Intelligent CXO Issue 52 | Page 36

INDUSTRY INSIGHT
GEN Z’ S TRUST IN TRADITIONAL SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS IS IN STEEP DECLINE, WITH ATTITUDES HARDENING TOWARDS AUTHENTICITY AND RELATABILITY.
But behind the success is a nagging question: will Labubu stand the test of time or wind up just another viral fad, destined for the bin and buyer’ s remorse once the algorithm moves on?
It’ s a question Gen Z, in particular, is starting to ask. And it’ s one that is completely reshaping the way they think about loyalty, influence and what they choose to buy.
Is the reign of the influencer coming to an end?
While I’ d be wrong to say influencer strategies haven’ t paid off in the past – or even recently( Pop Mart’ s 2024 revenue more than doubled to 13 billion yuan( US $ 1.81 billion), with plush toys alone soaring over 1,200 %) – what I will say is that times are changing.
After years of influencers reigning supreme, thanks to Gen Z, we are now beginning to enter the age of de-influencing. So instead of encouraging followers to want and buy products or services, we’ re seeing an increase in creators using their voice to actively discourage people from buying brands or even boycotting them altogether. As a concept, it’ s growing by the day, especially among Gen Z who are reaching the age where they have increasing buying power.
You could argue this is no different to a Gen Xer leaving a negative review on Amazon, but there’ s more to it than that. Gen Z’ s trust in traditional social media influencers is in steep decline, with attitudes hardening towards authenticity and relatability and away from hype.
And research backs this up. Great State’ s recently published Shifting States report shows that almost half( 47 %) of Gen Z now say that influencer endorsement is unlikely to influence them to purchase, compared to just 26 % who said it would.
Loyalty is changing
This backlash against overconsumption – which is paired with a growing focus on conscious consumerism – is reshaping how younger audiences engage with brands. And it’ s a shift many brands are simply not ready for.
Despite almost all of Gen Z( 98 % according to our report) still engaging with brands via social media, the use of influencers as an intermediary is facing fatigue, and Gen Z are increasingly sceptical of the motives behind their content.
Our research shows just how deep this mistrust runs: when Gen Z were asked who they trust, 80 % said Reddit. Not brands. Not influencers. Reddit – a space built on unfiltered peer opinion and decentralised conversation. It’ s a clear sign that the direct relationship between brands and consumers is struggling to yield trust.
This breakdown of trust is also happening against a backdrop of financial anxiety. A third of Gen Z say they feel financially insecure, in a time when it’ s never been easier to spend money. Seen by many as an inconvenience, design patterns like entering a card number and CVV are actually a micro-cooling off period, but in today’ s one-click, pre-saved payment ecosystems, even that pause is quietly disappearing.
So when a de-influencer promotes living with less – telling you what not to buy and critiquing overhyped products – it resonates, and brands need to get in step with that.
Five practical strategies for moving beyond influencer marketing
There’ s an old saying: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is, and it’ s one the next generation is starting to reclaim. The rise of deinfluencer content says it all.
So if influencing hype is no longer driving loyalty, what can?
• Listen closely: Your next generation of consumer is far more fluid, forming and reforming attitudes as new evidence emerges. So listening closely, responding to movements like de-influencing, all while keeping true to your principles is key. There’ s no room for complacency any more.
• Communicate your product truth in multiple, authentic ways: Because Gen Z are openminded, fluid thinkers, it means they’ re not set in their ways or fixed in their views. As such, repeating the same piece of marketing again and again will only bore them. Instead, it’ s about digging deeper into the reasons to believe in a product or service and finding
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