Gen Z brand loyalty on TikTok

Micro-Trends going over Mega-Brands. Understanding that Gen Z is not loyal to brands, they are loyal to moments, can save your business. Instead of building long-term relationships with mega brands, they move rapidly between micro-trends, driven by TikTok, creators, and cultural shifts that can rise and fall within weeks. +72% of Gen Z consumers say they discover new beauty brands through social media, not traditional channels. +68% are more likely to try a new brand if it’s tied to a trending aesthetic or viral moment. >>Micro-trends over mega-brands<< Trends like “clean girl,” “mob wife,” or “latte makeup” don’t just influence purchases, they replace brand loyalty entirely. Products are no longer the focus. Relevance is. +53% of Gen Z beauty consumers switch brands frequently based on trends rather than sticking to one. +47% say they purchased a product specifically because it was part of a viral trend. >>Speed over consistency<< Mega brands are built on consistency. Gen Z moves at the speed of culture. By the time a traditional brand reacts to a trend, it’s already over. Emerging brands win by launching fast, adapting faster, and riding micro-trends in real time. +2.3x higher engagement for brands that react to trends within the first 72 hours. +60% shorter product life cycles compared to previous generations. >>Niche is the new scale<< Small, highly focused brands are outperforming large ones by owning specific aesthetics, communities, or cultural moments. Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, they go deep into one identity, and win attention there. For Gen Z, relevance doesn’t come from size. It comes from specificity. Strategic takeaways: +Move at culture speed, not corporate speed. +Design for trends, not just timelessness. +Launch fast, iterate faster. +Build for a niche before scaling. +Turn products into content that fits micro-trends. The brands winning today aren’t the biggest. They’re the fastest and most culturally aligned. #beautybusiness #genzmarketing #trendforecasting #beautyindustry #brandstrategy #marketingtrends #luxurybeauty #GenZ

The oldest Gen-Z consumers are turning 30, and beauty brands built on colorful packaging and playful stickers are facing their first real test. The Business of Fashion published a great piece on how brands like Bubble, Starface World , and BYOMA won hearts through TikTok-native aesthetics with dopamine-driven packaging and algorithm mastery. They crowdsourced ideas, moved fast, and landed prime SEPHORA real estate, building community with a younger audience. The problem? The oldest Gen-Z consumers are trading cute for credible. Performance matters more than packaging now. Formulas need to work, not just look cute on your bathroom counter. This isn't just a beauty story. It's what happens when brands built for a moment need to become brands built for a lifetime. Channel strategy and product efficacy suddenly matter more than going viral. The brands that crack the code on maturing alongside their audience without losing their edge? Those are the ones that survive the next decade.

I’ve been watching brands like GRÜNS and Duolingo absolutely crush it, not just in sales, but in building real communities that genuinely love them. The most interesting part? They’re doing it without relying on the “old playbook” of huge ad buys and perfectly polished campaigns. Instead, they’ve built their success on authenticity, relatability, and community. Creator-first marketing They’ve mastered the power of micro-influencers. Instead of putting all their budget into one big celebrity endorsement, they work with hundreds of smaller creators who speak directly to niche audiences. These aren’t scripted ads, but rather authentic moments and personal recommendations. Their creators actually use and love the products, and as a result their audiences trust them. Community-first branding Fans don’t just buy the product; they feel like they’re part of something bigger. From reposting user-generated content to running rewards programs that incentivize sharing, every touchpoint is about building belonging. It’s the difference between a customer base and a community. Culture-led product design They make products that look and feel like they’re meant to be shared. Think pastel energy drink cans that pop in a selfie, or candy-like gummy vitamins that break the mold of what “wellness” products usually look like. Every design choice is intentional and it turns customers into free brand ambassadors. TikTok-native campaigns These brands don’t try to force traditional ads into TikTok. They create short, snackable videos that match the tone of the platform, relatable, quick, and unpolished in the best way possible. That’s why their content gets watched, shared, and remembered. The biggest lesson for me? You don’t have to chase perfection to win. The real power comes from knowing your audience, speaking their language, and giving them the tools and reasons to tell your story for you. In a world of massive ad budgets, authenticity and cultural relevance are still the most powerful currencies. #BrookeMonk #TikTok #BrandMarketing #CreatorEconomy

GenZ is often lumped into a single generational group, where the assumption is that c.14 million people behave in similar ways. Of course, the reality is that there are many different shades of preferences and behaviours within any generational group. But perhaps none quite as diverse or paradoxical as GenZ. Growing up through successive periods of rapid upheaval, Gen Z are the first mobile-first generation, raised on smartphones, social platforms and digital payments. Their formative years have been defined by a pandemic that rewired shopping overnight, a cost-of-living crisis that redefined value, climate anxiety that influences brand choices and now the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), all compressed into their teens and early twenties. Our latest research with RSM focuses precisely on the many sides of GenZ behaviour when it comes to shopping and their varying outlooks on life. And also just how much variety there is between the late teens and the late twenties. This group is already hugely important. They account for around £26bn of non-food spending today, which is expected to rise to £38bn by 2035 as their commercial significance grows. But the habits being formed now will shape how brands need to evolve. Take ‘search’ as an example. While Google remains the #1 avenue of discovery for 25-28 year olds, 18-24 year olds rank social media higher. In essence, TikTok and Instagram are more influential channels for the youngest consumers. They value creator content and peer validation which is driving their choices. Shopping happens while scrolling. Take BookTok as an example. It's driven real book sales and pulled younger shoppers into physical bookstores. Social discovery generates actual footfall, not just engagement metrics. The numbers back this up: UK Gen Z will spend £3.4bn through social commerce in 2025 alone. And discovery doesn't stop at checkout as one in three Gen Z use social media for styling tips after they've already bought something. Many them will also post their positive experience, becoming brand ambassadors and while widening the discovery funnel for new customers. Key data points worth knowing: ➡️ 68% of Gen Z prefer shopping on smartphones – mobile is their gateway to everything ➡️ Only 28% are brand loyal – the rest mix brands (33%) or actively experiment (25%) ➡️ 34% of Gen Z regularly shop pre-loved items  ➡️ 47% have resold an item within months of purchase – ownership is fluid, and resale is built into their buying decisions They are also in many ways paradoxical. The generation positioned as eco-warriors and caring about sustainability the most are the same consumers powering Chinese commerce and fast fashion. Indeed, our research showed that 59% admit their generation talks more about sustainability than they practice – there's a gap between values and behaviour. Download the full report here > https://lnkd.in/eHugCUAk Great to work with Lisa Alty & Jacqui Baker on this

Gen Z doesn’t care about your brand. And…here’s why you should be concerned (and how to fix it). Gen Z is set to control 40% of global spending by 2025—and they’re nothing like the other generations (sorry, not sorry!). 1. Drop the “Brand Voice” — They Want Your Brand’s Vibe Gen Z scrolls past 10,000 ads a month. They’re looking for personality, not corporate jargon. A great example is Duolingo’s unhinged TikTok persona, which is pure meme energy. So now, go audit your content. If it sounds like a boring PowerPoint, hit delete. 2. Hyper-Personalization Isn’t Just “Hi [First Name]” This generation expects brands to anticipate their needs. In fact, 68% of Gen Z will pay more for AI-curated recommendations (McKinsey). Look at Spotify’s “Wrapped”—it’s all about them, not the brand. 3. Your Mobile Site Is Costing You Gen Z’s Trust If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, you could lose 53% of visitors (Google). Consider using Shopify’s “turbo” theme or Revolut’s 1-tap checkout. Pro tip: Test your site on a $200 Android—not your fancy iPhone 16 Pro Max. 4. Stop Posting — Start Participating Gen Z brands aren’t just “on TikTok” — they’re IN TikTok. Genius Elf Cosmetics hijacks viral sounds the same day (even roasting their own CEO). So, time to slide into your customer’s DMs—not to sell, but to laugh. 5. “Purpose” Is Dead, Long Live Proof. They’ll fact-check your sustainability claims while scrolling. Winning move by Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign that boosted sales by 30%. Brands that “support BLM” but lack diverse leadership? Gen Z notices. 6. UGC Is Your New Billboard (But Make It Unfiltered) 92% of Gen Z trusts peer reviews over ads. A simple hack is to let your customers roast your product—RyanAir’s “trash” tweets built a cult following. An example - “Tag us in your worst [product] photo. Worst post wins $50.” 7. Communities > Followers Gen Z craves belonging, not just loyalty points. Glossier’s Reddit AMAs turned customers into R&D advisors. Honest opinion - invite-only Discord servers that feel like sales funnels don’t cut it. 8. Sustainability Isn’t Just a Marketing Slide Gen Z will likely pay more for eco-friendly products if you’re transparent. Allbirds even lists the exact carbon footprint on every product page. And… “Green” influencers will call out vague claims (cough Shein). What’s the one brand you think Gen Z truly loves? I’ll start: Stanley 1913. Fight me! Drop your thoughts below and let’s talk!

I pulled our loyalty metrics last year and thought we were losing. Repeat rates down. Switching faster. Cycles shorter. We weren’t losing. We were measuring the wrong thing. Youth loyalty didn’t disappear. It shifted. Gen Z and Gen Alpha don’t show loyalty through habit. They show it through participation. If they help shape a brand, remix it, or feel seen by it, they defend it. They share it. They build around it. That doesn’t sit neatly in dashboards. It lives in communities and momentum. Measure what people build around your brand. Not just how often they check out.