Gen Z Marketing: Are CEOs Doing It Wrong?

• 65% of B2B decision-makers are Gen Z or Millennials, changing the power structure in buying behavior.
• Gen Z completes 60% of their buying process before speaking with a sales representative.
• CEOs not active on social platforms risk appearing untrustworthy or disconnected to Gen Z.
• Reddit appears in almost 98% of product-related Google searches, showing trust in peer reviews.
• Real, unscripted, short-form content does better than polished brand marketing among Gen Z.

Gen Z is flipping traditional marketing playbooks upside down. With different buying behaviors, a strong preference for realness, and an expectation that CEOs are present online, they’re forcing companies to reshape their approach or risk losing relevance. If your current marketing strategy still relies heavily on push promotions and faceless leadership, it’s time for a wake-up call—because Gen Z isn’t buying it.

The Rise of Gen Z Consumers (And Why They Matter)

By 2024, members of Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) and Millennials make up the majority of global B2B and B2C decision-makers[^1]. In fact, Gen Z has now surpassed Baby Boomers in the workforce[^2], making their influence over the global economy not just significant—but basic. This change in generational dominance means that brands must understand and adapt to the characteristics, values, and consumption patterns of a younger, more socially conscious buyer.

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Unlike previous generations, Gen Z doesn’t separate their identity from their purchasing choices. For them, consumerism is often an extension of personal values—be it sustainability, diversity, transparency, or ethics. Simply put, they don’t just want to know what you’re selling. They want to know who you are, what you represent, and why they should trust you.

Ignoring this changing mindset isn’t just risky—it’s a direct threat to long-term business survival.

Generation of Contradictions: Understanding Gen Z Consumer Behavior

At first glance, Gen Z might seem like they’re impossible to figure out. They’re independent but communal, skeptical but loyal, highly digital but reality-driven. These apparent contradictions come from growing up in an era shaped by social media, economic uncertainty, awareness of changes in the world, and hyperconnectivity. Their buying habits reflect these nuanced tensions.

Let’s break down what makes Gen Z consumer behavior stand out:

• Self-research over sales: Studies show 60% of Gen Z’s process to purchase is done independently, long before they contact anyone in sales. They prefer brands that give them power with content, reviews, and open information up front.
• Creator influence > Ad influence: Ads are often viewed with suspicion, while trusted creators and influencers have the power of an inner circle recommendation. Short-form content, unboxings, reviews, and tutorials hold more weight than product features on a brochure.
• Functional but emotional: Gen Z buys for practicality, yes—but it’s emotional connection that closes the deal. Brands must show social responsibility and build values into products.
• Quick yet thoughtful: These consumers make decisions swiftly—but only when they have enough community validation. They’re not impulsive so much as hyper-informed at warp-speed.

For marketers, that means meeting Gen Z where they already are and speaking in a language that connects—subtle, fun, real, and informative, all at once.

CEO, Meet Your Ring Light: Why Gen Z Wants to Hear from YOU

The modern consumer doesn’t just buy based on product specs or service features—they want to know the thinking and the feeling behind the brand. Gen Z, more than any previous generation, expects executive visibility. A CEO invisible on social media is seen as either aloof, secretive, or disconnected. That’s a problem.

Why does this matter so much?

• Trust is personal: According to Edelman’s 2024 Trust Barometer[^4], Gen Z demands brand transparency, and the face of that trust is often the CEO.
• Leadership as Identity: To Gen Z, the leaders behind companies are symbolic of the company’s ethics. A proactive, socially engaged, and communicative CEO can speed up brand equity.
• Authentic media wins: CEOs who show up through Instagram Stories, TikTok videos, LinkedIn posts, and live AMAs are not just communicating—they’re building bonds.

Personal branding for leaders is no longer optional. It’s now a crucial component of your CEO social media strategy.

Case Study: Huda Kattan’s Double Hat as CEO and Influencer

Few leaders combine identity and enterprise as smoothly as Huda Kattan. As the founder and CEO of Huda Beauty, Kattan doesn’t just run operations behind the scenes—she is an active and influential part of the brand storytelling. From unfiltered TikTok product demos to emotional discussions about belonging and industry standards[^5], she shows the kind of leadership Gen Z respects and rewards.

Let’s look at the numbers:

• $200 million in annual sales
• Brand valuation at $1.2 billion
• Large TikTok presence with millions of impressions per video

Kattan’s dual identity as CEO and content creator removes the wall between audience and leadership. It not only boosts loyalty—Gen Z sees her as “one of us”—but it also protects the brand from backlash. Why? Because they trust the person as much as the product.

Takeaway: Transparency, communication, and passion are CEO superpowers in the age of Gen Z marketing.

Peer Reviews Over Promos: Why Gen Z Trusts Social Proof

In the order of influence, paid ads rank dead last in the eyes of a Gen Z consumer. They trust real people—customers, creators, critics—over corporate-speak.

• Reddit appears in a shocking 97.5% of Google product searches[^3], a sign that peer opinion is king in buying decisions.
• Creator economy: Micro-influencers and nano-creators may only have a few thousand followers, but for Gen Z, their word holds more weight than a celebrity endorsement that feels manufactured.
• Interactive validation: Comments, likes, shares, and posts act as real-time credibility measures. If a product is doing well with peers or trusted influencers, Gen Z finds that far more convincing than a glossy ad campaign.

Trust is earned through community, not commercials. This means brands must invest more in community interactions, UGC (user-generated content), and enable customers to tell their own stories.

Building Brand Communities that Thrive

A traditional sales funnel ends with purchase. For Gen Z, the process continues within the community. They want to feel involved, heard, and seen—even after the sale.

Consider the following brand-led community successes:

• Discord servers for gaming and tech products: Serve as active user forums, help centers, and brand advocacy spaces.
• Brand subreddits where users post experiences, photos, and feedback, giving other users honest insight in real-time.
• Facebook groups, like the one led by First Coast News, which connected local viewers around weather and updates—turning passive viewers into loyalists.

An engaged community becomes a self-perpetuating system of advocacy and feedback. It boosts keeping customers, reduces the need for aggressive re-marketing, and provides invaluable data.

Platform Priorities: Where Gen Z Spends Their Time

Understanding platform behavior is critical for optimizing Gen Z marketing. Here’s where they live online—and what connects:

• TikTok: Bite-sized entertainment and education rule here. Brands have used challenges, trends, and ‘behind-the-scenes’ content to build explosive reach. Example: e.l.f. Cosmetics’ viral eye cream challenge that had non-customers joining in just for fun.
• YouTube Shorts: More lasting than TikTok content, they’re perfect for product explainers and real testimonials.
• Instagram Reels: A mix of aesthetics and relatability. Strong for fashion, beauty, and lifestyle content—especially when filled with storytelling.
• Reddit & Discord: Text-centered but invaluable. These platforms are the heart of Gen Z talk, valuation, and product insight. Good places to watch brand feeling, competitor comparisons, and niche community insights.

It’s not about being everywhere—it’s about being present where it actually counts.

Pivoting from Push to Pull: The New Model of Gen Z Marketing

The age of aggressive outbound marketing is giving way to subtle, self-directed discovery. The “pull” strategy is what does well with Gen Z:

• Lead with value: Educational content, behind-the-scenes looks, and passion-led storytelling reels them in.
• Encourage creator-led discovery: Let your users and influencers show value, not your ad team.
• Interactive formats win: Filters, polls, and quizzes set natively in social platforms make for deeper engagement and fun.

Brands that act as helpers, rather than broadcasters, end up being part of the conversation—not background noise.

Why Authenticity Beats Perfection

Let’s get something straight: Gen Z has highly tuned “BS detectors.” They’ve grown up with Photoshop fails, fake brand apologies, and performative virtue-signaling. As a result, they equate polish with manipulation.

That’s why:

• Raw TikToks do better than scripted ads.
• Candid leadership videos do better than corporate PSAs.
• Unedited user reviews do better than influencer paid partnerships.

Authenticity doesn’t mean being careless—it means being real. Posting an unscripted reaction, addressing product flaws openly, or even openly owning up to past mistakes wins far more trust than a rehearsed PR spin ever can.

The Two-Way Street: Brand as Helper, Not Dictator

Modern branding isn’t about “branding at” your customers; it’s about building something with them.

Successful brands are:

• Holding spaces where users exchange ideas.
• Listening to customer feedback and changing openly.
• Highlighting creators and customers as collaborators.

GEN Z doesn’t want a monologue—they want a dialogue. Brands who become co-curators of meta-narratives (via AMAs, UGC contests, or live streams) make for deeper loyalty and relevance.

Data-Driven Empowerment: Giving Gen Z the Power

It’s not enough to assume trust—you need to earn it through open access and education.

• Publish real product reviews, not curated ones. Let the consumers engage and trust builds naturally.
• Provide comparative tools and product breakdowns that explain exactly what separates your offering.
• Show processes transparently, from sourcing to pricing to ethical practices.

Think of this group as investigative buyers. Give them the roadmap, data, and community intelligence to justify their investment—and they will reward you.

The Future Is Unscripted: Embracing Innovation with Gen Z

The only constant in Gen Z marketing? Change.

This generation is redefining how value is seen—and how influence is built. Their rapid shifts from one video trend to another, or from one cause to another, keep brands on their toes. But it also opens doors to experimentation.

CMOs and marketing leaders should embrace:

• Micro-pilots and iterative campaigns
• Cross-platform experimentation
• Creator co-collabs
• Real-time marketing reactions

Stagnation is lethal. The brands that do well will be those who innovate—not just faster, but braver.

Actionable Takeaways for Leadership and Marketers

• Encourage your CEO to develop a scalable, authentic personal brand online.
• Shift from traditional funnels to participatory, community-driven processes.
• Increase investment in TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Reels with short-form educational or values-driven content.
• Build and nurture branded communities on Reddit, Discord, or Facebook.
• Champion realness over perfection—show mistakes, behind-the-scenes, and real talk.
• Allow your audience to advocate for you: creator content, comments, and UGC must be embraced and shared.
• Use transparency and data to give your audience power to make informed, values-aligned buying decisions.

At the intersection of trust, transparency, and TikTok lies the future of marketing. Leaders who embrace the spirit of this new generation don’t just succeed—they shape culture.