Typically in this newsletter, we cover a data-driven and human-behavior-based analysis of Gen Z and trends/events. Today I want to share with you something still data-driven and behavior-based, but on a much, much bigger scale.
After months of analysis, scoring, and late nights, our 2021 Most Influential Gen Z Brands report is outâŠ
Any and every question you have about it can be found in the report itself - the scoring methodology, the runner-ups, the stock price comparison against the S&P over 5 years (yep Iâm sure you were wondering about that too), and of course, the Top 25 Most Influential Gen Z Brands (and an analysis of each).
What I want to share with you here in the rest of this newsletter is what you wonât find in the report - a reflection on the process, final thoughts, and some predictions for the future. But for now, I know your curiosity outweighs your interest in that, so take your time and go through the report, but weâll see you back here in a bit.
a reflection on this yearâs report
The first thing I owe is a massive thank you to my team of incredibly hard-working and passionate Gen Zâers. This quite literally would not exist without them <3 so thank you, all of you!
Iâve always been a believer in the power of simplicity. My favorite quote is from Da Vinci, âsimplicity is the ultimate sophisticationâ. Itâs pretty incredible how much we were able to make one number convey with our score - a process that is at the core of who we are as a company. But our goal is not to explain everything with one number. In fact, oversimplifying is a dangerous game that casts curtains over insights that matter.
In thinking about how you may have interpreted the ranking of brands, you may be surprised by a few of them, or perhaps by the order. And thatâs totally ok - in fact, I expect it. But as you think through that list, I encourage you to take a step back and think a bit bigger picture about the role of these brands in todayâs society, and the society of tomorrow. The names on this list paint a picture that defines what is important to todayâs consumers and what will be important.
Thereâs the observation that 3 of the top 5 companies are in gaming (you could say Disney and Netflix fit the gaming picture too, soâŠ5?). In fact, if you look at the industries that are covered here, youâd have a really difficult time fitting one brand to one industry. We had actually planned on putting a map of industries covered by the Top 25 Gen Z Brands in the report, but found it too difficult to narrow down by industry. Because âindustriesâ as we know them are becoming blurred.
What would you call Spotify? Audio streaming? Technology? Social media? And what about Apple; everything??
We're approaching an age of borderlessness, of ambiguity, where definition itself can do more harm than good. The most innovative companies reject the notion of definition, and instead seek uncertainty as a competitive edge; experimenting, adapting, and moving at the frequency of culture itself.
2022 will be the year many brands get left behind. The speed of culture only gets faster, with more information transmitted at every opportunity. And as young consumers flood the workforce, influential companies will capture the attention, the pockets, and the talent of Gen Zâers, opening a nearly unconquerable divide between the good companies and the great.
My advice to you? Donât get left behind. Weâre about to experience the ride of a lifetime - and trust me - youâll want to make sure youâre on board.
-Andrew Roth
Founder, GenZ Designs
p.s. if you do want to share this with someone, it would mean the world to us. thank you again!!