INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Gen Z’ s pushing back – is your brand ready for the age of de-influencing?
Forget blind brand loyalty and endless hype. De-influencing is real and it’ s here to stay, with Gen Z repeatedly rejecting overconsumption and calling out inauthentic marketing. Matt Powell, Creative Director at Great State, unpacks what this means for brands.
It’ s no secret that social media – TikTok, especially – has fuelled a culture of endless consumption and disposable trends.
From viral lip plumpers and glass skin potions to huge Amazon hauls and Stanley Tumblers in every colour under the rainbow, these fleeting obsessions flare up, sell out and disappear, all fast-tracked by an everchurning influencer machine.
Take the latest craze, Labubu, as a key example. While once a niche collectible, the toothy plush monster has now exploded into the mainstream, helped along by Pop Mart’ s influencer-heavy strategy. Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and K-pop star Lisa of Blackpink all got on board, while TikTok turned Labubu into a full-blown obsession – there are( at the time of writing this) over 2 million # Labubu TikTok posts and counting.
Matt Powell, Creative Director, Great State
www. intelligentcxo. com
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