EXPLAINER: Which skincare brand is winning Gen Alpha over and everything trending with youth this week

Welcome to our weekly teen and young adult newsletter powered by YPulse AI and The Newsfeed. Never miss a beat on what young people are up to.

“I read YPulse every day. It's how I keep up with the audience.”

Kaley Mullin | Youth and Trends Insights Lead, YouTube

?? Ask YPulse AI

Every week YPulse AI answers one reader-submitted question. If you'd like to submit a question, leave it in the comments of this post.

????♂? A reader asks: "What kinds of dupes are Gen Z into?"

YPULSE AI SAYS: Gen Z's embrace of the "Dupe Mindset" has led to a widespread trend of purchasing affordable alternatives to high-end products across various categories. This trend reflects their desire to balance quality and affordability, allowing them to enjoy the benefits of premium products without the associated costs.

Designer and Luxury Brand Dupes: Gen Z shows significant interest in dupes of high-end designer brands such as Gucci, Dior, and Chanel. These luxury brand dupes allow young consumers to access the style and perceived quality of prestigious brands at a fraction of the cost. Notably, Gucci ranks as the top luxury brand for which Gen Z seeks dupes, aligning with its status as a highly aspirational brand among this demographic [1][4].

Everyday Brand Dupes: Beyond luxury items, Gen Z also actively seeks dupes of everyday brands they are loyal to, including Nike, Lululemon, Adidas, SKIMS, and Apple. These brands are considered "luxury" by Gen Z standards, not necessarily due to high prices, but because of their perceived quality. Dupes of these brands serve a dual purpose: they allow young consumers to test products before investing in the original and provide a more affordable alternative to brands they frequently purchase from [4].

Beauty Product Dupes: In the beauty sector, brands like E.L.F. have gained popularity among Gen Z for offering budget-friendly alternatives to high-end cosmetics. E.L.F. is particularly known for its affordable dupes of more expensive beauty products, making it a favorite among Gen Z females [7]. This trend in beauty dupes demonstrates Gen Z's savvy approach to achieving desired looks and product performance without breaking the bank.

The popularity of dupes among Gen Z is driven by both economic considerations and a cultural shift towards valuing affordability and practicality in consumer choices [6][8]. This trend extends across various product categories, reflecting a broader mindset that prioritizes smart spending and value-based purchasing decisions. By embracing dupes, Gen Z consumers can explore and enjoy a wider range of products and styles while managing their budgets effectively.

?? The Newsfeed

Each week we share the most clicked posts from our expert-curated Newsfeed.

01 | The ad industry is defining the line between "creator" and "influencer."

The discussion on how these two categories of brand partners vary has been going on for a while now, but marketing experts are looking at it this way: creators focus on producing “original, platform-native content,” while influencers are often leveraging (much larger) pre-built audiences to drive immediate impact. This distinction is also extending to new categories like "makers," who use artificial intelligence or innovative tech to produce content. As content strategies shift, creators are prioritizing collabing and long-term partnerships, while influencers leveraging short-term, transactional campaigns. The rise of AI influencers further complicates these distinctions, with some arguing that AI cannot truly be a creator—but that’s an entirely separate debate. (Digiday)?

?? YPulse data: 55% of 13-39-year-olds trust regular people they don't know more than an influencer with a large following for a recommendation

02 | A viral fake call from a Millennial parent about traveling on the holidays is feeling real to viewers.

The viral TikTok from user @carrerasfam shows her husband "explaining to her Boomer parents" the difficulties of traveling with kids during the Christmas season, saying they won’t be the ones to make a trip and instead want the grandparents to come to them. Now, with over 315K views, the comments are full of viewers sharing their experiences of parents who expect them to visit, despite the convenience of staying put with the kids. For Millennials, who often have smaller homes than their parents may have, demanding work schedules, and tighter budgets, the prospect of packing up the family for a holiday trip is clearly getting tiring. But regardless of distance, it seems that Boomer parents (at least of these commentors) frequently expect their kids to bring the whole family to them, as may have been tradition in the past. (Distractify)?

03 | KNC Beauty is massively popularity among Gen Alpha.

The brand's approach to skincare is a self-care experience that blends beauty and playfulness, which clearly resonates with young consumers. Of course, KNC Beauty's appeal is bolstered by its social media presence, but also vibrant, Instagram-worthy packaging, with tween stars like North West endorsing its products. The brand's approach to skincare—offering a self-care experience that blends beauty and playfulness—clearly resonates with young consumers. Whether they are being drawn to the product from its playful marketing tactics or clean ingredients, it has led to tons of tweens buying and promoting the brand on socials, just as they did with brands like Drunk Elephant. (Teen Vogue)

?? YPulse data: 27% of 8-12-year-olds have bought a beauty / personal care product after seeing it first on social media?

04 | Pizza Hut’s new PIZZAWRMR uses the heat from a PlayStation to keep pizza warm.

Unfortunately, this item cannot be obtained in any Pizza Hut location—or really, any store. Pizza Hut designed this gadget as a 3D print pattern for those who have the tools. Its design blocks the PS5’s exhaust from emptying out, so it is all stuck inside the one place, like an oven, as a nod to the PS5’s reputation of overheating and letting out high temperatures. This is actually not the first brand to come up with a design like this; KFC made a whole console back in 2020 that kept chicken warm instead of pushing heat to a cooling chamber. (Mashable)

?? YPulse reported: Tons of brands have been making unconventional merch for Gen Z, and it's working?

05 | TikTok’s latest food trend is eating entire baked onions.?

The "onion boil" features onions stuffed with butter and heavily seasoned, similar to a seafood boil. The trend, popularized by videos with millions of views (like with the viral cucumber salad creator), draws comparisons to dolmas (a similar stuffed dish) but is simplified in its additions. One video by @stephpappas has nearly 13M views where she shows her take on the trend, which inspired many commentors to try the recipe. The trend has now inspired more onion-based recipes on TikTok, gaining a wide audience of experimental home cooks. (Mashable)

???YPulse data:?31% of 13-39-year-olds would like if food brands made products inspired by trending food on social media?