News & Thinking

Press Coverage: WARC ‘Gen Z and gender: divided, complex and sometimes conservative’

  • News
News 18 Jul

Publication: WARC
Date:
18/07/2024
Link to piece: Here

Gen Z and gender: divided, complex and sometimes conservative

Gen Z lifestyles & attitudes Marketing to Gen Z Male lifestyles & attitudes
While often labelled progressive and ‘woke’, Gen Z can be surprisingly traditional and have a yearning for ‘simpler times’, according to research from marketing agency MTM.

The Great Unwokening, a report by MTM, explores how shifting views on gender and global instability have shaped this generation, giving rise to a complex set of contradictory identities. But the report suggests there’s an opportunity for brands to connect with this generation through a shared sense of community, hobbies, and play.

Why Gen Z identity matters
Gen Z is an increasingly divided generation. According to Gallup, women aged 18-30 are now 30% more liberal than their male counterparts, an ideological gender gap that is five times wider than in 2000. The reasons for this are complex but arise partly from a backlash against sweeping statements about female empowerment, as well as men being labelled irrelevant in light of the Me Too movement and lacking role models.

Against this backdrop, some Gen Z retreated into more traditional and conservative roles. The future, however, is about finding common ground – and that’s what brands need to consider if they want to appeal to this generation with a spending power of $44bn annually in the US alone.

Key findings
The rise of trends such as ‘girls girl’, ‘girlboss’, ‘primal masculinity’ and ‘tradwife’ have created a gender divide – avoid talking to Gen Z with ‘on-the-nose feminine and masculine cues by enlisting the help of cross-gender peer advisors’, the report advises.

Reframe gender: products, services, and communications shouldn’t be bound by rigid gender expectations, the report says.

Brands should work toward ‘decentering gender’. That includes rooting campaigns in the everyday individual and using relatable role models.

Reposition thinking around traditional roles by giving them a lens of positivity; the report singles out blue collar jobs as one area that is due for a positive rebrand.
Gen Z increasingly wants to reclaim the idea of sisterhood – consider the value of building friendships over a sustained period of time and reclaim spaces for shared pursuits, from playing games to physical activities.

Key quote

“Moving beyond traditional gender-first marketing, brands can connect with this generation by focusing on shared values like community and acceptance. Understanding the aspects of gender that resonate with their audience allows brands to empower them to express those freely” – Marina Graham, Cultural & Trends Director, MTM.

*The Great Unwokening Report is based on news, research, and industry data, as well as expert interviews and Gen Z interviews.

Sourced from MTM, WARC