Edelman's Gen Z Lab

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Edelman's Gen Z Lab

Building trust with the future generation of consumers

Speak with any CMO today and within minutes we guarantee they will bring up Gen Z. This generations’ influence is felt in every corner of our industry, whether its cancel culture and brand reputation, marketing missteps and trending content, or adaptation of new technologies and social advocacy. The demand for Gen Z input and expertise has been unprecedented, which is why in 2022 Edelman appointed the world’s first ZEO and launched The Gen Z Lab, a unique dedicated advisory comprised of 250+ Edelman Gen Zers from around the globe designed to help brands future-proof their business for the next generation of consumers.

With a dedicated data hub, external advisory board, and expertise across all sectors and disciplines, Edelman’s Gen Z Lab was built to alleviate these fears and bring Gen Z and the C-suite closer together in order to take collective action.

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Lab Leadership

Latest Gen Z Insights

Gen Z Research

Harris Reed

Inside Edelman’s New Gen Z Project with Harris Reed

The world’s biggest PR firm and consultancy has tapped gender-fluid designer Harris Reed to help lead its “Gen Z Lab,” part-consultancy, part-data hub, to better understand the next generation of consumers.

Reed becomes the world’s very first ZEO and will serve as the lab’s cultural and creative advisor, fulfilling his commitment to helping brands be a force for social change and acceptance.

Gen Z by the Numbers

360M

in spending power

global Gen Z population

84%

of Gen Z are belief-driven buyers

Debunking Gen Z Myths

01—

ACCEPTED BELIEF:
Gen Z all want to be influencers.

01—

NEW REALITY:
Only 12% aspire to be an influencer.

02—

ACCEPTED BELIEF:
Gen Z are bold, bullish activists.

02—

NEW REALITY:
66% believe that sharing is a form of activism (and it’s not radical).

03—

ACCEPTED BELIEF:
Gen Z mobilizes cancel culture.

03—

NEW REALITY:
It’s about accountability. 1 in 3 want brands to take responsibility for wrongdoing.

04—

ACCEPTED BELIEF:
In TikTok they trust.

04—

NEW REALITY:
YouTube is the most trusted, while TikTok ranks #5.

How we help clients

Data & Insights Hub

Ongoing research driven by our powerful human intelligence tools, and crafted with Gen Z’ers from survey to study, ensure we know the facts about this generation.

Inspiration & Immersion

We leverage a curated bench of cultural thought leaders from across industries to bring external perspective and strategic insights to brands. As Gen Z changes the world, we bring the world in.

Insights & Strategy

A team of real Gen Z’ers from around the world, across Edelman’s network of sectors and expertise are ready to influence strategies, ideas, and offer real perspective.

Creative & Ideas

Tap the mind of Harris Reed and our Gen Z squad for cultural and creative inspiration. They advise on creative strategy with purpose and business impact at the heart.

The Lab in Action

Latest Gen Z Insights

The best way to earn Gen Z’s trust is to do what they do: Question everything

They have the power to influence for the greater good, and you have the power and scale to help them.

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4 Crucial Business Trends According to Gen Z

As business leaders begin (and continue) to set course for 2023, they face more uncertainty than ever.

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The Marketer’s Dilemma: Redefining Gen Z

Gen Z is one of the largest generations of our time. With a global population of nearly 2 billion, they are viewed as a monolith.

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Building Trust the Gen Z Way

Concern about polarization in America is growing among younger people at least as much as among our elders.

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Meet Our Gen Z Ambassadors

Representing their generation and local region this super squad of Gen Zers has expertise across retail, influencer marketing, energy, brand purpose, strategy, brand reputation, content creation, and more.