Why Gen Z Can Spot Your Fake Marketing From a Mile Away (And What to Do About It)

‍The Cringe Factor

Picture this: A 45-year-old marketing exec crafts what they think is the perfect Gen Z campaign. They sprinkle in some "no cap" and "slay," add neon colors, and reference TikTok trends from three months ago. The campaign launches, and within hours, it's being roasted across social media with comments like "This screams millennial trying too hard."

Sound familiar? Welcome to the generational marketing minefield of 2025.

Gen Z's Superpower: The BS Detector

Here's the thing about Gen Z—they have developed an authenticity radar, what some call an "authenticity moat." Gen Z's ability to identify the goals behind social content is likely a response to having almost completely existed in a digital age.

And the data backs this up:

• 47.5% of Gen Z are less likely to buy products recommended by influencers, describing paid partnerships as "insincere" or "annoying"
• On average, 20% of consumers (and 30% of Millennials) have unfollowed a brand on social media because they felt their content was inauthentic

Translation: They have a built-in authenticity radar and can recongize your corporate desperation from a mile away.
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The Generation Game: Why We're All Speaking Different Languages

Each generation has fundamentally different consumption motivations. Gen Xers (born 1960–79) consumed status, while millennials (born 1980–94) consumed experiences. For Generation Z, as we have seen, the main spur to consumption is the search for truth, in both a personal and a collective form.

This isn't just philosophical—it's financial. Gen Z spending, which is growing twice as fast as previous generations' spending did at the same age, is on pace to eclipse Baby Boomers' spending globally by 2029.

By 2035, Gen Z'ers will add an additional $8.9 trillion to the global economy.

Missing Gen Z doesn't just hurt your feelings—it hurts your bottom line.

Case Study: How JanSport Cracked the Code
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JanSport faced every legacy brand's nightmare: staying relevant to Gen Z while honoring their 57-year heritage.

Their solution? Embrace the cringe.

JanSport leaned on research that showed 78% of Gen Z are more likely to share humorous ads and 67% favor authentic content. Their 2024 campaign highlighted its backpacks as the sidekick to Gen Z students, creating a humorous and relatable campaign that included backpacks and their owners singing deadpan jingles about mundane moments—from bathroom stalls to breakups. The voices are raw, off-key, imploring, enhancing the campaign's handmade, authentic feel that connects with Gen Z.

The Results:

• The campaign drove a 385% year-over-year spike in engagement at launch and helped JanSport record its highest-grossing month in 57 years
• Led to the backpack maker's highest-grossing sales day in its history
• Named one of Ad Age's Top 5 Gen Z Marketing Strategies of 2024

JanSport didn't try to be cool. They just stopped pretending to be something they weren't.
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The Millennial Trap: When "Authentic" Becomes Inauthentic

Millennials, on the other hand, want brands to feel consistent and relationship-focused. They are not moved by flashy ads, big promises, and 'wow' factors. They want authentic messages, authentic brands, and authentic interactions. But they have their own version of what is authentic.

Gen Z considers influencers to be highly educated friends with whom they can seek advice and opinions, while Millennials see social media influencer as a profession that needs to be done in an ethical and transparent manner. These perceptions carry over to brands as well.

As a result, what feels "authentic" to your millennial marketing team might feel forced to your Gen Z audience.
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The High Cost of Getting It Wrong

The consequences of inauthentic Gen Z marketing are swift and brutal. One poorly targeted ad and suddenly you're the brand equivalent of dad trying to use slang at dinner.

Financial Impact: With Gen Z spending power projected to grow to an estimated $12T by 2030, they will have a significant influence on the products manufacturers and retailers sell in the near future.

Social Amplification: Many Gen Z’ers will choose to boycott brands linked to certain injustices or brands that have not been true to their word, and they will make it known on social for others to follow suit.

The interesting fact is that Gen Z's purchasing habits are reported to have affected 58% of purchases made by Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers. Their influence extends far beyond their own wallets.
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The Research Imperative: Your Survival Guide

Here's the uncomfortable truth: you cannot wing generational marketing. After-market research and insights (as well as all the Gen Z’ers I know) note that Gen Z marketing is extremely intolerant of what they believe to be insincere advertising. As the most digitally connected generation yet, Gen Z has easy access to all the information they need to make informed buying decisions.

So, what Works:

• 64% of Gen Z consumers are willing to pay a premium for environmentally sustainable products, and 25% have reduced or ended their relationship with businesses that engage in unsustainable practices
• 69% turn to TikTok for learning about beauty, and this influences their buying decisions
• 73% of Gen Z’ers watch influencer videos, and shop their recommendations 41% more than the general population

What Doesn't: Assumptions, outdated personas, and campaigns created by people who haven't talked to a Gen Z consumer since 2019.
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The Solution: Stop Guessing, Start Researching

Successful brands aren't gambling on generational trends, they are investing in systematic consumer research. In a 2023 survey of 800 Gen Z’ers by Vox Media and Horowitz Research reported that 47% of respondents believe brands that advertise around an unrelated cause are engaged in nothing more than a sales ploy.

Partnering with Intelligentics can help your business in several ways:

1. Ethnographic Research: We can talk with Gen Z in their natural digital habitats and understand their perceptions of your brand.
2. Platform-Native Testing: We test content with real users before launching
3. Continuous Feedback: Let us help build systems for ongoing insight, not one-time surveys
4. Authentic Voice Development: Intelligentics can discover your genuine connection points, so you don't manufacture them (resulting in that gringe factor Gen Z hates)

The bottom line is that Gen Z isn't just another demographic to crack. They are the future of commerce.

By 2025, Gen Z is expected to outnumber Millennials on Instagram, with a 72.5% penetration rate.

The brands that succeed won't be those that try hardest to be cool. They will be those that invest most deeply in understanding their customers' authentic needs.

The age of assuming your customers think like you is over. The age of consumer insight has begun.

Will you adapt, or will you become another cautionary tale in Gen Z's group chat?

The brands that thrive don't guess what Gen Z wants—they ask, listen, and adapt. Because in a world where authenticity is currency, research is your only legal tender. That's where Intelligentics comes in—we translate Gen Z insights into marketing that actually hits different.

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