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rand owners have always had to adapt to the expectations of different generations and the resulting shifts in dynamics between brands and target groups. The most recent dynamic shift is related to Gen Z, the generation comprising people born between the mid-1990s and the beginning of the 2010s.

By 2030 Gen Z will represent 30% of the workforce [1] and 11% of all household spending [2] in the world. This will have significant impacts on brand management, marketing, and employer branding.

The purpose of the report is to explain the cultural moment that Gen Z are living in and how their unique experiences translate into seemingly contradictory actions that on a deeper level make perfect sense. At the same time the report aspires to demonstrate how this understanding clarifies what Gen Z expects from brands and how brands can develop meaningful and lasting relationships with people in this age cohort.

The race to explain how Gen Z is different in its motivations and behaviours from previous generations, such as the Millennials, people born between 1981 and 1996, has accelerated among media and marketing professionals. However, many of these trend reports or statistical analyses lack the contextual knowledge that would explain why this generation is different from other generations. We believe this is the fundamental question that needs to be answered in order to make accurate interpretations, beyond the 'kids will be kids' attitude. To build meaningful relationships with Gen Z, we need to understand what drives them, how the world is different for them, and what tools they need to thrive in it.

[1] Johns Hopkins University, 2023

[2] Oxford Economics, 2021

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Combining literature review and ethnographic research methods, our study offers an in-depth look at the Gen Z experience, clarifying what unites this diverse generation and making sense of the contradictions in their behaviour. It also provides a new perspective on Gen Z's attitudes towards brands and reveals the key elements behind successful brand strategies.

Ilona Hiila

Vapa Media

Annakerttu Aranko

Noren

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Contents

Young adults’ battle for authenticity in the era of political polarisation

1. Introduction and summary of main findings
   
2. Background: What kind of a world did Gen Z grow up in?
   
3. Study: Young people strive for authenticity, not identity play
   
4. How do Gen Z seek to increase revealing authenticity?
   
5. How does revealing authenticity influence the brand literacy of Gen Z?
   

What does Gen Z’s ideal of revealing authenticity mean for brands?

1. Generation Z brand literacy challenges brand communication
   
2. Not all brands are about saving the world
   
3. The building blocks of an authentic brand

References

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Revealed Authenticity:

Young adults’ battle for authenticity in the era of political polarisation

In the next section, we review the research report on the study conducted by Noren. ​The report sheds light on Gen Z's worldview, experiences in today's society, values ​and how these influence what young people expect from brands.

Written by: Noren / Annakerttu Aranko, Iida Korpiniitty & Linda Sivander

Introduction and summary of main findings

The pursuit

of revealing ​authenticity ​has emerged as ​a counterforce ​to the immense ​mental strain.

We conducted a study in spring 2023 with the goal of gathering in-depth understanding of the experiences and lives of young adults. We also wanted to understand what roles do brands play in their lives and how they interpret brand communications and actions. Why do some brands feel inspiring and others confusing?

As a research method, ethnography seeks to understand people in all of their everyday environments. For this study, we chose to conduct ethnography with a focus on virtual worlds because, for Gen Z, virtual worlds play a central role in the lives of young people. Furthermore, little else distinguishes this generation from previous ones as clearly as growing up with and in these virtual spaces. Before entering the field, we carried out an extensive literature review which helped us comprehend the societal changes that have shaped the experiences of Gen Z and generate hypotheses on the ideals emerging among them, as well as the significance of these ideals for brands.

In the ethnographic field study, we interviewed five young adults aged between 18 and 21 from different parts of Finland on their lives, values, and goals. We also observed

their behaviours in various virtual game worlds and collected journal entries on the roles of virtual platforms, such as social media services and games, in their daily lives. As part of the interview process, we also carried out brand-related exercises with the interviewees.

The central finding of this study was that the interaction of Gen Z in both offline and online contexts is characterised by what we call the ideal of revealing authenticity. In our interpretation, the pursuit of revealing authenticity has emerged as a counterforce to the immense mental strain that young people experience today, primarily due to the pressure to continuously be aware of and control their self-presentation in social spaces. For example, the young adults we interviewed talked at length about their reluctance to post their real, authentic and vulnerable selves publicly online, and felt the need to curate their online persona carefully.

We introduce the concept of revealing authenticity to describe the style of interaction idealised by Gen Z, in which a person presents themselves with no filter, as they really are. It is intimately connected to the traditional Western

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concept of humanity that emerges in young people's speech, where each individual possesses an authentic true self, distinct from learned roles and social performativity. Relatedly, nurturing a relationship with this self is a virtue in itself (cf., e.g., Taylor 1999).

Young people feel that social media in particular has encouraged people to construct socially acceptable and consciously branded façades which they use to gain approval and attention. Their experience is that these strategic and stylized facades have turned into protective but isolating 'walls' between people, preventing genuine connections. Simultaneously, external expectations may also confuse one’s connection to their own authentic self. That can be seen as a greater problem at a fundamental level as cultivating a relationship with one’s true self carries moral value.

However, breaking down the façades that protect from criticism and social sanctions is seen as a real risk, particularly in a social atmosphere where discussion is becoming increasingly intense, polarised and even harsh. While young people admire people who present themselves in public as they truly are, most of them would only feel safe fully revealing their true selves in confidential and intimate relationships. It is also likely that the significance of the risk

inherent in revealing authenticity intensifies according to factors of structural oppression, such as nominators of class, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

As the lifeworlds and ideals of young people have in many ways moved further away from each other through recent social developments, it is notable that this ideal of authenticity seems to be shared widely among Gen Z despite other major differences between them. As authenticity is one of the buzzwords of our time, so overused that it has nearly become meaningless in describing anything novel, it is vital to appreciate the conditions in which this generation has adopted what we call the ideal of authenticity or revealing authenticity - and the particular service it does for them.

When we talk about being young, we often see it as an adventurous time of identity development, experience, play and even rebellion. For Gen Z, however, this is the fundamental shift in perception. As polarisation has increased, the discourse culture become more inflammable, and the realms of private and public merged together like never before, the space for worry-free experimenting has diminished and the consequences of messing up have become harsher.

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In the last decade, social media presented new opportunities for success through influencers and viral fame. For Generation Z, these promises of success have collided with the realities of increased competition and uncertainty. Despite this, the prevailing ethos that anything is possible continues to exert pressure. Social media and the culture of personal branding greeted with excitement by the previous generations, have in many ways proven to be a burden for Generation Z.

For a generation growing up in this era, revealing authenticity is a vital coping tool. Young people focus on their mental health efforts, as well as foster relationships where they can momentarily let their walls down and abandon control – ascribing more significance to internally experienced authenticity than an externally visible façade.

Our research participants protect themselves from an excessive mental load by disappearing from the public stages of social media, constructing safe social bubbles both in and beyond virtual worlds, and by immersing themselves in meaningful hobbies, such as gaming. They are not just protecting themselves, but actively resisting a social atmosphere ruled by biases, breaking curated façades, and renouncing the logic of the attention economy of social media.

For a generation born in the golden age of new technology fuelling a culture of personal branding like never seen before, the ideal of authenticity is about nothing less than psychological survival and reclaiming existential meaning. It helps them navigate structural shifts, increasing uncertainty and intensifying competition of their time, while offering them a new concept of a good life after the old ones have ceased to serve them. While young people have limited control over traditional aspects of a 'good life' like a stable career and material success, creating authentic relationships with themselves and a few, carefully selected others is an achievable and meaningful goal.

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Revealing authenticity forms the lens through which Gen Z view and evaluate themselves and others, including institutions and brands.

At the same time, revealing authenticity as an idealised way of interacting with others forms the lens through which Gen Z view and evaluate themselves and others, including institutions and brands. The ideal of revealing authenticity turns many communication principles effective for millennials upside down: sustainability communication can seem manipulative, while unabashed sales pitches may be interpreted as ethical.

If companies want to grasp the fine line between the more general authenticity discourse and the ideal of revealing authenticity which runs to the core of Gen Z, they must understand the context in which young people operate, as well as the different demands the world places on them in comparison with previous generations. At the same time, we must see Gen Z as people who have grown up in the era of personal branding and for whom strategic content creation is a given, in terms of the content they both consume and produce on a daily basis.

The era of meaningfulness and narratives in brand communications seems to have come to an end with the advent of Gen Z. A direct commercial message and commitment to the brand’s core operations are more likely to win the trust of this target group than socially conscious

statements and symbolic brand actions, which may be perceived as tactical. Brands who want to win over Gen Z must understand the needs addressed by the ideal of revealing authenticity and offer encouraging examples of sincere, honest presentations on public arenas.

A word of warning to brands who want to address Gen Z through the ideal of authenticity: these young people are primed to recognise the difference between the performance of authenticity and a genuine authenticity. Addressing young people through the ideal of authenticity may backfire, if brands are seen as attempting to merely monetise it. Revealing authenticity is ultimately about the courage to stay true to oneself and to bring one’s internal motivations to the forefront, also in corporate communications.

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Background: What kind of a world did Gen Z grow up in?

Crumbling boundaries between public and private arenas enabled personal branding – which soon became a burden.

There is a long-standing understanding in the social sciences that the life of individuals in societies can be seen as an act of navigation between public and private arenas (Goffman 1990 (1959)). To become full-fledged members of society, we learn various roles which address the shared cultural norms in different contexts. This requires cultural literacy, which allows us to regulate our speech and behaviour according to the audience and situation. Simply put, the way we behave at home or when alone is different from how we behave at work or on the football field.

However, the line between private and public contexts has been blurred in our society in an unprecedented way due to the technological advances of the past two decades. Before social media, it was easier to maintain and control a public self. The public sphere was fairly easy to differentiate from the private one, and matters in the private sphere were not expected to be shared in public. With the advent of social media, these spheres collapsed on each other, blending the private and the presentable (Pearson 2009, Marwick & Boyd 2011).

Social media offered completely new tools for stylising one’s life and self, and for regulating different degrees of sharing. The private and public could be consciously used to bolster one another. As technological advancements accelerated the changes in the world of work and financial crises tested our faith in social support networks, the personal brand became a project with limitless potential (Marwick & boyd 2011). Sharing a story about overcoming depression on Instagram may turn into an invitation to speak at a wellbeing event, while a dance video uploaded to TikTok may result in podcast guest spots and even a career in reality television.

As they developed, social media and virtual worlds promised global connections, as well as new self-made success for anyone who wanted to take it. These promises were based on new entrepreneurial models of content creation and the audience (Turkle 1995, boyd 2014). During the lifetime of Gen Z, these promises have proven to be anything but sure-fire recipes for success. At the same time the lingering illusion of limitless potential has bred pressures that are damaging to younger people’s mental health (Helsingin Sanomat 2023).

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Members of Gen Z have, in practice, not been allowed to choose to keep their private selves outside the public sphere. Political polarisation has intensified, and with social media expanding the public sphere, it has become easier for conflict-driven commentary and debates to thrive. As a result, we see that the space for young people to explore and express their evolving thoughts and identities safely has grown smaller in comparison to previous generations, replaced by an increased sense of caution and risk. This creates pressure among young people to carefully manage how they present themselves on public forums.

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Virtual platforms have increased

both freedom and caution

According to the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE, one in four Finns is afraid to express themselves freely in the current cultural climate (Yle News 2020). This fear is also apparent in international reports, particularly regarding young people (e.g., Forbes 2021, Mainstreet Insights 2022). Connected by virtual platforms, members of Gen Z have experienced the increase of online bullying and the spread of cancel culture from public figures to the classroom, or at least they have witnessed it first-hand (e.g., The New York Times 2020). They have followed scandals where poorly thought-out social media posts have become a threat to credibility, friendships, work, or mental health. Since early childhood, they have operated in virtual spaces that do not yet have the structures that maintain social safety in ways that we are used to in the real world. They have also witnessed the increasingly intense tones of political discourse in Finland and aggression towards individuals on social media becoming more common.

International media frequently emphasises the tendency of Gen Z to be less tolerant than older generations towards the opinions of others, and their values are called “paradoxical” (e.g., The Guardian 2022). The diversity and internal interrogation of the generation are rarely discussed.

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Grassroots movements for social justice have become a broader priority for Gen Z, who have grown up in the global and polyphonic discourse of social media, than they are for older generations. However, even many young people who identify as having liberal values criticise cancel culture and admit to self-censorship to adapt to social pressures or out of fear of making a mistake (e.g., Yle Areena 2022, The Times 2022 and 2021). On the other hand, in these uncertain times conservative values have made a resurgence even among the youth as societal polarisation has intensified (Yle Uutiset, 2016).

Despite many young people feeling concerned about the deepening of prejudices and the lack of understanding towards others, changing the course of the current discourse culture is not simple. Facing diverging views on both controversial topics and the rules of discussion, many find it best to engage in challenging conversations only with like-minded people to avoid conflict and social sanctions.

Pressures are generated not just by other members of Gen Z, but also by older generations who evaluate young people based on their own perspectives and norms. While Gen Z have built a new kind of culture of self-expression on social media by creating content that is unfiltered and vulnerable, we have witnessed that embracing it can in practice result in a loss of future work and study opportunities (Washington Post 2023).

Even outside of social media, relaxing and dropping the mask just for a moment represents a threat in this era - as everyone else has their mobile devices ready to record and post. (The Times 2023).

For a long time, virtual worlds were thought to represent freedom with the potential to bring people together. The freedom they enable is still apparent in the lives of our research participants in many ways: virtual platforms give them access to content on topics that interest them, regardless of geographical boundaries. Virtual game worlds offer an avenue for release from the pressures of the real world. They also provide unique opportunities for self-expression and experiences that can deepen friendships.

However, this freedom has come to be accompanied by the burden of constant control and vigilance: careless behaviour may invite punishment and people can hide behind screen names. Therefore, the ideals and risks of self-expression are being renegotiated.

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Political polarisation is moving

our worlds further apart

Experiences of youth are shaped by social developments, even though some aspects of youth as a stage of life remain universal. Young people are looking for their path in society, thinking about what kinds of people they want to be and comparing themselves to their parents’ generation. Some of the structural changes impacting the experiences of Gen Z, like the shifts in the world of work, climate change and technological developments, have been present in their lives since birth. On the other hand, dramatic and surprising global crises, like the war in Ukraine or COVID-19 pandemic forced the youth to live an everyday life radically different from the experiences of previous generations. , Studies, hobbies, and social relationships suddenly relied solely on technology and virtual tools. New kinds of uncertainty have also arisen – both for the individual futures of young people as well as for general political stability and the environment.

When prevailing conditions change radically, we enter a crisis where the traditional ideals of what makes a good life no longer correspond to available opportunities, and the established methods of planning for the future provide no solace for young people living amidst uncertainty. Why and how should we plan, if the only thing that seems certain is uncertainty?

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Meanwhile, general public discourse piles a great deal of ​pressure on young people, even suggesting the future of the ​nation, or the whole planet, is their responsibility. Young ​people are expected to save the climate, be sustainable ​consumers and boost the economy.

The support of collective groups and local communities has ​been eroded, and demands for self-management have ​increased. Meanwhile, it is increasingly difficult to attain ​traditional life milestones, such as owning an apartment, ​having children, or accruing wealth . (“Owner-occupancy living ​decreases among young age groups”). The uncertainty is ​further enhanced by the increase of economic inequality and ​the precarious position of young people on the labour market ​in particular. Young adults are both straining themselves to ​reach traditional ideals and rejecting them outright.

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Oskari’s character: posing is ​dangerous because of the enemies, ​but the fan had to be clearly visible.

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Young people on the brink of adulthood are expected to focus on their future and to actively work towards it. At the same time, their wishes, expectations, and goals are shaped by their estimations of which paths offer the best opportunities. New ideas are created in dialogue with the old ideals that some young people seem to actively reject, while others hold onto them ever tighter. Experiences and interpretations of social developments, which often reflect the values learned from the parents, also influence future goals. As a result, young people are espousing a wide variety of different ideals, strategies, and tools as they navigate towards the future.

Some react by turning to conservative values and material success, apparent in the fascination with luxury brands, travel, and the conspicuous consumption of the celebrity lifestyle. Others direct their energies to structural activism and sustainable lifestyles. Many focus on things they feel they have the most control over: their inner worlds and closest relationships. Despite these differences in values and lifestyles, Gen Z share the ideal of revealing authenticity.

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Study: Young people strive for authenticity, not identity play

The study was conducted in Finnish, which has no gendered pronouns. As ​we therefore do not know the preferred pronouns of the research ​participants, this translation uses ”they” pronouns for all of them. Based on ​Finnish naming conventions, two of the names of the participants are ​feminine (Vilma, Ella), while three are masculine (Johannes, Kim, Oskari).

We argue that the ideal of authenticity has offered our ​research participants a new framework for living a good life ​as old ideals have crumbled. At the same time, it has become ​a way to resist the demands of personal branding, pressures ​to succeed and the polarisation of political discussions (cf. ​also Santer et. al. 2023; Marwick & boyd, 2011).

Complete authenticity is both a state of being and an act of ​communicating; it encompasses both the internal work to ​preserve the authenticity of the self and the communication ​of it externally, to others. The research participants had a ​strong essentialist concept of the existence of a “real” truth,

the true core of a person, existing beyond social roles and ​dishonesty (cf., e.g., Rousseau 1761, Handler 1986, Taylor ​1992). Young people seek to protect a connection to their ​authentic self, build relationships where they can reveal this ​self, and admire people who present their authentic selves in ​public without hiding.

The ideal of authenticity runs through all of the life contexts ​of Gen Z, from physical daily environments to digital spheres ​of social media and games. It is particularly apparent in ​social situations as an intentional effort to break down the ​walls that separate the authentic true self from the ​representation, crafted for the public stage. Young people ​also see certain platforms as being more supportive of ​revealing authenticity than others. For example, gaming can ​enable witnessing the true self of gaming partners as the ​fast-paced intensive interactions in a multiplayer game ​eventually forces the “masks” to fall (cf. van Leeuwen 2011).

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Our interpretation also challenges a popular opinion which ​presumes that young people use the freedom and curation ​options afforded by virtual platforms to construct a variety ​of identities and play with them (Turkle 1995). Our research ​material supports more recent theoretical standpoints ​which propose that instead of creating new identities and ​valuing consciously crafted representations, young people ​specifically want to avoid stylising the self, constructing ​identities with external elements, and defining themselves ​in superficial terms (Marwick & boyd 2011, Santer et al. ​2023).

It seems that while young people want to stay true to their ​authentic selves, revealing this self in public is seen as a ​tremendous risk. The tools that enable near-limitless self-​expression are in direct opposition with a political climate ​which strongly restricts it. Young people cope with this ​tension in different ways. On one hand, they are moving the ​arena of meaningful self-expression from public to private ​spaces, and on the other, they are directly challenging the ​structures that are generating the tension. Passionate ​content creation can move from public accounts to private ​ones, content creators who seem authentic are prominently ​supported while seemingly inauthentic ones are unfollowed.

The next section describes the life contexts of the research ​participants. After that we will examine the tools and ​strategies these young people have to protect their ​authenticity, break performative façades and increase ​revealing authenticity both in face-to-face interaction and ​on social media or in game worlds. When we study how ​young people operate in different contexts, we find that the ​same ideals and needs are apparent in all of them in ​different ways, helping us understand their motivations and ​relationships to the world at large.

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Sometimes Vilma is comforted when the sims characters ​are doing well, sometimes it's nice that they suffer a little.

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Social uncertainty is making ​young people focus on the ​importance of close ​relationships and wellbeing ​instead of career success

Some of the research participants are living with their ​parents while in upper secondary education or on a gap ​year, some have recently become independent, and some ​have begun studies in higher education. All of them play ​video games daily or nearly daily, and many state that they ​began gaming before the age of seven. Some say they play ​whenever they have time, while others have consciously ​tried to cut down on their gaming. The participants say that ​gaming should not take time away from studying or job ​hunting, but also point out that gaming is a way to relax and ​counterbalance the demands and pressures of everyday life.

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While many of the research participants consider gaming to ​require and develop a variety of skills, they do not think it will ​impress employers. This implies the belief that gaming is ​more accepted as an activity for children and teenagers than ​adults. Meanwhile, young people who had previously had a ​very goal-driven approach to games have abandoned the ​thought of video games or game-related content production ​eventually turning into a job. Participants consider ​competition in global contexts to be too immense. Standing ​out would require dedicating one’s life to the pursuit, and the ​likelihood of success is seen as miniscule. They recognise that ​the seemingly limitless opportunities offered by virtual ​platforms would be nearly impossible to turn into real success.

Meanwhile, hopes relating to more traditional material forms ​of success and career goals are expressed in moderate tones. ​Some have dream jobs, but they are framed with pessimistic ​estimates of the likelihood of success, making their ​expectations more “realistic”. Dream jobs may also have ​changed after a consideration of them in financial terms, and ​instead of a unified career path, many see their future as ​precarious, with many short-term stints of various jobs in ​different stages of life. Even though studying and job hunting ​are seen as important pursuits, participants consider it even

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more important to create and maintain deep, intimate ​friendships and to take care of one’s own mental health and ​resources. Genuine connections are seen as supporting both ​personal wellbeing and a sense of meaning in life.

The value placed on intimate friendships is a result of ​revealing authenticity: trust is required to safely let one's ​mask fall, and trust is also generated in the process of ​lowering the masks. The research participants describe this ​falling of masks happen quicker in intimate and intense ​interactive settings, such as in the sauna or team sports ​events.

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Striving for authenticity is a full-time job

The young people we interviewed navigate all contexts of ​their lives by actively regulating the things they reveal ​about themselves, while evaluating how much others are ​revealing. They are highly skilled at reading the ​motivations behind the words and messages sent by ​others. They also have concrete strategies and tools which ​they use to consciously break down the walls that protect ​the “true self” and to engage with who their conversation ​partner “really” is.

Gen Z are highly skilled at interpreting the hidden agenda ​of messages based on subtle visual and textual cues, and ​at separating “fishing for likes” from genuine content that ​comes from the true self. They still feel that to attain ​complete certainty about the true character of another ​person requires a great deal of information, including the ​kind that the other party does not necessarily ​intentionally mean to convey. Young people believe that ​social media and virtual worlds enable the construction ​and curation of a social facade on a different level from ​face-to-face interactions.

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Social media in particular is associated with enforcing biases, ​snap judgements, aggressive interactions and “labelling” ​others Some research participants will not share their social ​media profiles until they have fully gotten to know a person ​through other means.

On the other hand, the research participants have found ways ​to strengthen and create genuine relationships also within, or ​with the support of, virtual worlds. Against the common idea ​of youth joining unlimited global communities through virtual ​platforms, they in reality prefer limited micro-communities, ​which in many cases are extensions of offline relationships, ​and where things such as language groups or localities are ​translated into online contexts. Instead of finding new ​contacts, virtual platforms are usually used to support and ​enhance existing relationships, even though they do also hold ​great potential for creating new friendships.

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How do Gen Z seek to increase revealing authenticity?

In face-to-face interactions, young people reject masks by relinquishing control and removing everything extraneous.

The research participants steer towards interactions where ​they can “sense” or “feel out” the true self of their interlocutor, ​and consequently consider face-to-face interactions as the best ​way to determine someone’s “true nature”. In face-to-face ​communication, they can sense things the other person is ​communicating unintentionally. On virtual platforms it is easier ​to hold onto a curated facade, while in face-to-face interaction, ​participants expose themselves to the free interpretation of the ​other person and accept that their true selves may be revealed.

The research participants try to further speed up the process of ​getting to know someone by organising communal events and ​adventures that are often physical in nature. When a situation ​requires spontaneity, maintaining a coherent façade is thought ​to become near-impossible, and when the façades crumble, ​people are revealed to each other as they are. Overcoming ​shared challenges is thought to bond participants together and ​to create stories than can be recounted again and again. ​Encountering obstacles and losses is also thought to promote ​trust – even participants who characterise themselves as very ​competitive emphasise that as the most important part of ​gaming.

Exposure is also maximised by removing all elements that ​are thought to distance people from one another in face-to-​face interactions. Spending time together without phones or ​games is idealised, and some of the participants organise ​sauna evenings with their friends, or go to public pools to ​"spaz out”. The participants emphasise that they want to ​focus on talking when they meet in person. They also ​describe the importance of physical play, doing tricks and ​friendly competition in the time they spend with their ​friends.

The simplest way of breaking façades is to maximise ​immediate interaction. In the everyday lives of our ​participants, offline interaction flows easily into online ​contexts, which consequently supplement face-to-face ​interaction instead of replacing it. Spending time together at ​school continues in physical hobbies after school, and a ​Discord chat at home, where the group may agree to move to ​a gaming session later.

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If the participants want to deepen a friendship that has begun ​in a game world, but it is impossible to interact in person, they ​try to share as much about their daily lives through social ​media, such as Snapchat. Sharing mundane, everyday content ​privately is considered authentic and revealing – it is an ​invitation to peek behind the façade – at least to some degree.

The research participants want to avoid labels. Most of them ​do not define themselves through any shared identity ​markers, and are reluctant to describe themselves as ​members of any particular communities, even when their ​social lives are linked to close-knit groups, such as a class at

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school, a gaming group, a gym group or a video game clan. ​Vilma explains that they want others to figure them out over ​time, rather than defining themselves at the outset.

In terms of fashion, many of the participants describe ​avoiding visible brand logos, even though they may have ​favourite brands. Both Vilma (20) and Ella (18) explain that ​being faithful to a brand or emphasising expensive fashion ​labels may influence the way they think about the person and ​suggest that the person is superficial: “I wonder what kind of ​a person you are if you value some brand.” Kim (18), who ​began university studies in the autumn, recounted that they ​categorically refused to sew a cloth badge onto their student ​overalls with the joke “Simple Inside” superimposed on the ​Intel logo, because they did not feel that it reflected how they ​perceive themselves and how they want to be perceived by ​others.

On the other hand, Johannes (20), who jokingly calls ​themselves a committed “Mercedes man” and who prefers ​elements that emphasise their status in both game worlds ​and in real life, is revealingly authentic and open about their ​reasons for preferring high-status brands. They say that they ​naturally want to look like they have money and power. ​Similarly, Johannes emphasises that they work out with ​friends purely to look good, not health or general fitness.

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On social media, young people resist the logic ​of the attention economy and follow people who ​present themselves as they really are

Most of the research participants have drastically changed the ​way they operate on social media, or have even completely ​abandoned these platforms. The biggest shift is that young ​people have increasingly become consumers instead of ​creators of public content. Public accounts have become ​abandoned projects that are thought to be more trouble than ​they are worth. Simultaneously, not having such accounts is ​seen as a risk at a time when a public presence is considered a ​given, and also a path to career opportunities, information ​gathering and networking (e.g., Hearn 2008). Public accounts ​are maintained with minimum effort, and meaningful activity ​takes place on private accounts. The follows and followers of ​these accounts are carefully selected, or a “close friends” ​setting may be used to further restrict the audience of the ​content. On these accounts, Gen Z work to develop a new kind ​of expression: revealing authenticity. They are places where ​they can practice it safely.

Even though the research participants either do not feel the ​need, or just do not dare, to practice revealing authenticity on ​public social media where biases and aggressive comments

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are thought to proliferate, they speak admiringly of those ​who do. They have stopped following influencers they find ​inauthentic or superficial, and started following people they ​believe are presenting themselves as they really are. This ​collective resistance against the demands of perfectly ​curated facades is also internationally apparent, for example ​in the popularity of the BeReal application, or in “Finsta” ​accounts (Fake Instagram) which challenge the traditional ​perfect Instagram lifestyle.

On one hand, the research participants emphasise the ​difficulty of determining authenticity on social media, and on ​the other, they display tremendous precision in interpreting ​it from various cues. Ultimately the issue has to do with ​feeling and intuition more than whether someone is being ​demonstrably truthful. Gen Z is less interested in facts than ​they are in the standpoint from which the message is being ​sent, or what the person wants to accomplish with the ​message. The most interesting content is when a person is ​speaking from their authentic self, without external ​motivations and without chasing popularity. This intensifies ​and complicates the evaluation of authenticity. Young people ​try to see whether the speaker is “authentically authentic”, or ​whether they are pretending to be authentic in the hope of ​popularity. By this logic, an honest admission of seeking ​popularity and likes can also be proof of authenticity in some ​cases.

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Even though the evaluation of authenticity is an intuitive ​process, some content formats seem to promote trust and ​the expression of authenticity, and consequently explain the ​reason why these media are so popular among Gen Z. For ​example, TikTok, solely based on video format that feels ​more spontaneous, or Snapchat, typically focused on fast, ​unfiltered images, generate a feeling of immediacy and lack ​of filters better than more static and curated formats.

Less filtered, spontaneous communication is seen as a ​feature of people and institutions that are revealingly ​authentic. This finding may also explain certain social ​phenomena, such as the bases of popularity for celebrities or ​politicians. For Gen Z, presentation as the “true self” may ​even be more important than the values or politics the ​person represents. The fear of the consequences of losing ​control and the desire for safe self-expression may make ​people who present themselves with no filter into examples ​young people. For Gen Z, contradictory values may be more ​tolerable than the demand for constant vigilance.

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Young people are challenging our polarised discussion culture ​and finding a way to share thoughts and discuss their ​differences without having to develop an impenetrably tough ​skin and unshakeable views (Yle Areena 2022). While ​defending authenticity, the research participants do not ​support a harsher political debate or ignoring the feelings of ​others – quite the opposite. For example, Ella views negative ​and aggressive conversations as provocative fighting, and a ​reason to skip political content on TikTok. Many also ​emphasised the importance of empathy, tolerance and ​openness, which was also apparent in their idols and people ​they admire in addition to authenticity.

In virtual game worlds, Gen Z seek out safe ​bubbles, explore their true selves and try to ​bond with others

Intense experiences in virtual game worlds deepen trust in ​friendships and facilitate breaking down the walls between ​young people. On the other hand, games can also be a way for ​spending quality time in solitude and letting go of external ​demands. A key goal of gaming for the research participants ​was to foster connections to others or to the true self.

In fast-paced team games there is no time to monitor and ​choose your words carefully, making gaming an excellent ​tool for revealing the real person behind the façade. ​Withstanding high-pressure situations also fosters a new ​type of trust towards others. Oskari describes losing as a ​kind of winning, because it brings the team closer together. ​Kim explains that gaming together made the interaction ​among new university friends immediately more relaxed and ​less cautious.

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It should be noted that even though game worlds enable the ​creation of unlimited connections across geographical ​distances, the research participants seem to generate small, ​close-knit communities, which reflect existing localities and ​language groups from the real world. This phenomenon must ​be seen in relation to the simultaneous need for security and ​authenticity, which is a running theme through all of the ​interviews. Game worlds are used to create safe bubbles where ​participants can drop their masks among people they trust, ​and generate genuine connections.

Communities built on game worlds share a language both ​inside and outside the game. Kim, who is Swedish-speaking, ​belongs to a clan whose members mostly reside in Sweden, ​and is most comfortable seeking the company of other ​Swedish-speakers both offline and online. They believe the ​risk of misunderstanding is smaller. Oskari, on the other ​hand, has learned to be fluent in English in order to play with ​strangers. However, Oskari says the game communities are ​small or restricted, for example the size of one HayDay ​neighbourhood.

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Elements that simulate the restrictions of the physical world ​make the game world more experiential and challenging, ​while supporting their capacity to create experiences that ​bring players together. Oskari describes making a four-hour ​drive from Dublin to Kjøllefjord in Norway with a friend in ​the game Eurotruck Simulator 2. They departed at 7pm and ​did not arrive until 11pm. With a laugh, Oskari asked to ​imagine all the things they had time to talk about during ​such a long trip. Sitting at a computer for four hours is also ​similarly taxing on the body as riding in a real truck.

The feeling of authenticity generated by friction similar to ​the real world also plays an important role in Vilma’s single-​player Sims games. Vilma plans various life paths for the ​characters, some of which imitate the glittery lives of ​Instagram celebrities, while others go through divorces and ​bankruptcies. While the game world offers the freedom to be ​creative and experiment in ways that are impossible in the ​real world, it may be at its best when it poses obstacles, offers ​realism and enables experiences of both survival and failure.

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One of Vilma’s Sims characters.

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”Sometimes it’s fun when the family kind ​of suffers when they don’t have money.”

Vilma, 20

The research participants also describe turning to games ​when the real world is disappointing or causes anxiety. In ​the game they can relax, let go of external demands and ​challenge themselves, gaining self-esteem through ​accomplishments. The game community can provide ​positive feedback, comfort and a sense of meaning.

During our in-game observation, Kim made an attack, and ​was followed by some clanmates in real time. They made ​supportive comments when the attack failed, and Kim says ​that they can always be relied on for sympathy. Kim ​considers it a personal duty to help newer players, and to ​succeed in battles to promote the clan. Promoting shared ​goals in the game offers a rewarding sense of meaning, ​which may be particularly important at a time when real-​world plans and the state of the world may seem uncertain ​and worrying.

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At the same time, the participants also point out some ​downsides of gaming: it may take up too much time and ​tempt them away from tasks such as schoolwork. Johannes ​describes restricting their gaming after their mother ​pointed out that excessive gaming was making them ​irritable. Now Johannes says they try to complete all ​schoolwork before gaming. In the journal assignment, ​Johannes wrote that they rewarded themselves with a ​gaming session after a successful job interview. Vilma also ​explains that they must be in a calm state of mind so that the ​Sims does not become frustrating. For Vilma, gaming is a ​time for relaxation, with a hot mug of tea and a warm ​blanket setting the scene.

Ella describes the joy of doing exactly what they feel like ​when building in Minecraft – there is nobody making ​demands, hurrying them along or trying to influence them. ​While Johannes, Oskari and Kim are seeking genuine ​connections to others through gaming, Ella and Vilma are ​maintaining their connection to their own authentic selves – ​and striving to bring it to the fore. In game worlds they can ​exist solely for themselves, free from social pressures. In ​addition to gaming, both Ella and Vilma also consume ​content relating to their favourite games, such as videos and ​streams, and they have important and fond memories of a ​long history of gaming.

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Ella is creating ​a world.

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Like social media, game worlds provide opportunities for both ​revealing and hiding one’s true self. Presenting oneself ​authentically requires courage, and it is difficult to ascertain the ​authenticity of others. Even though Kim values authenticity, ​they use irony to present themselves in the game world. Kim’s ​profile says “Newbie”, even though they have been playing the ​same game since age ten. Kim explains that only top players ​have a realistic description of their level in their profile. Others ​can be either authentic or ironic – or pretend to be one or the ​other. Oskari says that after playing for long enough, it becomes ​possible to tell whether a seemingly friendly chat message has ​been sent with the intention of actually making friends or of ​stealing an in-game object.

The research participants speak highly of gamers they consider ​authentic. Kim and Oskari feel that older gamers are more ​relaxed than their peers – they do not take themselves too ​seriously or care about how they present themselves. They seem ​to be at peace with themselves, worry less, and focus on just ​having fun. Ella admires a gamer and streamer in her fifties, ​who encourages her followers to share their challenges and ​successes, no matter how small, in an atmosphere of acceptance ​and kindness. In daring to present themselves as they are, the ​people whom the research participants admire are inspiring ​examples of revealing authenticity and loyalty to one’s true self. ​At the same time, they generate an atmosphere in their ​communities where the research participants can also relax.

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How does revealing authenticity influence the brand literacy of Gen Z?

Our research suggests that revealing authenticity has become ​a mental model that cuts through all aspects of life. It also ​influences the ways in which young people interpret brand ​communications and actions. Gen Z is interested less in what ​the brand says and does, and more in why they think the ​brand is saying or doing something. They value individual ​authenticity, and do not expect brands to go too far from their ​core operations (cf. also The Times 2019). The most interesting ​brands own what they are.

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The logic of revealing authenticity primarily means that the ​brand must be comfortable with their core operations and ​position. It is not enough to identify the right channel, such ​as the right type of game, but how the brand presents itself ​through that channel is crucial. Brands should not obscure ​the core of their business or organisation, but rather ​honestly explain why they exist and what they are aiming for. ​One good, topical example of a brand following the logic of ​revealing authenticity to reach young people in the right ​channels is the secret room Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat ​built in the multiplayer game Counter-Strike (CS), where ​players can access news on Russia’s war in Ukraine. The ​game is set in a war zone, and a news media company ​entered the game with news about a real war. The brand is ​not pretending to be anything it is not and is coming into the ​game in a way that is aligned with its world and logic.

Brands have many different ways to reach target audiences ​across various channels . What is crucial is first, how well the ​brand is able to understand the prevailing ideals of a good ​life among young people, and second, to create meaningful ​communications or brand actions based on those ideals, ​while simultaneously maintaining their relations to their ​own core operations.

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1.

1. Hiding the commercial aspect in brand ​communication is seen as particularly suspicious

Gen Z interprets the motivations of brands through the ​lens of authenticity and assumes that companies are ​always primarily interested in turning a profit. It is vitally ​important to understand that our research participants ​did not criticise profit as a motive, just the obfuscation of ​that motive. The only brands criticised for being unethical ​in our study were brands whose communication had ​prioritised green marketing over other types of messages, ​despite them not being a particularly conscious brand or ​having sustainability in their core. Such brands are ​thought to be hiding their desire to get money from young ​people by referring to values they find important.

It seems that the pressure to take business into more ​sustainable directions has led to situations where many ​companies are selling an image of sustainability instead ​of explaining why their product or service is a superior ​means for addressing a specific consumer need. A product ​or service being sustainably produced is a value in itself, ​but the image of sustainability is not much of a product – ​unless the product is membership in a nature ​conservation association.

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Dove is a good example of this discrepancy. Dove released a ​game called Super U Story on Roblox, where players dodge ​and destroy toxic negativity by finding their unique ​superpowers. The decision to take the brand into Roblox ​was a continuation of Dove’s self-esteem campaign which ​launched in 2003 with the intention of supporting body ​positivity. Dove wanted to challenge unrealistic beauty ​ideals and support the self-esteem of young women.

Our research participants saw Dove’s game as confusing or ​naive, and they could not see how the game could help ​destroy negativity in the world. For many young people, ​mental health and a healthy self-esteem are highly ​important social issues, but they go to Dove to buy body ​wash. For many, the goal of gaming is to release pressure ​and enjoy themselves, not fight for social justice – at least ​not in a game released by Dove, which is ultimately trying to ​sell products.

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1.

The recycling initiative of the Norwegian home electronics ​chain Elkjøp in cooperation with Minecraft raised similar ​suspicions. The brand wants to encourage people, ​particularly the younger generation, to recycle their old ​devices. Elkjøp’s Urban Miner campaign rewards Minecraft ​players with Minecoins, the in-game currency, when they ​take their outdated electronics for recycling at an Elkjøp ​location. However, the research participants were confused ​by the brand’s strategy, which they ultimately see as a ploy ​to get young people to buy more electronics. Ella and Vilma ​expressed their concern that young players in particular ​may lack the critical thinking skills needed to recognise ​when they are being marketed to. The same criticism is ​levelled at Dove’s campaign, however well-meaning it may ​have been. The research participants see recycling as a ​positive thing but find it disingenuous that a brand they ​primarily see as a company to buy phones from would enter ​the game in a way that has nothing to do with the game ​itself or with Elkjøp’s ultimate goal: having young people ​buy more electronics.

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When compared to brands that market their products ​directly, communication that takes an indirect ​sustainability angle is thought to require a great deal more ​vigilance, awareness, and literacy from the recipient – or to ​add to exactly the kind of mental load that young people are ​trying to avoid, particularly when they are spending time in ​a game. Institutions and individuals who reveal their ​authentic selves without hiding behind a polished facade ​earn Gen Z’s trust and support their goal of reducing the ​burden of constant vigilance and to present themselves in ​their true unfiltered state.

However, this finding does not mean that Gen Z is not ​interested in sustainability, as long as it is relevant to the ​core operations of the company. The more abstract the ​company’s communication regarding social themes that ​are distant from its products, the more the communication ​is seen as a tactical marketing strategy instead of ​internally motivated behaviour.

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Young people are essentially sceptical of games developed by ​brands. Why would Coca-Cola be good at designing world-​class games just because they make world-class drinks? The ​research participants believe that games or virtual worlds ​designed by brands will only work if they are directly ​relevant to the core competence and business of the brand. ​For example, they would like a game made by a fashion brand ​to provide information about fashion designers and the ​ability to create their own designs. Johannes and their close ​circle became hooked on a game by Lidl, as the game focuses ​on managing the grocery chain, which is both an engaging ​game design and directly linked to the company’s core ​business.

Another successful example is Vans World, the Roblox area ​made by the clothing brand Vans. Vans World features a ​skate shop where players can buy Vans clothes for their in-​game avatar and customise their shoes, shirts, hats and ​skateboards. Players can then enter a virtual skatepark

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holding the speaker next to her face and mumbling “jibble ​jibble jibble” while someone fed her a forkful of chicken. The ​video went viral in a heartbeat. The video was spontaneous ​and unrehearsed, and that was all that was needed for Doja ​to rebrand the iconic company as “jibble jibble jibble”. The ​audience went wild. The video gained 82 million views and ​over 10 million user engagements.

Few brands have the opportunity to enter into cooperation ​with a superstar, but it is more important to understand the ​kind of role JBL is taking in the cooperation. The brand is ​focusing on what it does best: manufacturing the best ​speakers in the world. At the same time, the brand gives ​Doja Cat free rein to do what she does best: create bold, ​spontaneous and relatable content that Gen Z loves.

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It is also notable that the research participants do not want ​the game world to be perfect. Instead, they prefer it to be ​restricted in realistic ways, to be unpredictable and to ​require effort. Friction reminiscent of everyday life ​surprises, and challenges make the game feel real and the ​things experienced there more immersive and memorable. ​What if a Sim went to buy a coffee, but there was a sign on ​the door of the Starbucks saying that the barista was on a ​bathroom break? Somewhat surprisingly it is not ​necessarily the ability to do and be anything that makes the ​game engaging and meaningful. As we found out, it is often ​the obstacles and limitations that emulate the physical world ​that bring about the most memorable moments, and have the ​power to tie people together.

Restrictions also generate a sense of exclusivity. Having to ​queue for a concert in a virtual environment, or it being ​possible for the tickets to sell out, means that the player ​must make an effort for the experience. It is the effort that

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This sets restrictions, but also offers new opportunities. For ​example, during the game observation period we saw ​character options with outfits inspired by Game of Thrones. ​Fantasy franchises offer a wealth of potential for visiting ​characters and crossovers, if they are broadly known and ​loved among the players.

By expressing knowledge of the cultural history of the game, ​the brand can earn its place in the gamer community and ​generate value for the players by letting them express the ​same knowledge. In games, like in all forms of culture, ​chronological layers, awareness of them and signalling this ​awareness through language, dress and gestures, ​communicates that we belong and are valid members of the ​community. Brands must be aware of these layers and use ​them as a method of gaining credibility in the game ​community.

This can also happen outside the game, for example by ​launching nostalgic products aimed at people in the know.

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brand must create value by adapting to the game’s logic. ​Could it enable individual self-expression in a game, ​where self-expression is part of what gives the game ​meaning? Does the brand suit the players of the game and ​its style?

Players can read other players and the game’s logic with ​tremendous precision. They can tell if an institution that ​does not understand the culture tries to enter the game. ​Such cultural literacy is naturally not restricted to games ​and applies to all environments that are significant to ​young people.

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What does Gen Z’s ideal of revealing authenticity mean for brands?

The ideal of revealing authenticity requires brands to find new ways for marketing communication. What Generation Z actually wants is for brands to be openly who they are.

Written by: Vapa / Leea Hakkarainen, Ilona Hiila & Heli Hytönen

Generation Z brand literacy challenges brand communication

Consumers have always used brands to express themselves, and the role brands play in their lives is constantly increasing. However, compared to previous generations, Generation Z has a special relationship with brands. This is the first generation that has not needed to learn the digital lifestyle, but grown into it.

Social media plays a central role in the lives of Gen Z as a means of self-expression, seeking information and making connections. As a result, commercial messages have also become an integral part of their daily lives. Thus, young people have developed an unprecedented level of brand literacy.

By brand literacy, we mean the sophisticated ability to understand the motivations and intentions of brands. Gen Z knows when a brand is seemingly altruistic and when it is trying to hide its true intentions. Revealing authenticity is Gen Z's ideal, challenging brands to communicate authentically from their core business. The brands that dare to be openly who they are will be able to build a strong relationship with Gen Z.

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Generation Z's brand literacy is also an opportunity for brands. It’s an opportunity to reflect on who you actually are and what you have to say. It's an opportunity to create a functioning foundation for marketing communications that endures now and in the future, and stems from the heart of the brand. Revealing authenticity, on the other hand, leaves room for honesty. You don't have to create meaning where it's not needed. You can focus on the most relevant elements of your business.

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Not all brands are about saving the world

From a marketing communications perspective, revealing authenticity means that artificiality doesn't have a place in Gen Z's relationship with brands. An example of this is commercialism, and how it is communicated. If brand storytelling over the last decade has been about blurring commercialism and embracing a larger social issue, for Gen Z, brand commercialism is given and glossing over it is not credible. That's not to say that sustainability, for example, isn't important, but the story built around it needs to be closely tied to the brand's core business and one hundred per cent true. Genuine engagement with young people requires a story that can be redeemed.

Nike, one of the most popular brands with Generation Z, is a good example of an authentic but responsible advertising approach. In 2019, Nike launched the Dream Crazy campaign, with Serena Williams as one of the storytellers. Williams' campaign video shows how female athletes face discrimination in the world of sport. The video touches on social issues and #metoo themes, but remains within the core of the company's business – sport.

Nike's example shows that the sustainability message works when it is inextricably linked to the company's core business and credibly continues the storytelling of the brand. With this in mind, one might ask whether the sustainability of packaging materials or the construction of wind turbines is a credible or effective message for meat industry operators. Or, for example, how successful is a commercial operator in using global problems as the starting point for advertising, if the services it offers do not provide answers?

The ideal of revealing authenticity forces brands to consider the strength of the relationship between storytelling and the core business, as Gen Z does not want any room for interpretation in brand messaging. Revealing authenticity means that artificiality – not commercialism – is the biggest obstacle for a brand when connecting with young people. From a Gen Z perspective, it is also important to note that sustainability and inclusivity, for example, are now hygiene factors for brands, not differentiation tools.

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The Building Blocks

of an Authentic Brand

In the next section, we will reveal how to build an authentic brand.

1.

1. Come as you are

If a brand tries to attach itself to a social issue without a connection to its core business, the result will be artificial, or at least ineffective. Put simply: if you don't exist to save the world, don't build your story around it. In the eyes of young people, a credible brand is built on authenticity that can be found in the heart of the brand, and in the continuity of its story.

In the age of unapologetic authenticity, we encourage brands to be themselves, as transparency wins both the attention and loyalty of Gen Z. If you are a soap retailer, be bold and proud of what you are! Gen Z does not need or want buzzwords that try to obscure a brand's business.

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2.

2. Understand your audience, move your brand

When brands are targeting Gen Z with their marketing communications, traditional audience research is not enough. Brands must seek to understand the context in which Gen Z was born and raised. It is therefore important to listen to and embrace the existing culture of the community, rather than trying to implant your own.

A great example of this is luxury brand Gucci, which actively and boldly engages with communities of young people in digital environments. Whether it's the fan community reached through brand ambassador Harry Styles, NFT collaboration, or the Gucci Town within the game Roblox, Gucci goes where its target audience is. Gucci has chosen to reach out to Gen Z and try to understand their world holistically. Instead of trying to bring its audience to its brand, Gucci goes to them.

As the Gucci example shows, building a true brand is only possible in partnership with consumers. Among Finnish brands, Valio is a good example of this kind of approach. In its "Christmas the way you like it" campaign, launched in 2021, Valio went to popular youth channels such as TikTok with a contextually appropriate aesthetic and tone of voice. In addition to advertising, Valio also engaged in an open dialogue with the target group on Jodel, where users were able to have an anonymous conversation with the brand on topics such as Christmas baking.

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The interviewees played a wide range of games, but the research focused ​on the experiences of young people through the following games:

Mobile games

• Clash of Clans
• Hay Day
• Numberama
• 0h h1

PC and console games

• Sims 4
• Minecraft
• CS
• Fortnite
• Eurotrucks 2
• Stardew Valley
• Sons of Forest

Social media channels

• Instagram
• Snapchat
• TikTok
• (Whatsapp)
• YouTube
• (Facebook)
• Pinterest
• Discord
• Telegram
• Steam