warm street's view
Gen-Z’s champion individuality and authenticity and they demand the same from brands. They are content creators by default, making them natural commentators of wider content, which is why we place them at the heart of all of our campaigns — from ideation to execution — earning brands a place within youth culture. Bedded into any strong culture strategy, are two core components.
Gen-Z’s champion individuality and authenticity and they demand the same from brands. They are content creators by default, making them natural commentators of wider content, which is why we place them at the heart of all of our campaigns — from ideation to execution — earning brands a place within youth culture. Bedded into any strong culture strategy, are two core components. Artists & Creators are the mouthpiece of any resilient cultural brand. It’s not enough to partner with a platform and reach an audience via creators, you must cultivate your own audience. Many brands are cultural passengers, along for the ride, partnering, sponsoring and dipping in and out. Using culture for short term commerical gain. For us, it’s about that long-term view, collaborating with the rich tapestry of businesses shaping culture, to help our clients navigate their way. Whether it’s creators, collaborations, insight or activation, we exist to help culture leading businesses collaborate with big brands in new and meaningful ways.
Since our founding in 2015, we’ve witnessed a step change in the Gen-Z and creator marketing. Brands that are tapping into this audience are many, not few. With 108+ major global brands with active strategies targeting youth culture, it’s never been harder to stand out, and easier to be lost in the noise.
The future of content supports high-quality user-generated content from community and creators alike. 81% of Gen-Z are following nano to mid tier influencers over the bigger, expected fashion creators of yesteryear (Canvas8, 2023). They’re more at home on social than they are IRL. 82% of them would more likely buy from a brand that champions UGC (glossy.co). And we know that TikTok is now the #1 search engine for more than Gen-Z. How brands show up in this space across content and creators is integral to how they perceive that brand and their journey into the funnel.
Driven by digital platforms with a global footprint like Tik-Tok, Pinterest and Spotify, local scenes are becoming globally appealing for Gen-Z. 60% of Gen-Yers and Zeros across the UK and US agree that brands should actively collaborate with and platform creators from minority communities and share them at a global level {Canvas8, 2023}. In 2023’s trend report, Spotify noted that Gen-Z is the most globally-minded generation, and we see this evidenced by the rapid global growth of once hyper-local genres like Amapiano growing 76%, Punjabi pop growing 30% and Mexican Banda growing 48% in 2023 alone.
Ideally, a brand would have a 3-5-year strategy in music to build credibility and trust with cultural leaders and consumers. Warm Street build bespoke music strategies, taking company objectives and factoring in the cultural state of pay, identifying blue-sky opportunities, and crafting effective strategies for lasting impact. At the heart of any progressive cultural strategy, is robust consumer insight, longevity, amplification mechanics and clear measurement. Cultural strategies need C-Suite buy-in to succeed. We recommend working closely with C-Suite stakeholders to iron out your broader position on a topic before diving into youth marketing so that you can authentically represent that cause across your brand ecosystem.
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