Lost in Translation

If you've ever watched a brand try to go viral and physically cringed, you know the problem. The forced slang, the off-beat meme, the LinkedIn post that tried way too hard to say "we get it."

We've all seen it. It's not pretty. 😬

We’re not shaming here because to be fair, it's not entirely their fault. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are unlike any consumer group that's come before them, and the brands that haven't figured that out yet? They're about to get left behind in a very expensive way.

Gen Z's spending power is projected to grow from $9.8 trillion in 2024 to $12.6 trillion globally by 2030. That's not a niche audience by any means.

And yet, most brands still get them wrong, opting to look at data points instead of the actual humans. Which is exactly why a whole new industry has quietly emerged to bridge the gap — the Gen Z translator. 🗣️

No, we're not talking about someone who explains what "rizz" means to a confused CEO (although, honestly, that's part of it). That’s what we have Urban Dictionary for. 😅

A Gen Z translator is essentially a specialist (or in many cases, an entire agency) dedicated to helping brands understand, speak to, and actually connect with younger audiences.

One such example is NinetyEight, an agency founded by three Gen Z graduates who noticed that ads and campaigns just weren't landing with their generation. So, their approach was to build an entire community of real age-appropriate peers (they’re called the "Koi Pond”) and use their insights to shape marketing strategy for major brands.

And hey, seems like things are working well for them because clients like Pepsi and Meta have already come knocking on their doors for advice. 🤝

Then there's Cafeteria, founded after its Gen X CEO, Rishi Malhotra, overheard his teenage daughter and her friends dissecting (and occasionally demolishing) household brands during a car ride. That moment inspired him to launch an app for American teens, where they can get paid to answer brand questions.

And legacy firms aren't sitting this one out either. The well-known strategic communications firm Edelman launched its Gen Z Lab in 2022, now staffed by 400 Gen Z employees, and it has brought in around $76 million in revenue since opening.

Long story short, the Wall Street Journal has already called this a multimillion-dollar industry, while arguing that it's still in its infancy. 📈

Because Gen Z plays by completely different rules. And ignoring that is a brand risk, not just a marketing miss.

40% of Gen Z users now use TikTok as their primary search tool, bypassing Google entirely, and Gen Z consumers are 3.1x more likely to buy a product recommended by a creator they follow than from a traditional ad. 📱

Same goes for Gen Alpha.

They're also deeply values-driven in a way that older generations simply weren't. Three-quarters of Gen Z say sustainability is more important to them than brand name when making a purchase, and they will absolutely call a brand out if something feels off. And we all know what cancel culture is and why it's any marketing department's worst nightmare. 😬

Gen Z sees brands as a gateway to community, with nearly 60% finding it easy to vibe with those who use the same brands they do. This means this is not just buying a product, but a whole identity, values, and a sense of belonging.

Not to mention, trends today move at the speed of light and be so for real — most traditional marketing departments simply can't keep up with. What's viral on Monday can be totally cringe by Friday. ⚡

Yeah, sorry. TikTok waits for no one.

Honest answer is it depends. 🤔

If your target audience skews 13-28 and you're still running the same campaigns you were three years ago, that's your sign that you’re probably behind some way or another somewhere. Or if your social media feels like it was written by someone who Googled "how do young people talk," then it’s definitely time to call in the emergency crew.

The good news is you don't necessarily need to hire a full agency on day one.

Start by paying proper attention. Like actually looking and listening yourself — not just to stats and analytics, but to real conversations happening in comment sections, Reddit threads, Discord servers, and TikTok replies. 📝

(Btw, recommendations from trusted friends and communities convert 5.2x better than traditional marketing channels for Gen Z consumers, so that alone should tell you exactly where the real intel lives.)

And then you really just need to understand the core concept.

What Gen Z actually wants isn't complicated — they want brands to be real and to treat them like collaborators instead of consumers.

As Jess Xu, a 27-year-old strategist at Edelman's Gen Z Lab put it, "We don't want to be marketed to, we really want to co-create."

And if you can figure out how to do that authentically? Then you might have a different problem. 🚩