Gen Z’s ad preferences & a sneak peek at our new sports vertical

Welcome back to The Anti-Gatekeeper, you’ve just unlocked your no-holds-barred pass to the Gen Z zeitgeist, curated by the mavens at SCREENSHOT.

?? No gatekeeping here, just straight-up, unfiltered insights ??

What to expect:

• Monthly insights piece ??
• Meme of the month ??
• Platform push of the month ??
• OMG data moment ??
• SCREENSHOT win of the month ??
• Overheard in the office ????

Monthly insights piece ??

This month, we're diving into what Gen Zers expect from advertising, whether it’s on TV or buzzing through their social media feeds ??

Picture the modern advertising scene as a high-stakes casino night—every brand is going all-in, aiming to hit the jackpot of audience attention. Traditional TV ads, with their hefty price tags, can feel like betting big with high risks. On the flip side, social media advertising emerges as the crafty player. It’s less costly, offers pinpoint targeting, and when executed correctly, it consistently wins big, engaging directly with a generation that lives online.

At SCREENSHOT, we’re not just playing the game — we’re changing it. We guide brands on how to strategically shift their budgets to maximise ROI. Investing in social media isn’t just spending money; it’s making every dollar work smarter to meet and exceed business goals.

Curious about how to deal your brand into the winner’s circle? ?? Click here to learn more.

Meme of the month ??

April’s meme scene was rocked by Taylor Swift’s latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, and more specifically, a line from the song ‘Who's Afraid Of Little Old Me?’ that led netizens to share their digital and real-life haunts growing up ??

Despite mixed responses to the album, its cultural impact is undeniable. It officially birthed its first meme: “You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum that raised me.” This lyric from ‘Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?’ struck a chord with social media users, who paired it with images of the (slightly traumatic) places and moments that shaped them.

The meme first gained traction when an X user captioned a photo of the choir room from Glee with the lyric. Others chimed in, referencing online moments like 2014 Tumblr and YouTuber drama as well as actual physical places like Aeropostale and Abercrombie. Pretty sure Miss Swift didn’t see that one coming, probably seeing more meme potential in other wild lyrics like, “My friends used to play a game where we would pick a decade we wished we could live in instead of this / I’d say the 1830s but without all the racists and getting married off for the highest bid.” ??

Platform push of the month ??

Instagram is about to shake things up with a major algorithm overhaul this summer. But because we’re always one step ahead—and definitely not gatekeepers—we’re spilling the beans early ??

Remember when we talked about TikTok dialling back on single clips last March? Well, Instagram, never one to pass up mimicking its rivals, is on a similar track. This summer, as Adam Mosseri himself confirmed, Instagram will tweak how it recommends content with its new ‘Direct Replace’ feature. This change will cheer smaller, original creators while putting content aggregators in a pinch.

Here’s the scoop: if Instagram spots identical content from different posters, it will boost the original creator’s version, giving them broader exposure and tagging copies with a link back to the original. Aggregators can still reach their existing followers, but their wider reach will be clipped.

Moreover, if an account frequently posts non-original content, Instagram might stop recommending it altogether. Mosseri’s advice? Add your unique twist to shared content to maintain visibility. He hints at enhancing value, just to be clear.

There’s buzz that Instagram might soon limit recommendations for accounts reposting unoriginal content more than 10 times in 30 days. While it’s great to see aggregators checked, creators are understandably nervous about potential mislabelling as aggregators. What will their recourse be? We’ll have to keep our eyes peeled ??

OMG data moment ??

Hold onto your ??! Household wealth for those under 40 in the US has skyrocketed by 49% from pre-pandemic levels, marking a record not seen since the Federal Reserve started keeping tabs in 1989. Here’s why this is a big deal:

Young Americans are raking in assets and slashing debts like never before ?? Homeownership is up, driving the average housing wealth up by a cool $22,000 as home prices soar. Meanwhile, liquid assets have gotten a boost from pandemic savings and increased wages. And let’s not overlook financial assets — mostly stocks and mutual funds — which have swelled by an impressive $31,000.

What about debt? It’s down by $5,000, thanks in part to strategic credit card payoffs and the student loan moratorium, allowing many to dodge this financial burden altogether.

But let's not forget: despite these gains, older Americans still hold a significant wealth lead over the younger generation.

SCREENSHOT win of the month ??

Last month, we didn’t just break down a trend; we set the internet ablaze with one! Our eagle-eyed content team spotted the nascent sparks of a viral conversation: “Would you rather be stuck in a forest with a bear or a man?” Recognising its potential, thanks to skyrocketing watch-through and engagement rates, we leapt into action.

We dispatched our vox pop expert, Alin Puscas, to hit the streets and pose this seemingly quirky question to unsuspecting women. The response? Nothing short of phenomenal — and deeply revealing. Overwhelmingly, women chose the bear, a stark commentary on their perceptions of safety, or lack thereof, regarding men. This chilling insight into societal fears likely fueled the viral explosion.

Within the first 24 hours, the video exploded, racking up over 15 million organic views across TikTok and Instagram. But it didn’t stop there. Over the next week, the video became a viral sensation, inspiring reposts, stitches, duets, and greenscreen analyses, amassing an estimated 100+ million views across all platforms.

Two weeks into its viral life, our original video spurred widespread media coverage from heavy hitters like Forbes, CNN, MailOnline, The Daily Beast, Indy100, USA TODAY, and Stylist.

At SCREENSHOT, when we say we’re trendsetters, not just trend followers, we mean it. This month’s viral vox pop is proof that we don’t just capture the zeitgeist — we ignite it!

Overheard in the office ????

Over at SCREENSHOT HQ, the buzz is palpable as we prepare for a bold new venture ?? ??

Snap is making a major play in the sports arena. At the annual IAB NewFronts last week in New York, Snap Inc. announced plans to bring some big names, including gymnast Livvy Dunne, reality TV star Harry Jowsey, and gamer and comedian Kai Cenat, to Paris for this June’s Summer Olympics. But that’s not all — they’ve teamed up with NBCUniversal to launch five new augmented reality (AR) lenses that will showcase Team USA athletes, their uniforms, and medal counts ??

Beyond the Olympics, Snap’s ongoing partnerships with major sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, and WNBA underscore its ambition. By doubling down on these relationships, Snapchat is carving out a niche as the must-visit social media destination for major sporting events. This strategy suggests a savvy evolution from its roots as a Gen Z-focused social media app — a transition we think is perfectly aligned.

As experts in all things next-gen, we leverage our knowledge and extensive data to launch impactful new brands and verticals. So what better time for SCREENSHOT to tease something big? We’re gearing up to launch a new sports vertical very soon — stay tuned and get ready to dive deep into sports like never before ?

Let’s chat! ??

Eager to unravel the thoughts swirling in the next generation’s heads? ?? We're here, tuned in and keen to chat! Shoot us an email at [email protected]