Gen Z trends, community and youth marketing myths: Q&A with Jacee Scoular, Garage

With not long to go until Pion's YMS event takes to the USA, we can’t wait to be returning to Brooklyn with fresh insights, the latest Gen Z trends, and a whole host of exciting new speakers. And, on that note, we thought it was high time we caught up with one of them.

In this blog post, we catch up with Jacee Scoular, VP of Marketing at  GARAGE and one of our YMS speakers. We hear about up-and-coming youth marketing trends, discuss the importance of community  and do some serious Gen Z mythbusting. 

Q&A with Jacee Scoular

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at GARAGE?

I’m the current VP of marketing at GARAGE, an exciting, fun and unapologetic clothing brand for Gen Z that is expanding rapidly into the US from its home base of Montreal, Canada.  In my role, I oversee the brand and marketing strategies that drive GARAGE (and its sister brand DYNAMITE, too) further into culture with our customers. 

What shopping trends are you seeing when it comes to young consumers right now?

It’s a trend that we have been seeing more recently, but I continue to be obsessed with the algorithm-to-IRL shopping connection we see happening with GARAGE.  

We know that the algorithm is becoming an incredibly trusted source for product introductions and recommendations for consumers, and we also know that in many instances the discovery of new brands within the algorithm is leading to new purchases.  The power of that is, of course, seen online, but we continue to hear how much in-store traffic and conversion it continues to drive for us! 

How are you preparing for Gen Alpha? 

Honestly, by watching their parents.  It’s amazing the impact you can see parents having on their kids when you are the parent of a youth in the incoming generation.  Their taste, aesthetic preferences, and how they consume information really does stem from the preferences and behaviors of their parents and how they are being raised.  

What recommendations would you give to brands to prepare for the next generation of consumers?

Coming to YMS is a great start!  My biggest advice is to always stay curious and close to your customer.  Youth consumers’ needs, motivations, and expectations of brands can change quickly, and it’s important to find ways to deeply understand who they are and how you can best serve them as a brand.

What is it about GARAGE that’s driving success and huge growth across the teen market?

We’re the new kid on the block.  We’re a really fun brand that understands who our consumers are and offers them a style point of view that hasn’t been available to them.  It’s a bit sexier, edgier, and slightly more aged up than some of the other teen and Gen Z retail options out there.

Tell us a bit about how you are building relationships with fans of the brand to drive community engagement.

We have an incredible store associate community that is fueling our connections to our consumers across North America.  We lovingly call our store ambassadors our “Fam” at GARAGE.  The Fam represents a crew of over 100 associates who spend time in the field interacting with our fans, styling customers, and creating content that is some of our best performing across our social footprint.  And, more than that, their communities are recognizing, with many of them coming in to be helped again by their local ambassador.  I’ve loved watching this organic relationship grow!

You’ll be joining our experiential focused panel at YMS. What teasers can you share about IRL campaigns that have been successful for GARAGE?  

We have spent SO much time with our customers IRL this past year in GARAGE.  Our largest effort was given to celebrating the opening of our new stores across the US this past year, taking the brand’s total to 100 locations!  We wanted to focus on deepening the relationship with our consumers in every market we moved into by creating unique and memorable experiences with them as they shopped with us. We also have focused on extending that IRL engagement to a more regular cadence that keeps them coming back.  

I have to say, we have had the BEST time!  Our customers are continuing to vote for us in malls, and we have enjoyed connecting with them in deeper ways in their own communities.

Quick-fire round

Time for the questions we ask everyone…

What’s the biggest Gen Z myth?

As a current leader of incredible teams composed of Gen Z, my least favorite myth about Gen Z is the interesting narrative around their work habits and expectations that older generations have of them.  I can honestly say that I have had the absolute pleasure to work with, and alongside, some of the most talented and incredible young individuals in my time in leadership.  

What do you most admire about Gen Z?

Think about your time in high school, now imagine it with the whole world watching through social media.  The authenticity, adaption, and resilience of this generation have always been impressive to me.  

What’s your favorite app at the moment?

It has been my favorite app for quite some time now, but the Delta app is truly my sidekick. 

What are you most looking forward to at YMS?

YMS is always an exciting time getting to interact with others who appreciate and are as inspired as I am by today’s youth.  My favorite part is hearing directly from them on the topics and issues that are most relevant in today’s world, and getting first-hand accounts on how marketers can better relate to Gen Z each day.

Like what you’ve read? Join Jacee, plus many more, at YMS NYC in March. Secure your tickets now.