33Seconds’ Post

Gen Z is Redefining the Rules—Is Your Brand Ready? Gen Z isn’t just another consumer group; they’re reshaping the future of branding. Traditional loyalty is fading—trends matter more, with 1.7X more Gen Zers driven by what’s fresh than by brand names. This means brands need to be agile, releasing trend-focused products faster than ever. At the same time, immersive visuals like AR lenses are non-negotiable, with 77% preferring interactive content that engages on a deeper level. Shopping has also evolved into shopcializing. Gen Z shares every step of their journey with close friends—64% seek input in real-time, turning shopping into a social event. And when it comes to product discovery? Forget search engines—creators are their go-to. Nearly 70% of Gen Z uses influencer content as a search tool, making it essential for brands to build authentic relationships with the right creators. What makes it even more exciting (and challenging) is their seamless blending of online and offline worlds. With 54% checking their phones in-store, brands need to deliver true omni-channel experiences that connect every touchpoint—whether digital or physical. The takeaway? It’s time for brands to rethink their strategies. Innovate fast, immerse visually, foster social shopping, and engage authentically. The future belongs to those who build meaningful, connected experiences for this dynamic generation. Credits: Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Snap Inc. Let's be ready for the Gen Z wave? #GenZ #BrandStrategy #Shopcializing #FutureOfBranding #Branding #BCGreport #Snapchareport

The # of CEOs who use the world culture or community without knowing how to tap into either is comical at this point Because that’s the job in the era of community commerce I’m excited about it because the 65% of Gen Z consumers who identify as creators are now their competitors Equipped with a new AI toolkit the 76% of Gen-Z want to work for themselves and not the almighty man who could give a sh!t about anything but widening the chasm between the 0.01% and the rest of humanity are ready to subvert the establishment AI will supercharge social commerce Allowing anyone to convert their creative skills into economic opportunity I’m most excited about creator athletes and their fans…. Because together they are the most fiercely dedicated communities You've got to leverage some serious real-time data for decision-making and content optimization to participate though especially when you consider that there were 262B social engagements vs traditional TV and stadium spectatorship at 1.6B during the 2022 World Cup The job is to engage with the creators and content driving the conversations the moment it happens Fun fact: Nike, the most followed brand on the planet with 305,854,293 followers only has 0.03% engagement So the opposite I’d want to know the team with 300M less with 276% engagement lol And find the people remixing their content every day and build a brand around them... Digital natives hate mass fashion's blandness btw And it all starts with brands drinking the same trend forecaster Kool Aid Which comes at the cost of cultural diversity Brands and institutions need to be constantly aware of, fully embrace, and do significantly more than their current nothing to empower and showcase cultural nuances Because as the creator economy grows, so will the incentives to join... Consumers are paralyzed by the ever-increasing amount of information & choices They don’t want to spend endless hours on research or make a labyrinth of decisions to get to the product, service, experience, or information they want They're going to seek products, services that align with their interests and values through the creators they trust Fans turned creators drive human connection Nike just suffered their worst single day on the stock market and yet they are utterly ignorning the top shared fan posts this week So strange... When $28 billion of shareholder value is wiped out overnight - they have to forge a new market The new market is culture + community and knowing how to tap into both in real time 24/7/365 #thegreatfashionreset #creatoreconomy #c2m #communitycommerce #contentistheproduct #tiktokisthestore

A global brand was losing their most valuable customers... Until we discovered something their creative team never expected. Here's what happened... 👇 The creative team was proud of their targeting: 'We know exactly who our premium customers are.' But the data told a different story: THE CHALLENGE: - Multiple divisions (Gaming, Mobile, TV) - Each had their own 'ideal customer' profile - Everyone was fighting for different audiences THE DISCOVERY: - Cross-division analysis revealed something surprising - The most valuable customers weren't who we thought - They were families investing across categories THE TRANSFORMATION: - Rebuilt customer segments from scratch - United three separate strategies into one - Created cross-division experiences THE RESULT: - 40% increase in cross-category purchases - Higher customer lifetime value - Stronger brand loyalty The lesson? Sometimes your most valuable customers are hiding in plain sight. 💡 Question: Has your brand ever discovered something unexpected about your audience?

Such a great (free) read on why marketing funnels are not working anymore! Our social media feeds are bombarded with ads everywhere, we are more exposed to new brands than ever before - but ask any brand and they will say that ad performance is all time low. Why is it happening? As a marketer and now managing business, the journey to the consumer may have more angles, and answers. In the old world, brands were at the centre of the consumer journey — today, people are (and, you could argue, always should have been). Brands need to be where the people are: traversing the infinite loop of inspiration, exploration, community and loyalty. And they need to be committed to be with consumers through the whole journey vs only celebrating a sale/transaction. This will not be easy.  It will need more authenticity than most brands and teams are comfortable with.  It will need to be more human than just clever or witty. It will need to be more insightful than just disruptive.  It will need more of the whole company than just the marketing team. It’s an exciting time for me to be building Un - The Upcycled Denim Revolution because I truly believe this will be the pivotal moment for brands - there’s never been a better opportunity to truly connect with the person on the other side of the screen. 

INFORMATION OVERLOAD. Brands are receiving only a small return on their investment in social media advertising. Doesn't scrolling through social media make you feel dizzy? It has also become a significant time sink. Nike's CMO recently highlighted this issue in a post: “Because of all this, Nike hasn't launched a groundbreaking brand campaign since 2018, as the brand's focus shifted to becoming a massive sales activation machine. For instance, consider the notorious 'editorial strategy'—the results are evident if you check out their archive, the Nike channel on YouTube, or any Nike account on Instagram. This strategy led to a flood of thousands of micro-content pieces that are mostly insignificant, costly, and largely ineffective, all created to satisfy an insatiable digital ecosystem. This approach aims to drive traffic to a platform that converts a minuscule (and when I say minuscule, I mean truly minuscule…) percentage of visitors, leaving the majority disappointed or ignored.” HERE'S HOW ZIPPYAR CAN ASSIST: - Streamlining brand messaging from the products they promote. - Fostering connections with real customers. - Enhancing conversion rates and ROI. - Providing trustworthy data from genuine consumer engagement to support brands' AI strategies. Note: 89% of AI project costs are tied to cleaning data obtained by brands. #marketing #branding #media

[Unpopular opinion]: Spying on your competition's marketing is bad advice. But I keep hearing it, over and over again. Even Meta, Google and Tiktok have started to drink this cool-aide through their respective ad libraries. The biggest pitfall of doing this is looking like your competition. Brand Directors, CMOs, CEOs take too much time studying their competition. Result: similar looking website, similar looking ads, similar kind of loyalty programs. Instead, they should invest that time and effort into studying, researching their customers. If a brand wants to truly stand out and expect it’s customers to pay a premium then focus on the one thing that matters: AUDIENCES. E.L.F. BEAUTY is a great example of this. In a highly cluttered world of skincare where pretty pictures dominate the landscape, they managed to stand-out and yet be relevant. Why? Because they took time to understand the psychographics of their audiences. They dared to be different. Don't be a lookalike. Be an original. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am Veena Gandhi 🔥 💓I help eCommerce brands scale profitably and consistently to $200K+ months through proven strategies and frameworks. 🤑 Scaled 200+ eCommerce stores 🚀I am on a mission to help Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle DTC Brands Ship A 100 Million Life Changing Products By 2030

The world we live in today is dominated by companies like Google and Meta, which sell third-party data. The sad truth is that regardless of whether a campaign or post was an absolute runaway success or a complete failure, a brand never has access to its community because it is all based on third-party data. What can you do with that? Fuck all. Some organisations claim they are data-led, primarily informed by paid research and third-party data. This then sets their target, which informs the overarching strategy, the creative, and the content, whether billboards, radio, TV, social, digital, etc. That’s the norm, but not for long. We are currently testing with SWiiFT and will commence pilot campaigns with several brands in our circle. With SWiiFT, brands can seamlessly deploy a Wallet to their community that stores the assets linked to our data index. Our ecosystem is designed to foster a direct relationship between a brand and its community through its omnichannel presence. Above all, we utilise our index to drive meaningful engagement, harnessing zero-party data and beyond. Imagine a world where a brand fosters a direct relationship with its community. This vision gives rise to a brand alongside customers, clients, and fans, enhancing user experiences and benefiting both parties uniquely, all underpinned by transparency and accuracy. It’s important to clarify that no matter how engaged a brand may seem across social and digital platforms, achieving reach without pay-to-play is unattainable. However, with SWiiFT, we transform reach into engagement, enabling brands to maintain relationships continuously. This occurs first by cutting through the clutter of advertising and second by facilitating seamless interactions between a community and a brand. SWiiFT | Coming soon. Pixel Boss

Forget "Marketing To" – It's Time to "Create With" The Snap Inc. x BCG report throws down the gauntlet for brands: Gen Z doesn't just want to be spoken to, they want to be heard. This isn't about slapping a user-generated hashtag campaign on something and calling it a day. This is about a fundamental shift in how brands innovate. Imagine a world where your most passionate consumers are your co-pilots. They're not just giving feedback, they're in the design room with you, shaping the very DNA of your products. That's the power of co-creation. Why This Matters More Than Ever Gen Z sniffs out inauthenticity faster than you can say "viral trend." They're 1.7X more likely to chase the next big thing than stay loyal to a brand just because. To win their hearts (and wallets), you need to be nimble, responsive, and deeply engaged with their ever-evolving desires. Three Keys to Unlock Gen Z Become a Trend Whisperer: Don't just follow trends, anticipate them. Immerse yourself in Gen Z's world. What's bubbling up on TikTok? What are they meme-ing about? Where are their passions leading them? Embrace the Co-Creation Revolution: Give Gen Z a seat at the table. Build platforms for them to contribute ideas, provide feedback, and even design products alongside your team. Speed is the New Currency: The "concept to shelf" timeline needs to shrink. Gen Z moves fast. If you're not agile enough to keep up, they'll leave you in the dust. The Authenticity Equation Authenticity in 2024 isn't about projecting an image; it's about genuine collaboration. It's about respecting Gen Z's voice and recognizing their influence. It's about building a community where brands and consumers create the future together. This is more than marketing; it's a cultural shift. Are you ready to make the leap? #GenZ #MarketingToGenZ #GenZMarketing #FutureOfMarketing #YouthMarketing #Trendspotting #CultureShift #MarketingTrends #DigitalMarketing #SocialMediaMarketing #CoCreation #OpenInnovation #CollaborativeMarketing #ConsumerCentric #DesignThinking #ProductDevelopment #BrandCommunity #Authenticity #BrandLoyalty #SnapInc #BCG #IndiaGenZ #ConceptToShelf #GenZPower #NextGenMarketing #MarketingReimagined #CreateWithGenZ #FutureIsNow #NoMoreOldSchool #BrandsThatListen

Social shopping 🧐 It’s a trend that’s evolving quickly and by 2025, it’s set to be more immersive than ever. At Legendary, we’re embracing this shift by focusing on creating engaging, seamless shopping experiences within social platforms. Here’s what’s next for social shopping: • 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴: Interactive Stories will allow users to browse and purchase directly from content, turning discovery into action in just a few taps. • 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀: Real-time shopping events that create authentic connections between brands and audiences, blending entertainment and engagement. • 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆: From live Q&As to in-app checkout, these seamless journeys make the shopping experience user-friendly and impactful. My team is dedicated to helping brands lead this change, building strategies that make shopping feel like an effortless, natural part of the social experience. Interested in integrating social shopping into your brand’s strategy? Let’s talk about how we can bring this innovation to life! 🛍️

I’ve often said TikTok was a train wreck clearly seen from years away that retail could have easily avoided Fashion's exec bros slept on it of course Still to this day dismissing the shared content of girls And now this... For the 3rd time in 3 weeks!! Luma AI dropped AI video generator "Dream Machine" overnight But unlike SORA AI , VEO, Vidu or KLING - AI Videos – it’s completely free to & available to anyone right this second The que is sooo long that it's taking a long time to generate my veeeeery on trend video Film maker Christopher Fryant released a new feature-length film project with it… He calls it nothing less than a sea change moment for AI video Remember when Tyler Pyler scrapped his $800M production campus? THIS is why I call it nothing less than a tsunami change for retail Imagine when women's sports catches on????? I do... Women earn 21X less than male athletes And get 90% less of the sponsorships Yet here’s a veeeeery interesting fun fact – They have 2X the engagement on social media with 1/2 the followers Pretty handy at a time when social commerce is the future THE ONLY WAY to close the pay gap is through non-competitive league products for the most engaged creator on the planet By gaining a deeper understanding of an athlete's community, a MASSIVE opportunity just appeared Women born on social media are driving a total market transformation And given the right tools we can spawn a new generation of value-based brands catering to a new market they understand natively finally breaking free from fashion's greedy gatekeepers & their sea of retail blandness!!! American brands are not only competing withbehemoths like SHEIN, you are competing with every kid on the internet who has more social media savvy b/c they were born digital Now she has the power of gen-ai to scale from 1 to hundreds of videos a week Btw, the fastest growing category of small businesses in America are content creators (Shopify) It's time to help our athletes scale with tools of community + creation It's also time for America to stop competing on discounts for fashion people don't want b/c it is created a year before consumer demand We must lean into Gen Z needs for entertainment, authenticity, content creation, collaboration, & community to reinvent retail IRL Oh AND!!!! Text to Sound Effects is here ElevenLabs generates sound effects, short instrumental tracks, soundscapes, & a ton of character voices Also available starting TODAY Bottom line – in discovery commerce, content is the product EVERYONE must be in the media and entertainment business before they can even think about physical products The democratization of AI video and audio is your final warning to wake up - a new generation of digitally-native entrepreneurs will destroy the market That's how teenage twins generated over $260k in 7 days #thegreatfashionreset #creatoreconomy #C2M #communitycommerce #contentistheproduct #tiktokisthestore