organizational practices, demonstrating your commitment to values through the way you treat your employees, ensuring your products meet certain accessibility standards, choosing sustainable packaging options, developing fair return policies, and utilizing environmentally friendly suppliers in your supply chains will add credibility to your brand.”