Weekly Update 32

June 29, 2022

This past week has dredged up details relating to two of the US's most deadly school shootings. The Parkland school shooter responsible for killing 17 people in 2018 escaped a death sentence. Far-right radio host Alex Jones was also ordered to pay $1B to families of Sandy Hook Elementary School for calling the massacre a 'hoax.'

• Gen Z cancels the 'hostile' thumbs-up emoji

• Domino's billion-dollar business has nothing to do with its pizza

• Beauty brands reap the benefits of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

#GenZRejectsAspiration

🤢 Gen Z is repulsed by the idea of being 'aspirational' and rejects online performativity.

👎 Only 4.4% of teens want to see 'aspirational' glamorous lifestyles; 21% of Gen Z want realistic content about social groups, family relationships, and mental health.

Rejecting the Goop-ification of wellness

💆 Goop's feel-good wellness products exemplify the consumerism of the last 10 years.

😩 They represent the pressures to be happy, beautiful, and healthy, which are now being replaced with a more realistic and relaxed culture.

🚿 Buyers face sensationalism fatigue as social media hypes fantastical products like gluten-free shampoo or CBD butt balm.

Is Gen Z icon Dua Lipa getting it wrong?

📧 Dua Lipa's weekly newsletter, Service95, provides personal recommendations and travel tips, appealing to Gen Z's affinity towards online personalities.

⚡ There's nothing wrong with an A-lister sharing lifestyle tips, but these projects often become tone-deaf and could isolate her younger audience.

The luxury industry also has a Gen Z problem

🛍️ Young adults have contributed to the growth of luxury brands over the past decade. However, Gen Z's falling purchasing power is impeding their ability to buy luxury goods.

💲 Brands have been forced to temper their sales expectations, they could offer lower threshold items like earrings, perfumes, and more to attract Gen Zers.

Authenticity >>> Aspiration

🤳 Gen Z's rejection of aspiration is fueling the rise of 'genuinefluencers:' social media stars who don't use their platforms for product placement but talk about social injustices and spread info to keep people informed.

💸 The generation isn't 'post-aspirational,' they're just aspiring for different things, evolving beyond aspiration as a motivator to purchase.

If you have any feedback, drop it here. Have a great weekend!