CURATED READS FOR GEN Z—AND THEIR Z-CURIOUS COLLEAGUES

first up

As we move into a new shoulder season, folks in the Northern Hemisphere are putting together fall fits, while people in the Southern Hemisphere are breaking out their swimwear. Consumers everywhere may be looking to stock up their seasonal wardrobes—and with that come new opportunities to be swayed on what clothes to buy. Enter the influencer.

Ads for apparel are part of the ever-growing body of sponsored content that people consume daily alongside regular videos and social-media posts, and they are part of an influencer marketing economy that hit $16.4 billion this year.   

The setup is often one (or a combination) of two models:  

Those flat rates can mean big bucks—to the tune of four or five figures, even for influencers without global recognition. (Celebrities can charge up to six figures or more.)

Many countries, including China, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States, require influencers to indicate when they are trying to influence you. But studies have found that sponsorship disclosures reduce engagement, and social-media sites are still chock full of advertisements masquerading as organic content—much of which ends up on the feeds of people Gen Z or younger.

Other research has found that a sponsorship disclosure at the start or alongside content negatively affected how consumers felt about the featured product, while a disclosure at the end of a post had neutral or no effect—no surprise that those “clearly labeled” disclosures are often just “#ad” labels slipped in at the end of a post. 

Still, this kind of marketing can be a score for brands, influencers, and buyers alike. For example, research by McKinsey’s Neira Hajro, Klemens Hjartar, Paul Jenkins, and Benjamim Vieira shows that finding products—especially clothing—that fit particular needs is a major concern for 23 percent of consumers. 

If you’re a young consumer, a popular strategy is to follow clothing influencers who have measurements similar to yours. If they look great in something, you probably will too—which can help soothe the perennial no-changing-room challenge of digital shopping and encourage you to buy.

Smart marketing is crucial at a time when many people are tightening their belts—for example, more than three-quarters of Gen Zers have adjusted their spending as a result of inflation. What’s more, brand loyalty is already on the decline. Looking toward the future, people are becoming more comfortable with the seamless integration of different tech uses across their online presence as part of a move into the metaverse. How will you be shopping?

VISUALIZE IT

Retail media networks—where businesses allow other companies to advertise to their own consumers or to gain insights on consumers’ shopping behavior—are drawing more marketing dollars.

Wait, don’t scroll 

Mark your calendar. In 2030, I’ll be 31. What will the world look like? Don’t miss our interactive guide to life—from tech to food to movies—in the not-too-distant future. 

Tap lessons. Africa’s young consumers—the median age across the continent is 20—are moving to urban areas and are helping to accelerate the shift to electronic-payment methods.

Make up ground. Black consumers are responsible for 11.1 percent of beauty spending in the United States but still rarely see themselves in beauty ads on TV, in magazines, or on billboards. Here’s how a more equitable industry would serve Black consumers and retailers alike. 

NOT US; STILL GREAT

Do influencers dream of electronic means? About 45 percent of Gen Z content creators in one survey hoped to leave their 9-to-5 jobs to earn a living online full-time. [Bloomberg]

It was a gift. As marketing budgets decline, more brands are forgoing traditional ads and are gifting products to influencers in the hopes that they will create posts to promote the products. One exec said that this strategy was up to eight times more effective than paying an influencer per post. [Digiday]

Have you been ‘finfluenced’? Gen Zers are five times more likely than people aged 41 and over to get their money advice on social media; the market value for these financial influencers is estimated at $104 billion. [World Economic Forum]

CAN WE INFLUENCE YOU TO JOIN US?

Search our 500+ job openings

On our Careers Blog, Michele, a senior partner in Japan, relishes her constant growth at McKinsey 

Sign up for our free Careers Blog newsletter or 40+ other free alerts and newsletters

WHY AREN’T THERE MORE CROSSWORD INFLUENCERS?

— Edited by Sarah Skinner, Gen Z curation editor, New York