Latest news with #trendsetters
Khaleej Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Top 5 Gen Z Social Trends Businesses Can't Ignore in 2025
If you still think Gen Z is just a TikTok generation glued to their screens, it's time for a reboot. This isn't just another trend forecast or dry demographic breakdown. Gen Z - those born in the 1995-2012 range - are rewriting the rules of engagement, not just for marketers, but for brands' very survival. They're your next wave of consumers, collaborators, and culture-setters. Ignore them, and you're not just behind - you're invisible. "Gen Z isn't asking for attention," says 20/7 Marketing's General Manager, Jana Abu Ahmad. "They're demanding relevance. If brands don't show up with clarity, creativity, and authenticity, Gen Z simply scrolls past." 20/7 Marketing is a Dubai-based 360-marketing agency that is set on tracking trend signals not just to ride the wave - but to shape the next one. Here are five Gen Z trends they've kept an eye on that smart businesses are not just noticing, but building into their strategy. 1. Influencers Are the New Word of Mouth Gen Z may be skeptical of brands, but they still believe in people - specifically, people with ring lights and niche audiences. Nearly 40% of Gen Z trust influencers more than they did a year ago, and they're most likely to say that influencer content drives their purchasing decisions. But don't confuse mass reach with impact. The era of faceless, overproduced influencer campaigns is over. "Zoomers want to see creators who are actually fans of your product," says Jana. "Not just holding it. Using it. Critiquing it. Loving it." Micro-communities, authenticity, and relatability win here. Brands that align with creators who genuinely resonate with their values will see not just clicks - but community. 2. Don't Perform Activism - Pass the Mic Five years ago, every brand was suddenly 'finding its voice' on social issues. The result? Fatigue and skepticism. Gen Z isn't buying into polished purpose statements anymore - they're watching who you platform. This generation expects influencers, not corporations, to carry the torch for causes. According to data from marketing reports and surveys, almost half of Gen Z will unfollow a brand if it partners with influencers who don't align with their values. Translation? Your impact isn't judged by your slogans, but by your associations. The message is clear: say less, choose better. 3. Generic Is Invisible. Build a Universe Instead. If your content could come from any brand, it's not building loyalty. A staggering 90% of Gen Z say a brand's social presence impacts whether they trust it - and trend-chasing won't cut it. Originality, not volume, is the metric that matters. "Posting five times a day isn't a strategy," says 20/7's General Manager. "Posting five things that feel like only your brand could've made them? That's presence." The best brands are building recurring content franchises, consistent characters, even full-blown lore. Think less "feed filler," more "Netflix series energy." 4. Social Commerce Is the New Storefront Gen Z isn't just discovering your brand on Instagram - they're checking out on TikTok. Over half make impulse purchases weekly or monthly because of something they saw on social, and nearly half say they plan to shop more on these platforms in 2025. But don't mistake this for an excuse to go sales-heavy. What Gen Z really buys into is storytelling. Your product is not the pitch - it's the payoff. If it feels native to the content, they'll click. If it feels like an ad, they'll scroll. 5. The Rise of the 'Offline-Online' Hybrid Experience Despite being labeled "chronically online," Gen Z is increasingly craving moments to log off and reconnect. More than 60% took a social media detox in the last year. This doesn't mean abandoning digital. It means bridging it. Think brand meetups, pop-up events, and IRL community-building layered with social storytelling. We've seen this trend take shape across wellness, fashion, and lifestyle brands - and it's coming for every industry. "Sometimes, the best content isn't created by you," says Jana. "It's captured in real life by your audience. Give them something worth remembering - and sharing." So, What Now? There's no one-size-fits-all playbook. But if there's one universal rule for reaching Gen Z, it's this: stop marketing at them. Start building with them. The brands winning Gen Z attention aren't always the biggest. They're the boldest. The ones who aren't afraid to take risks, refine their voice, and show up in the spaces where culture lives. 20/7 Marketing calls this approach "fast-tracking your brand" - a phrase that's more than their tagline; it's a strategy rooted in speed, substance, and impact. In a world where scrolls are swift and attention is a currency, relevance isn't handed out. It's earned - through bold thinking and content that actually connects. For brands looking to capture Gen Z, the finish line is moving. The only way forward? Keep up - or get left behind.
News24
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
5 minutes with Gigi Lamayne: hustle, heat and hip hop
When we last caught up with her, she was pursuing her MBA. Now, the multi-talented rapper, also a businesswoman, sits down with TRUELOVE for an intimate catch up session. Studying has helped her with the language and structure to articulate the madness that is the music business. 'I think choosing the MBA route was my Beyoncé 'Let me upgrade you.' Before, I was moving on instinct and passion, now I move with strategy. I see beyond the beat; I see contracts, market gaps, IP value and brand scalability,' she shares excitedly. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gigi LaMayne (@gigi_lamayne) READ MORE | Style Crush | Gigi LaMayne's daring and eclectic taste in fashion She balances her public voice with your personal evolution through reading, healing, praying and learning. While she has learned that evolution doesn't need to be loud to be powerful, her public voice still stands as Gigi the trailblazer, the mouthpiece and the movement. On her influencing journey, she believes artistry doesn't stop on the stage and rather also extends to the screen. 'The same phone I use to record voice notes is the same phone I use to inspire, sell and connect. We're not just rappers anymore, we're content creators, trendsetters and cultural investors.' As someone who is re-entering the music scene after a pause, she wants her legacy to scream 'she did it all and she brought people with her'. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tinashe Peter Dlodlo (@jg_v_fotography) 'Artistically, I'm leaning into vulnerability and innovation, I want bars that hug you and beats that slap you awake,' she shares. She wants to be remembered as the artist who makes you think, laugh, dance and go get that degree. 'My music is a megaphone for the misfits, the misunderstood and the mighty. I talk about mental health, identity, inequality—real stuff. But I do it with rhythm and bite.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gigi LaMayne (@gigi_lamayne) She continues being the unfiltered, educated, 'hood and holy Black girl' shaping the hip hop narrative in South Africa. 'Yes, we exist! In a world that wants quick hits, I want timeless messages. My music isn't just trending, it's transforming!' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gigi LaMayne (@gigi_lamayne)
