To truly understand Gen Z, you must understand this: we operate from a scarcity mindset - shaped by fear, frustration and fractured trust.
We were raised in an emotional pressure cooker - school shootings, the climate crisis, a pandemic that disrupted milestones, and persistent economic instability. Today, personal safety and security top the list of Gen Z priorities. That same fear is driving how we think about power, money, law and order, and the systems that surround us, including the system of brand communications.
The good news? Communicators can tap into Gen Z’s deep emotional investment in progress. A recent Edelman Brand Trust report suggests that for Gen Z, brand trust is increasingly personal, not institutional. We’re not looking to brands to fix society, we're looking to them to show up in our lives with optimism, clarity and care. We value emotional connection as much as ethical alignment, and we notice when brands make our world feel more stable, even in small, personal ways.
Our passion isn’t performative; it’s personal. It’s born from lived experience, systemic frustration and the belief that something better is possible. And while it’s natural for brands to hesitate, fearful of saying the wrong thing or stepping into polarized debates, Gen Z’s passion can be a permission space, not a pressure cooker. When brands act with clarity and care, they won’t just avoid backlash; they’ll gain advocates.
Let’s take a closer look:
- More than half (51%) of highly aggrieved Gen Z believe that helping people with different beliefs comes at a cost to themselves. That’s textbook zero-sum thinking. In other words: if you’re winning, we’re probably losing.
- Confidence in government, media and business is near all-time lows. Many young people believe that these institutions serve the elite and wealthy, leaving others behind. Even the pastimes and entertainment that once brought us joy feel complicated; performative stories of nepotism in Hollywood, influencers-turned-villains, and even hobbies have become a feeding ground for political turmoil (they said what at the run club!?). What used to be casual interests now act as litmus tests for someone’s politics or values.
- We believe in driving real change, even if it’s sometimes perceived by other generations as confrontational. Edelman’s Gen Z and Grievance research shows that 53% of Gen Z expresses approval of what’s often labeled “hostile activism,” a broad category that can include everything from online pressure campaigns to direct action. That support reflects frustration and urgency, not an endorsement of unethical behavior – it's a response to collective trauma. For many, it’s not just about protest; but rejecting the idea that traditional reform is enough.
As a Gen Z comms professional, I’ve seen our role evolve from simply executing tasks to harnessing our unique lived experiences and cultural fluency as strategic assets.
I remember the gut punch I felt reading about the evolving landscape of DEI programs across major companies. As a communicator, it raised questions about how progress is sustained over time and I recognized that my role as an advisor was entering a new chapter. As a Gen Zer, it stirred a familiar tension: the sense that momentum can stall when urgency fades. But rather than discouragement, what I felt most was determination. A quiet but steady reminder: we’re still here, and we’re still paying attention. For brands, this moment isn’t about taking a side, it’s about honoring your values with consistency, even as the world around you becomes more complex.
Gen Z doesn’t expect perfection, but we do expect progress, consistency and proof. We want brands to show up as the company that you say they are, not just when the spotlight is on, but when no one is looking. We want actions, not just awareness. Proof looks like:
- Enforcing workplace policies and commitments
- Engagement on social issues that support your people and customers
- Tangible progress in local communities and our world
When we see real effort, we show up as advocates, amplifiers and even employees. But that trust must be earned, not assumed.
So, for communications teams, this means:
- Pressure-test your values. Ask: “Would we still do this if no one were watching?” If not, it may lean toward being performative. Brands have been publicly called out in media for making bold public statements during moments of reckoning, like posting solidarity during racial justice protests, only for internal policies or business decisions to quietly contradict them. Analysts and commentators have flagged this disconnect as a key driver of reputational risk. Gen Z doesn’t just notice the gap between values, words and behavior; we log it as a red flag, and that disconnect undermines trust at its core.
- Gauge issue salience. Ask: “Would silence here cause backlash or disengagement?” Coverage in major outlets has highlighted instances where brands have tried to sidestep cultural moments, like quietly opting out of Pride after facing political backlash, only to be called out by LGBTQ+ consumers and allies for what felt like a retreat. Gen Z isn’t asking for constant commentary, but we do notice when brands are selectively visible. In key moments, silence can speak louder than a statement and often signals disengagement, indifference, or worse, fear.
- Make your receipts visible. Help Gen Z assess your brand by making your track record easy to find and hard to fake. When brands lean on words like “sustainable” or “ethical” without offering data, methodology, or third-party proof, it sets off alarms. We've seen fashion and beauty brands face backlash when those claims didn't hold up under scrutiny, especially when product lines or supply chain practices told a different story. We’re not asking for perfection, but if the receipts are vague or hard to find, we assume there’s something to hide.
The takeaway is clear: Gen Z’s fear isn’t going anywhere. Whether you’re launching a product, navigating layoffs or shifting your sustainability strategy, we’re watching. Not with passive interest, but with the belief that what benefits you might come at our expense. If that fear is confirmed, you don’t just lose our trust – you lose our loyalty, our voices, and our dollars.
To stop being seen as part of the problem, brands must show up like allies - with values and with verifiable action.
Olivia Tompkins is a senior account executive of corporate reputation and the global knowledge manager of the Gen Z Lab at Edelman.