Artificial Intelligence is a central point of Gen Z’s lives, from helping them proofread work to touching up their selfies. AI is making huge waves in the marketing world, and it’s certainly one to look out for in the future.

None of us get it right all the time, and Gen Z understands that. But it’s important to hold yourself accountable, own up to your mistakes, and pledge to do better in the future.

The process of advocating for others who aren’t in your social groups, and may instead be part of a marginalised group in society.

A points system to determine someone or something's coolness.

Gen Z is not a monolith, and there will be a vast array of celebrations and important days of awareness celebrated within the generation. It’s important to be made aware of these, however, brands must be wary of tokenism. For example, don’t promote International Women’s Day just on the day - work to empower women and non-binary people all year round!  

Examples:

• ADHD Awareness Month (October) 
• Black History Month (October) 
• Disability History Month (16th November - 16th December 2024) 
• Diwali (1st November 2024) 
• International Women’s Day (8th March 2024) 
• LGBTQ+ History Month (February) 
• Mental Health Awareness Week (13th May - 19th May 2024) 
• Pride Month (June) 
• Ramadan (10th March - 9th April 2024) 
• Transgender Awareness Week (13th November - 19th November 2024) 
• Yom Kippur

The period leading up to US college students returning to their education. This period represents a unique and time-sensitive opportunity for brands to establish a connection with Gen Z students.

A social media app. Once a day, the user gets a notification that it’s ‘⚠️ Time to BeReal. ⚠️’, and then has two minutes to take a picture of whatever they are doing for their close friends to see. 

Pion data has revealed that 25% of Gen Zers from the UK and 7% from the US use BeReal. 

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RealPeople and RealBrands.

‍These new features extend the candid moments to notable figures and brands. RealPeople and RealBrands feature everyone from Joe Jonas to Bretman Rock and M.A.C. to the Boston Red Sox

Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving, is a popular time for consumers to do their Christmas shopping because of generous pre-Christmas discounts. This selling period has become a week-long shopping bonanza for those looking to get the best festive value.

A term used to describe someone or something that doesn't have much personality.

If you haven't heard this term, you've been living under a rock for sure. Charli XCX released the album brat in June 2024. Since then, it’s gone beyond an album. It’s gone beyond marketing. Brat is, in fact, a whole cultural movement. Brat is best described by Charlie XCX herself: “You’re that girl who is a bit messy and loves to party and maybe says dumb things sometimes. She’s honest, blunt and a little bit volatile. That’s Brat.”

A slang term to suggest someone is lying or exaggerating.

Gen Zers won’t all have the same thoughts, opinions, and passions, so be wary of any stereotypes (good and bad!) when planning your marketing strategies.

For Gen Z, online communities are just as important as in-person ones. Communities are where they learn from and connect with like-minded people - they provide them with a sense of belonging. Communities are ready and eager to engage, and are passionate on their topic of choice - one for brands to be aware of!

Someone who creates entertaining or educational material to be shared through any medium or channel, such as TikTok.

The eCommerce bang that follows Black Friday, with consumers turning online to secure their favourite products at a bargain rate.

An individual who, rather than influencing users to buy products, influences users to do the exact opposite. De-influencers urge their viewers to step back, think, and ultimately avoid buying the highly promoted (and occasionally questionable) products that populate their social media feeds.

A voice, video, and text chat app that allows users to hang out with friends. Pion research has revealed that 19% of Gen Zers from the UK and 22% from the US use Discord. 

• Server. An invite-only home for friends/communities. A place to talk, hang out, and have fun. There are servers for everything - book clubs, study groups, or just for friends hanging out. 
• Text channel. These are separate spaces for talking over text and keeping conversations organised. ‍
• Voice channels. Where you can hang out over voice and video. No calling or ringing is required.

Consumers want to see themselves in a brand’s marketing, and this is where having a diversity of models comes in.

Creating an experience for a customer rather than approaching them through traditional marketing methods.

A fandom is a community or subculture that centers around a particular person, thing, or fictional series, for example.

Aimed at Gen Z content creators with a modest 10,000+ social following, Fanfix helps creators earn a recurring income through monthly subscriptions for exclusive behind-the-scenes content. No nudity or explicit content allowed.

As a generation who grew up during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gen Zers have become accustomed to remote working and the work-life flexibility it brings. As Gen Z begins to enter the workplace, many will be actively searching for companies that offer remote or hybrid work.

The period leading up to UK university students returning to their education. This period represents a unique and time-sensitive opportunity for brands to establish a connection with Gen Z students.

Gen Alphas were born between 2010 - the present day. This is a generation growing up in a digital-first, remote-working world, something which no doubt will have an impact on their decisions as they age.

A hybrid generation of Gen Z and Gen Alpha, Gen Zalpha are between 9-14-years-old. They’re digitally fluent and have grown up online, meaning that their ideas and inspiration come from across the world.

You might get caught up in using terms that unintentionally support stereotypes, something that relates to gendered terms and terms that add nouns to the end of them, like ‘salesman’. In this case, this can be replaced with ‘sales person’.

Sometimes referred to as ‘Generation Wellness’, Gen Z are big believers in looking after your mind and body. In fact, our 2023 Youth Trends Report revealed that 58% of Gen Z would ditch alcohol completely for health and wellbeing reasons. As a result, they respect brands who prioritize holistic health and wellness in their marketing and messaging.

Ick is a slang term that describes a feeling of disgust or aversion towards something or someone.

The words and phrases you use that avoid biases, slang, and expressions that discriminate against groups of people based on race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, and ability. Using inclusive language helps you resonate with others by speaking or writing in ways that everyone understands and that make everyone feel welcome.

The process through which employees receive official training that focuses on positive development within the inclusivity sphere, both personally and organisationally.

A person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a service/product by promoting or recommending it on social media.

Pion research has revealed that 86% of Gen Zers from the UK and 79% from the US use Instagram. 

• Broadcast channels. A public, one-to-many messaging tool for creators to engage with their followers at scale 
• Posts. A photo or video that a user shares to their main page that appears on home feeds/search pages. 
• Reel. A video clip of a maximum 60 seconds that users can upload to their page which they can edit or add effects to. 
• Stories. Unlike an Instagram post, a story only lasts for 24 hours. These are often used for more personal, everyday moments. ‍
• Shopping. Instagram shopping allows users to shop directly in-app on business profiles.

'It's giving' is typically used before an adjective For example: 'It's giving brat'. It's a slang term that says someone or something is emitting a particular vibe.

The opposite of FOMO, JOMO (the joy of missing out) celebrates the quieter life. The term has gained popularity amongst young people who prefer to stay in and appreciate the power of saying ‘no’ to social activities - not all Gen Zers are party animals.

Want to capture Gen Z’s attention? Well, understanding key trends is key; this will help you tailor your social media posts and boost engagement. Subscribe to our Weekly Briefing to receive the latest Gen Z trends and news directly to your inbox, every week.

Students in the UK are eligible to receive two different loans during their time in higher education: one for their tuition fees, and one for their living expenses. The former goes directly to their university, but the latter, their maintenance loan, goes directly into their bank accounts. Some students can receive as much as £4,222 in one drop. These ‘drops’ happen three times a year - January, April and September. 

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An influencer who has between 100,000 and 1 million followers on social media. Whilst these influencers certainly have a place within the youth marketing world, macro influencers often have less connection with their followers and community than micro influencers.

This decentralised social network consists of independent servers built around specific topics and/or trends, whilst offering many of the same functions as X.

With 46% of Gen Zers considering themselves to have a mental health condition, this is a huge topic for this generation. As a result, they tend to favor brands that support and advocate for mental health.

Menty b stands is a slang term for having a 'mental breakdown'. It's typically a lighthearted term to describe minor stressful situations.

An online network of shared, immersive virtual worlds. In the metaverse, individuals can connect with friends, work, shop, and connect with friends or bran

We're all guilty of this. A slang term for trying to look good.

An influencer who has between 10,000 - 100,000 followers. Thanks to the smaller number of followers, these creators can connect with their communities on a deeper level.

Mogging is a slang term that means to compare attractiveness with others.

NPC stands for 'non-player character'. This is a slang term used to describe someone who lacks independent thought or just blindly follows the trends.

This is an important topic for Gen Z, and they expect places of work and their employers to be supportive and understanding of neurodiversity. There are many ways that businesses can support and accommodate neurodiverse employees, from adopting inclusive hiring practices to providing reasonable adjustments.

Capturing Gen Z’s attention via social media no longer just applies to brands, but to news platforms too. As digital natives, many Gen Zers use social media to learn about local and world news. The pros? They’re connected in a way like never before and can educate themselves on international topics. The cons? Fake news and misinformation…

The opposite of 'cap', no cap is slang for saying that someone is being truthful.

In a competitive and over-saturated market, standing out is critical. Did you know that 83% of students say that if a retailer offers a student discount they are more likely to shop there? Providing a student discount can give brands an edge over competitors in the student market, who may not have recognized the value of tapping into the student demographic.

Much like with micro- and nano-influencers, Gen Zers are most likely to trust their peers when it comes to marketing. From UGC to working with young creatives, peer-to-peer marketing is the future. 

For more, check out our Student Beans Creators program; our community of youth marketing experts are a group of genuine, original content creators who deliver real campaigns through peer-to-peer marketing. They also hold a 104% better click-through rate than other influencers!

From your offices to your event spaces, having good physical accessibility is vital if you want to ensure inclusivity. This could stem from a simple conversation (for example, asking someone with a physical disability if they have any preferences/needs), or could be ensuring that spaces have ramps or lifts for everyone. Do everything you can to ensure that everyone feels comfortable, safe, respected, and unrestricted.

An online platform for sharing and pinning inspirational and aesthetic images to users’ virtual boards. Pinterest is the perfect tool for finding inspirational and aspirational content without the pressure of negative comments that can be found on platforms such as TikTok. 

Pion research has revealed that 38% of Gen Zers from the UK and 39% from the US use Pinterest.

The everyday words we use to refer to ourselves or others. Gen Zers understand now, more than ever before, who they are and how they identify. Whether talking with a colleague or delivering a presentation, you might get caught up in using pronouns that unintentionally support stereotypes. 

It’s important for us, as brands and individuals, to not assume someone’s pronouns. Using someone’s name, or ‘they’, which is considered gender-neutral, is best practice until told otherwise.

Changes an employer can make to remove or reduce a disadvantage related to someone’s disability. For example, for someone who stammers, interviews can be quite challenging. In this instance, a reasonable adjustment would be to provide the interviewee with the questions beforehand to help them prepare and to extend the length of the interview to remove any time pressures.

A social networking and content rating site. Pion research has revealed that 21% of Gen Zers from the UK and 28% from the US use Reddit.

• ‍Subreddit. A forum dedicated to a specific topic where users can post links, create posts and discuss. These can be subscribed to.

To engage with Gen Z, brands need to showcase real people from different backgrounds, abilities, and experiences in their marketing. This will help consumers relate to and connect with to the brand/product.

A shortened version of the word 'charisma'. The Oxford Word of the Year for 2023 (yes, really).

Sigma is a Gen Z slang term for superior.

Dual meaning, either a YouTube reference or calling someone or something evil/bad.

Slay is a slang term that describes something or someone who has done exceptionally well or impressed others.

 A multimedia social networking app. Pion research has revealed that 73% of Gen Zers from the UK and 59% from the US use Snapchat. 

• Discover. A way to keep up-to-date on breaking news via Snapchat 
• Ghost mode. When a user wants to go off-grid and temporarily disable their Snap Maps ‍
• Snap Maps. A way for users to see each other’s locations via a virtual map, similar to Find My Friends on iPhones.

Groups of people who differentiate themselves from the norms and values of mainstream culture. For Gen Z, this means they're looking for community-orientated experiences, ones that encourage them to connect through their passions and interests.

Whether it’s in internal correspondence or external campaigns, some terms used have roots in discrimination. This could relate to:

• Medical conditions or ability. There are common terms that insensitivity to people whose lives are impacted by medical conditions. For example, replace the phrase ‘blind spot’ with ‘missed opportunity’. 
• Race, ethnicity, nationality, and culture. Some terms have roots in racism and discrimination. Using them can make people feel unsafe or discriminated against. For example, refrain from using terms like ‘minority’ and use ‘marginalised groups’ instead.‍
• Sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status. It’s important to choose words that are respectful and avoid words that stigmatize or patronize. For example, ‘straight’ can be replaced with ‘heterosexual’,

Pion data has revealed that 80% of Gen Zers from the UK and 72% from the US use TikTok. 

• Capcut. A free video editing platform that is seamlessly integrated within the TikTok app. This template feature has turned one-off edits into viral trends. 
• FYP. The For You Page is a page on TikTok that is populated with content the app thinks a user will enjoy the most. This is based on an algorithm. 
• Live. Allows viewers and creators to interact in real time. ‍
• TikTok Shop. An in-app experience that inspires shoppers through entertainment and guides them through the shopping experience.

Gen Z knows that no one’s perfect, but expects transparency when it comes to motives, values, and intentions. Doing so will boost trust and credibility amongst this audience. Ask yourself how you can commit transparency, both in your commitments and your communication.

An interactive live-streaming service for content used for gaming, entertainment, sports, music, and more. Twitch thrives on communities.

Social stereotypes about certain groups or individuals that people form outside of their conscious awareness. This can be prevented by inclusivity training and challenging stereotypes.

To say something or something 'understood the assignment' is a term to suggest that someone has done an exceptional job or exceeded expectations.

Any form of unpaid/unsponsored content, such as a video or testimonial, posted online by a person, rather than a brand.

Virtual influencers are fictional, computer-generated entities who have the same characteristics, features, and personalities as humans.

An umbrella term for the decentralised web, something that allows a more straightforward, fluid, and secure exchange between users and apps. Web3 presents marketers with a plethora of opportunities for young consumers, from virtual experiences to a chance to invest in new technologies. This is particularly important to this generation given their desire for authentic connections and community.

Creating a culture in which employees can come to work and feel comfortable and confident to be themselves. Not only will this help them as individuals, but it will also empower them to create their best work.

The social media platform, formerly known as Twitter (cheers Elon Musk).
Pion data has revealed that 44% of Gen Zers from the UK and 47% from the US use X regularly. 

• Lists. Lists allow users to customise, organise and prioritise the posts they see on their X timeline. ‍
• X Premium. Includes checkmark, reduced ads, access to apply for ads revenue sharing and creator subscriptions, Media Studio, ID verification, and more.

Pion data has revealed that 82% of Gen Zers from the UK and 84% from the US use YouTube. ‍

• YouTube Shorts. Short, vertical videos uploaded directly to YouTube. Creators can earn on YouTube shorts, and the platform helps creators connect with their audiences via personal, everyday content.

Pion’s youth marketing event. An immersive digital marketing conference like none other, YMS NYC and LDN bring together the biggest names making waves in the youth marketing industry today for events exploring the latest trends, perspectives, and insights from the Gen Z world.