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.
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.
Read More360M
in spending power
2M
global Gen Z population
84%
of Gen Z are belief-driven buyers
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
London, UK, Tech
London, UK, Digital
Hamburg, Germany, Brand
Paris, France, Brand
Madrid Spain, Brand
Paris, France, Data & Intelligence
Account Executive, Italy, Brand
Dubai, UAE, Reputation
San Francisco, CA, Digital
Chicago, IL, Digital
Los Angeles, CA, Digital
Austin, TX, Corporate
Houston, TX, Energy
Atlanta, GA, Brand Purpose
Chicago, IL, Influencer Marketing
New York, NY, Digital
New York, NY, Health
New York, NY, Influence
Washington, D.C., Digital
To engage The Gen Z Lab, please fill out the form.