Do influencers still influence Gen Z?

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

Brought to you by Liz Hilton Segel, chief client officer and managing partner, global industry practices, & Homayoun Hatami, managing partner, global client capabilities

first up

An image linking to the web page “The State of Fashion 2024 report” on McKinsey.com.

Welcome back! This week, we’re exploring the latest findings from our State of Fashion report.

The bar to reach Gen Z consumers continues to rise.

That’s one of the takeaways from the latest McKinsey and the Business of Fashion State of Fashion report, which examines ten themes that will define the fashion industry in 2024. As Gen Zers begin to occupy a greater share of the market, their preferences are affecting how fashion companies sell their wares.

McKinsey senior partner Gemma D’Auria and coauthors found that 68 percent of respondents to this year’s State of Fashion consumer survey said they were unhappy about the high volume of sponsored content on social media, and 65 percent were turning to fashion influencers less than they were a few years ago. Gen Zers are even better at tuning out the noise: Gen Z loses active attention for advertising after about one second. *blinks* Moving on …

While beautiful and aspirational content is still popular, Gen Z also values diversity and niche identities. This could help explain some of the popularity among any number of microtrends that have exploded over the past year, including cottagecore, coastal grandmother , horse girls , and e-boys . The desire to express themselves through niche and differentiated products also makes Gen Zers more open to purchasing from smaller brands compared with older shoppers, the State of Fashion report finds.

To what—and to whom—does Gen Z pay attention, then? Influencers are still effective at driving awareness and sales, but the kind of influencers Gen Z cares about has changed. Influencers who are seen as “quirky, humorous, and vulnerable” have been most successful as of late. Take Gstaad Guy , an influencer whose real name is yet unknown and goes by the alias Constance. Constance is an absurdist aristocrat with a taste for the finer things in life. His persona pokes fun at how the world’s 1 percent live, yet it has become popular among everyday folks and wealthy followers alike, so much so that ultraluxury fashion brands now create influencer marketing campaigns with Gstaad Guy.

Still, there’s a risk in forcing funny. Consumer businesses—particularly those that haven’t developed a lighthearted brand identity—that use humor in their marketing may seem try-hard to Gen Zers, which could alienate them instead of endearing them.

“I roll my eyes,” one Gen Zer told the New York Times about brands that have memed themselves to death. “Sometimes they’re trying to fit in and reach out to my generation. It’s not very natural.”

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