The New Form of Consumer Activism

Cancel culture among Gen Z employees and customers can have a profound impact on brands. This generation does its homework to make sure the companies they work for and the brands they support align with their own ideals. You can’t hide anything from Zs — and it’s in your best interest to watch and listen to them, and to be honest and transparent.

In last week's Next Gen Equality Lounge, we hosted a panel on how brands are adapting to Gen Z’s new form of brand activism and the impacts of cancel culture. Jen DaSilva, President of Berlin Cameron, moderated the panel and was joined by two inspiring Gen Z students and four amazing business leaders:

• Ina Bhoopalam, Student & Activist, Harvard University
• Nadya Okamoto, Student, Harvard University, Founder and Executive Director of PERIOD
• Susan Slocum, Executive Partnership Director, Speakable
• Lilia Luciano, Emmy Award-winning Journalist
• Deidre Smalls-Landau, CMO and Global Head of Culture, UM Worldwide
• Maia McCann, Director of Audience Development, In The Know, Verizon Media 

There is consensus among the panelists that brands today should be transparent and make authenticity inherent in their values. This is important during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as for the future, as employees and consumers are supportive of brands that understand what the world needs and do what they can to deliver on those needs. People pay attention to and value how brands support their employees, the community, and the consumer.

The activism and social voice of Gen Z is defining how to support the right brands. As a result, many brands are re-evaluating their purpose. The key characteristics and initiatives that brands should embrace when trying to reach, and even employ, this generation include:

1. Sustainability and being environmentally friendly, which should not be treated as a luxury and must be available to all income tiers
2. Authenticity, particularly in terms of the brand’s outward statement being reflected internally 
3. Transparency about the external and the internal - how they treat their workers, the gender balance, production cycle, diverse age range, and making sure that all people are represented at the table
4. Making the world better with actions and not just words
5. Allowing Gen Z to make a contribution and enact change with how they think and act in their lives today
6. Diversity in the brand’s workforce and messaging
7. Including Gen Z at the table, and treating them as partners and not test subjects

Many brands tend to put Gen Z into a bucket and generalize the characteristics and habits of this generation. The students on our panel are aware of the misconceptions they find that brands have about them. They also feel that brands think their generation is oblivious to everything the company is doing. This is so far from the truth, as Gen Z values transparency. They do their research and are quick to learn if the brand isn’t living up to the values they claim to have. The upside is that if a brand is living up to those values, they will find a loyal customer base among Gen Z.