What does Gen Z believe leisure?

The dialogue, moderated via Ziad Ahmed, Head of Next Gen, United Talent Agency, introduced in combination Amy Powell (Head of leisure advertising and marketing at Amazon), Lexi Riegelhoust (Senior Director of Entertainment + Culture Marketing at Adobe) and Michael Vito Valentino (editor in leader at NOW This) to discover how conventional advertising and marketing is being remodeled.

Powell showcased “Celebrity Substitute,” a short-form content material sequence produced for Amazon that includes celebrities clearing lecturers’ Amazon Wish Lists. The display, hosted via Julian Shapiro-Barnum of “Recess Therapy,” exemplifies how logo values may also be woven organically into leisure.

“Younger viewers want to be able to see content that’s entertaining and that doesn’t interrupt what they’re doing,” Powell defined. “We intentionally try to have the brand show up in the way that it does in real life.” She additionally highlights how emotions are tied into stories & goals to create content material that faucets into this. 

Riegelhoust highlighted Adobe’s process of tapping into affinity-based advertising and marketing via taking part with creators who’re already the use of their merchandise. She famous that whilst mega-talent attracts consideration, it is the mid-tier proficiency that actually engages with audiences.

“I don’t think this is that much different than what we were doing before. We were always trying to be storytellers,” Riegelhoust mentioned. “I think right now we just have greater opportunity than we ever had before.”

Valentino shared how NOW This has pivoted to making displays in particular for Gen Z ladies on social platforms. Their display “Are You Okay?” won over 500,000 fans in simply 4 months, attracting main logo sponsors and superstar visitors achieving out to paintings with them like Lizzo.

“When working with brand partners, we want to make sure that it’s not about integration anymore. That’s done. It’s all about elevation,” Valentino emphasised. “Influencers are something of the past. Now you want creators that are shaping an entire world.”

The panelists agreed that a success content material transcends demographic limitations. While Gen Z may well be the preliminary goal, just right content material in the long run reaches broader audiences throughout other platforms.

“Social media is the catalyst to have those conversations begin. And then from there we’re trying to create pop culture,” Valentino defined, noting how content material that begins on social platforms steadily will get picked up via conventional media shops.

Med concluded that the glory between social media and standard media has in large part disappeared. “It’s not a question of ‘do you want to reach Gen Z,’ it’s a question of ‘do you want to be relevant.’ And if you want to be relevant, you have to be creating content,” he mentioned.

The key takeaway: manufacturers should center of attention on developing original, entertaining content material that integrates naturally into customers’ lives somewhat than interrupting it – a technique that is proving a success in taking pictures the eye of no longer simply Gen Z, however audiences throughout generations.

Ziad ends the controversy with a arguable observation, mentioning that “He doesn’t believe social media still exists. 10% of people are creating 80% of content which means the vast majority of us are scrolling on our phones watching professional content creators… therefore making it no different to what we see in the media. This means it’s not just social media vs media. It’s just the media. Whether you click on TikTok, it’s two ways of being entertained. It’s two ways of feeling okay when you’re not feeling okay.”

Gen Z isn’t opting for between platforms – they’re turning each platform into TV. Viral TikTok sequence now rival conventional displays, proving that content material – no longer the channel – drives consideration. For entrepreneurs, that implies storytelling should adapt throughout a unified media machine. But this shift isn’t almost about Gen Z; it’s about everybody in the hunt for that means, break out, and emotion in content material, anyplace they to find it.