Brand Is What You Share_Gen Z_f_02.pdf
1 like•868 views
The second part of the Gen Z Playbook emphasizes the importance of co-creating and sharing brand ownership with the Gen Z demographic to foster deeper connections and drive business growth. It introduces a 'co-creation ladder' with 15 key areas where brands can effectively engage their communities, ranging from brand purpose to customer service. The document also provides real-world examples of brands successfully implementing these strategies to meet the evolving expectations of Gen Z consumers.
![Once you have considered which types
of community-building structures are
optimal for your user base and ambition,
you can next decide which aspects of
your brand to begin sharing. Knowing that
Gen Zers crave fuller, deeper involvement
with the brands they care about means
going far beyond the traditional notion of
consumer participation, which is limited
to things like product votes, feedback,
and satisfaction surveys. Brands should
open up all levels of the business—from
high-level aspirations, such as brand
purpose, all the way down to daily
execution, such as customer service.
While meeting with business leaders
and Gen Z, we identified 15 key areas
where sharing will allow members of your
youth community to place themselves
at the center of your brand and feel
ownership in its growth and development
as you move towards a mutually defined
North Star. We’ve dubbed our list the
“Co-creation Ladder,” as the goal is to
open up your brand from top to bottom—
from purpose to customer service.
“Looking at the Co-creation Ladder, the recruiting and employee experience
rung really stands out to me as especially critical. If you have an internal company
culture that looks like the consumer you want to speak with, then sharing
becomes far more natural—you live it daily. On that note, one thing that [our
brand] never tapped into is our retail store staff, the 16-to-20-year-olds that
love our brand and see it on the store floors every day. We should be getting
their insights and ideas. That is such an untapped opportunity for us.”
A SENIOR BRAND LEADER AT A LEADING LIFESTYLE FASHION COMPANY
THE
CO-CREATION
LADDER
→ Brand purpose
→ Brand positioning
→ Product portfolio
→ Recruiting / employee experience
→ Sustainability initiatives
→ Futurecasting
→ Supply chain & sourcing
→ Platform value / features
→ Product bundles & partnership strategy
→ Interest-based communities
→ Membership programs
→ Marketing / brand building
→ Brand experiences
→ Product feedback / iteration
→ Customer service
WHAT TO SHARE: INTRODUCING
THE CO-CREATION LADDER
OGILVY
EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 9
8](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/brandiswhatyousharegenzf02-221119112028-d21def74/85/Brand-Is-What-You-Share_Gen-Z_f_02-pdf-5-320.jpg)
Brand Is What You Share_Gen Z_f_02.pdf
- 1. For PART 2: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE Brand Is What You Share, Not What You Sell GEN
- 2. In early October 2022, we released Part 1 of our Gen Z Playbook – a guide to building lasting bonds with Gen Z. We proposed that business leaders must grow comfortable co-creating and giving up complete ownership to gain the next—and largest—generation of potential new users. We also foreshadowed that radical decentralization of brand control would change business models, marketing and brand strategy, and internal team dynamics. In Part 2 of the Playbook, we demonstrate what brands can share and how to do it effectively with the introduction of the Co-Creation Ladder. We’ve uncovered 15 key areas where sharing will allow members of your community to place themselves at the center of your brand and feel ownership in its growth and development. We show you how to execute the concept of sharing – and provide real examples of the players doing it well today. At Ogilvy Consulting we are always looking at what's next, for consumers for businesses and brands. We work with our clients to build their brands, innovate new products and grow their business through a deep understanding of the current and future consumer. Gen Z is the future consumer, innovator and creator...and the future is now. We're here to help - please enjoy the second of our two papers and reach out if you'd like to learn more. How to share effectivlely CARLA HENDRA Global CEO Ogilvy Consulting OGILVY 3 FOREWORD
- 3. In 2021, Google set up its first Gen Z working group, dubbed the Gen Z-Council, in response to the shifting internet search and ecommerce landscapes. The small council is a cohort of young people ages 16–25 selected from around the globe that advises Google’s various research and product teams on UX and content-consumption styles, and participates in live workshops with developers, product managers, and researchers. According to Google, “youth are changing the way we search for information in a more social world, consume information visually, and discover new content—focusing more on social platforms and less on traditional search engines.” The idea is to combine savvy Gen Z thinkers from outside the company with key internal teams in a structured program delivering explicit benefits to each group. It sounds honorable to include youth in business decisions and allow them to help shape future outcomes, but brands need to learn how to make it scalable, deciding which parts of the brand can be shared in a valuable way. Brands eager to bring Gen Z groups together in an effective way face organizational and process challenges. To help you through them, we worked with cross-industry brand leaders from around the globe to identify the most valuable areas of your brand to share and where to start on each. We also sat down with Gen Zers in four countries to find out exactly how they would like to be included. INTRODUCTION OGILVY 5 EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 4
- 4. WHAT TO SHARE: INTRODUCING THE CO- CREATION LADDER OGILVY 7 EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 6
- 5. Once you have considered which types of community-building structures are optimal for your user base and ambition, you can next decide which aspects of your brand to begin sharing. Knowing that Gen Zers crave fuller, deeper involvement with the brands they care about means going far beyond the traditional notion of consumer participation, which is limited to things like product votes, feedback, and satisfaction surveys. Brands should open up all levels of the business—from high-level aspirations, such as brand purpose, all the way down to daily execution, such as customer service. While meeting with business leaders and Gen Z, we identified 15 key areas where sharing will allow members of your youth community to place themselves at the center of your brand and feel ownership in its growth and development as you move towards a mutually defined North Star. We’ve dubbed our list the “Co-creation Ladder,” as the goal is to open up your brand from top to bottom— from purpose to customer service. “Looking at the Co-creation Ladder, the recruiting and employee experience rung really stands out to me as especially critical. If you have an internal company culture that looks like the consumer you want to speak with, then sharing becomes far more natural—you live it daily. On that note, one thing that [our brand] never tapped into is our retail store staff, the 16-to-20-year-olds that love our brand and see it on the store floors every day. We should be getting their insights and ideas. That is such an untapped opportunity for us.” A SENIOR BRAND LEADER AT A LEADING LIFESTYLE FASHION COMPANY THE CO-CREATION LADDER → Brand purpose → Brand positioning → Product portfolio → Recruiting / employee experience → Sustainability initiatives → Futurecasting → Supply chain & sourcing → Platform value / features → Product bundles & partnership strategy → Interest-based communities → Membership programs → Marketing / brand building → Brand experiences → Product feedback / iteration → Customer service WHAT TO SHARE: INTRODUCING THE CO-CREATION LADDER OGILVY EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 9 8
- 6. KIND Bars: Looking to community to express the brand’s purpose Now one of the fastest-growing snacking companies, KIND was established as a “not-only-for-profit®,” committed to using its business as a vehicle for social change with the guidance of its consumers. KIND’s purpose, to make the world a little kinder one snack and act at a time, is constantly evolving by letting people reward others they see displaying acts of kindness with free bars via a dedicated website and asking a group of consumers to pick which causes and individuals epitomizing this ethos receive funds from the brand. KIND was founded by Daniel Lubetzky, a social entrepreneur working to increase appreciation for our shared humanity. As the son of a Holocaust survivor, he has made it his life’s work to help prevent what happened to his father from happening again—by spreading a shared sense of kindness. Innovative examples of brands sharing at various levels of the Co-creation Ladder Organized using the Co-creation Ladder, here are several examples of brands from all categories embracing this expanded concept of co-creation to foster deeper relationships with users—one rung at a time. WHAT TO SHARE: INTRODUCING THE CO-CREATION LADDER Gumroad: Championing creators and investors at all levels to shape the brand Gumroad is not only an innovative platform that allows diverse creators to sell digital assets and content such as fonts, images, podcasts, and e-books. It is also positioned as a place where “anyone can earn their first dollar online. Just start with what you know, see what sticks, and get paid. It’s that easy.” The platform has co-creation in its own DNA, welcoming individual investors down to the $100 level. Additionally, Gumroad allows its creators to source product and business ideas from within its online communities, contribute to material for Gumroad University, and select new platform features. BRAND PURPOSE BRAND POSITIONING OGILVY 11 EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 10
- 7. Adidas x Parley: Letting a small, passionate community make big moves Adidas, in partnership with Parley, has created a space “where creators, thinkers, and leaders come together to raise awareness for the beauty and fragility of our oceans and collaborate on projects that can end their destruction.” The brand partnership made history with the first high-performance products made from ocean plastic and created a global event for kids to join. In 2019 the movement grew exponentially with the creation of the Parley Ocean School and a new youth activist platform, Ocean Uprise: a space for youth to stand up for, collaborate on, and receive funding for ocean-friendly initiatives. IKEA: Going into business with users to make sure the best ideas get built In 2018, IKEA launched “co-createIKEA,” a digital platform encouraging customers and fans to develop new products through building, editing, and repurposing existing IKEA furniture and parts. The co-creation platform asks customers for product idea suggestions, runs IKEA bootcamps with entrepreneurs, collaborates with university students on product solutions, and connects with cross-industry innovation labs around the world. If a suggestion for a furniture or product design is successful, IKEA may license the technology or agree to invest in future products. AT&T: A skill-building program by employees for employees AT&T is building out AT&T University to offer flexible career paths, virtual internships, tuition assistance, and more, based on individual employee preferences. Employees looking for new roles or promotions can earn fast-track “nano” degree certifications in areas of company growth such as artificial intelligence or data analytics, or enroll in online master’s degree programs with company help. Over 110,000 badges (visual indicators added to an employee’s profile within AT&T’s internal social networking platform that signify the employee has completed certain coursework) have been awarded to 50,000 employees. AT&T also uses video interviews, texts, and Snapchat to connect with potential young hires—a request that came directly from its Gen Z talent pool. On the program website, AT&T states: “We’re investing in new tools and solutions to help more young people gain the skills they need to lead the digital, global economy.” SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES PRODUCT PORTFOLIO RECRUITING AND EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE INNOVATIVE EXAMPLES OF BRANDS SHARING AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF THE CO-CREATION LADDER WHAT TO SHARE: INTRODUCING THE CO-CREATION LADDER Google: Working with Gen Z to define the future of search In 2021 Google created its first Gen Z-Council, stating: “Youth are changing the way we search for information, consume information visually, and discover new content—focusing more on social platforms and less on traditional search engines.” The small council is a global cohort of young people ages 16 to 25 that advises Google’s various research and product teams on UX and content consumption and participates in live workshops with developers and research experts. FUTURECASTING OGILVY EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 13 12
- 8. INNOVATIVE EXAMPLES OF BRANDS SHARING AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF THE CO-CREATION LADDER WHAT TO SHARE: INTRODUCING THE CO-CREATION LADDER Reformation: Community- backed supply chain Reformation, a women’s clothing brand founded in 2009, releases interactive sustainability reports each quarter, allowing customers to offer suggestions and ask questions. The brand also works with local communities, consumers, and experts to identify ethical factory, design, and manufacturing partners. Reformation’s website states: “Transparency and partnership are key to accountability, which is why we disclose 100% of our supply chain.” SUPPLY CHAIN AND SOURCING OGILVY EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 15 14
- 9. FaZe Clan: Helping kids become creators FaZe, a gaming collective turned new-age lifestyle media empire, recently valued at over $1.2B, shows how sharing with users can both build community and evolve a business into something entirely unexpected (and extremely valuable). FaZe Clan viewers were invited to become investors and content partners, with ample opportunity to use their imaginations and skills to help build new experiences, source new talent, and develop product offerings. From merch designers and energy drink formulators to tournament hosts and video editors, FaZe Clan’s audience was taken from passive appreciation and advocacy to active involvement and co-directed outcomes. Airbnb: Ensuring that hosts feel like heroes Airbnb works directly with its host and traveler communities to improve core services, test new offerings, help users achieve personal-impact goals, and introduce users to one another on its own digital forums. In the wake of COVID-19, Airbnb also launched a social-impact fund that allows hosts to support charities locally. “Through the Community Fund, Airbnb plans to distribute $100 million over the next 10 years alongside our hosts to organizations that support communities around the world. Hosts get to decide how the money is distributed” (Airbnb.com). Nike: Membership anchored to meaningful contributions, not discounts Through open forums and community- built experiences, Nike has shown us that the best memberships allow for meaningful contributions. Nike coordinates connections and communities among members using core shared values. Within both the SNKRS and Run Club platforms, Nike allows users to connect based on interest points, compete based on goals, and create based on shared passions. Nike’s membership is transformational, both for the members and for the business itself, which constantly iterates offerings and launches new features based on community feedback and local requests. Sephora: Consumer-led microshops and collabs At the request of customers, Sephora recently launched a subsite called “Try Something Good,” which features Black-owned brands and personalized product bundles. The kits contain makeup, skincare, and haircare products from various Black-owned brands housed at Sephora, like Briogeo, Fenty Skin, Bread Beauty Supply, and more. According to the website, Sephora will also donate $20 from the sale of each kit to the Fifteen Percent Pledge, which seeks economic equality and prosperity for Black future founders, Black students, and Black people in the workforce. INTEREST-BASED COMMUNITIES PLATFORM VALUE AND FEATURES MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMS PRODUCT BUNDLES AND PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY INNOVATIVE EXAMPLES OF BRANDS SHARING AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF THE CO-CREATION LADDER WHAT TO SHARE: INTRODUCING THE CO-CREATION LADDER OGILVY EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 17 16
- 10. Call of Duty: Inviting top streamers to closed-door feedback sessions Call of Duty released a program called Ricochet in September 2021 in response to growing community complaints of rampant online cheating. Ricochet is an anticheating system used to punish bad actors on CoD’s servers. It allows everyday gamers to chat with the team and submit ideas. The technology is being tested in public and welcomes feedback from both outside developers and everyday players. According to Call of Duty, “The pros of public testing and the trust we’re building outweigh the con that is giving cheaters a little bit more time to understand the software and potentially find a workaround.” Starburst: From director of a commercial to co-star of a campaign In 2021, at the request of its fans, Starburst brought back one of its most famous ads from the early 2000s in a new, collaborative way. Starburst leaned into the customers who had been remixing the old commercial’s notorious jingle on YouTube for years, this time creating a digital toolkit for users to rebuild the ad at home on TikTok. According to Business Insider, “‘Berries and Cream'’ became a fixation of its own, with people making deliberately terrible new takes and mashups that splice lines from the jingle into well-known songs like Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘WAP.’ ‘Berries and cream’ has become a late contender for one of the summer’s biggest TikTok hits.” Adobe XD: Certifying consumer experts to troubleshoot new solutions Adobe XD offers community-sourced, hands-on customer support and 24/7 technical support via Twitter. Designers can ask @AdobeXD detailed questions about the software and get quick advice on the best way to accomplish their tasks, both from Adobe employees and from certified community experts. The passionate user base is able to quickly provide a level of tech support that would usually require a phone call or reading mounds of product material. Snap Inc.: Finally paying creators for the attention they bring to the platform Snap Inc. is one of the few companies that has fully embraced the creator economy. With the guidance of its most frequent users, Snap rolled out new monetization tools in the summer of 2021, letting users create original content and be paid for it. Snap stated that 5,400 creators have been paid since the launch in November, including over 250 people who have been paid more than $100,000. Snap also created custom filters for Gen Zers to promote their own entrepreneurial ventures, like selling clothes online. PRODUCT FEEDBACK AND ITERATION MARKETING AND BRAND BUILDING CUSTOMER SERVICE BRAND EXPERIENCES INNOVATIVE EXAMPLES OF BRANDS SHARING AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF THE CO-CREATION LADDER WHAT TO SHARE: INTRODUCING THE CO-CREATION LADDER OGILVY EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 19 18
- 11. HOW TO SHARE: BRINGING THE CO- CREATION LADDER INTO ACTION OGILVY EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 21 20
- 12. Note that choosing the best internal group structure to fit your needs depends on factors such as project complexity, expected duration, meeting frequency, completion time scales, group size, communication methodology, budget considerations, language barriers, time zones, and necessary brand and industry familiarization. Choosing the best-suited community members to take part in your collaborations will require your brand to predetermine the level of specialized knowledge needed (if any), industry expertise, and understanding of Gen Z trends needed by the participants. The next step involves determining how to best execute sharing the areas you selected from the ladder. Below is a list of brand-formed groups that can be built out of your user community to address all 15 priority areas on the Co-creation Ladder. Groups can be populated with internal and/or external members. The table below connects all 15 opportunities from our Co-creation Ladder to an execution plan. These suggestions are not definitive, but they have led to successful outcomes. Opportunities to Share Sharing Collective Brand-Formed Groups Internal and/or External People Position Type Position Duration Meeting Frequency Cross Gen or Gen Z Only Gen Z Specific Knowledge Brand Purpose Sustainability Initiatives Board of Directors Minimum Fixed Yearly Rolling Minimum Quarterly Include Gen Z High Brand Positioning Recruiting & Employee Experience Company Advisory Board Minimum Fixed Yearly Rolling Minimum Quarterly Include Gen Z High Product Portfolio Futurecasting Youth Advisory Board Minimum Fixed Yearly Rolling Monthly to Quarterly Gen Z Only High Sustainability Initiatives Marketing & Brand Building Product Bundles & Partnership Strategy Youth Council Fixed Term Medium-Term or Long-Term Study Weekly to Monthly Gen Z Only High Platform Value & Features Supply Chain & Sourcing Project Council Fixed Term Medium-Term or Long Term Study Weekly to Monthly Include Gen Z Medium Product Portfolio Product Bundles & Partnership Strategy Product Council Fixed Term Medium-Term or Long Term Study Weekly to Monthly Include Gen Z Medium Membership Programs Interest-Based Communities Youth Focus Group Short Term Short Term Virtual, Slack/Discord Channel, Daily to Weekly, Include Ambass/Champ Gen Z Only Medium Marketing & Brand Building Customer Service Project Focus Group Short Term Short Term Virtual, Slack/Discord Channel, Daily to Weekly, Include Ambass/Champ Include Gen Z Medium Product Feedback & Iteration Supply Chain & Sourcing Product Focus Group Short Term Short Term Virtual, Slack/Discord Channel, Daily to Weekly, Include Ambass/Champ Include Gen Z Medium Customer Service, Share Product Feedback & Iteration Customer Service Gen Z Insights & Polling Group One Time or Minimum Fixed Term Short Term, Variable Length Virtual, Slack/Discord Channel, Daily to Weekly, Include Ambass/Champ Gen Z Only Minimal Marketing & Brand Building Recruiting & Employee Experience Gen Z Analyst, Associates & Interns Short-Term Fixed Short Term, Variable Length In-Person/Virtual, Daily/ Weekly Meetings, Slack/ Discord Channel Gen Z Only Minimal Futurecasting Brand Experiences Product Bundles & Partnership Strategy GenZ KOLs, COLs, Influencers, Celebrities Project Based Time or Project Based In-Person/Virtual-Daily/ Weekly Meetings, Slack/ Discord Channel Include Gen Z High Membership Programs Interest-Based Communities Gen Z Ambassadors & Champions Minimum Fixed One-Year Minimum Virtual — Slack/Discord Channel, Monthly Town Hall Meetings Gen Z Only Minimal Product Bundles & Partnership Strategy Membership Programs Brand/Community Platforms Membership & Loyalty Program Participants Open Term Open Duration Open Schedule Cross- Generational None Product Portfolio Brand Experiences Social Media Large Public Platforms & Smaller Digital Campfires Open Term Open Duration Open Schedule Cross- Generational None 86% When asked if they would be willing to commit an hour a week to be part of a working group for their favorite brand, such as joining a Gen Z-Council for three months, 86% of Gen Z said “Yes,” they would be willing to commit the time. OGILVY AND THRED MEDIA GEN Z SURVEY, MARCH 2022 HOW TO SHARE: BRINGING THE CO- CREATION LADDER INTO ACTION OGILVY EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 23 22
- 13. The sharing collective groups are divided into five categories: boards, councils, focus groups, multipurpose groups and media platforms. The time and work commitment for participating community members is greater at the board level and progressively lessens as you work your way down the list (column 2). Some of the groups are made up entirely of Gen Z members, while other groups would be well served to include a member of Gen Z as part of a diverse, cross-generational community. For example, we have suggested using a Youth Advisory Board (all Gen Z members) for futurecasting and a Project Council (including a Gen Z member) for supply chain and sourcing projects. The pairings between the Co-creation Ladder opportunities and the sharing collectives (brand-formed groups) are meant to be dynamic and renewed as the needs of the participants evolve over time. Whether it’s through ambassador networks, membership programs, special events, user-generated content, or joining a brand’s Gen Z-Council, the world’s best Gen Z brands give their community a place to bring other like-minded individuals into the brand’s story, the motivation to keep them engaged, and a seat at the most important tables. When asked, “If paid, would you be interested in participating in: Helping to create and plan new events, defining sustainability goals, designing brand loyalty / membership programs, interacting with the brand’s community/fans, or helping come up with new product ideas/features,” less than 9% said they would NOT be interested in any activity in partnership with their favorite brands. Over a third answered “Yes” to each of the options. OGILVY AND THRED MEDIA GEN Z SURVEY, MARCH 2022 OGILVY EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 25 24 HOW TO SHARE: BRINGING THE CO- CREATION LADDER INTO ACTION
- 14. WHERE TO START SHARING: THE FIRST STEP The figure on the next page is a result of conversations with several brand leaders. It seeks to help determine where your brand should prioritize or begin sharing, based on current cultural context and business ambitions. Plotting your brand along each axis will help clarify which rungs of the ladder could drive the most impact as you first begin to share. For example, if your brand best fits into the bottom-right quadrant, which suggests co-creating a hero product, the product-centric rungs of the ladder (product portfolio and platform features) and their associated group structures from the table above will likely be optimal as you begin sharing your brand. OGILVY EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 27 26
- 15. If brand love with Gen Z is already high but a reputational pivot / course correction is needed, brands should consider working with Gen Z to develop a shared ambition or winning metric which directly addresses and reverses the point of contention. It is critical to work alongside Gen Z to develop a shared strategy, an execution plan, and success metrics. Working with Gen Zers to tackle the problems they care most about through goal setting is an excellent way to build trust. For example, what if McDonald’s worked directly with a Gen Z youth council that met each month to ideate ways to reduce single-use plastic, and rewarded kids for their solutions? Co-create a goal Help youth go from conflicted to accomplished Co-create an experience Help youth go from energized to vocal fans Co-create a transparent brand audit Help youth go from doubtful to encouraged Co-create a hero product or service Help youth go from indifferent to dependent This framework is only a starting point for inspiration. Co- creation is an ongoing journey which covers the entire business, not a single solution at one moment in time. Your brand already has a place in the hearts of Gen Z, but in this fast-paced world, futureproofing is essential. Brands in this cell should continuously improve their community structures and experiment together with Gen Zers on ways to co-create shared experiences and membership opportunities that help them actualize their goals. Within co-created experiences, rewarding participants’ contributions with influence is especially effective. For example, what if Spotify co-created playlists with various focus groups of Gen Z creators (from everyday kids to influencers) and at the end of each year, the focus group which assembled the most popular playlist would get to help organize a Spotify concert with those artists? For brands which need to both pivot reputationally and improve their connection with Gen Z, deep change is likely required—often at the brand-positioning level. Brands should internalize the root of Gen Zers’ discontent and work with them to audit the entire brand ecosystem, from supply chain to product portfolio, as well as define potential plans to reposition the brand’s place in the culture. Leading with transparency and committing to improvement with Gen Z will be key to repositioning. For example, what if Gasoil, an energy company, set up a new company advisory board that included Gen Z college students studying clean energy to redefine its position as an energy provider? If current love from Gen Z is low, but your brand reputation or position is generally okay, your brand is likely lacking relevance or facing fatigue. Brands in this cell should consider co-creating new flagship products that fill gaps in the market according to Gen Z. Help youth feel seen, feel proud, or accomplish their goals. For example, what if Under Armour incubated a Gen Z lab in partnership with its advisory board to expand its headphones and audio business unit into the competitive gaming world? “I think execution on co-creation really comes down to accountability. Internally, it cannot be, ‘Hey, just do it with the extra 10% of time that you have’—which no one actually has. You must make a conscious choice to focus on this, as a mindset, starting with where you should begin sharing, which also means deprioritizing something else.” SENIOR BRAND LEADER GROW USER BASE CURRENT GEN Z BRAND USAGE IMPROVE TRUST OR REPUTATION LOW HIGH OGILVY EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 29 28 WHERE TO START SHARING: THE FIRST STEP The Co-creation Matrix: Where do I start? MOST URGENT BRAND PRIORITY
- 16. Winning with Gen Z does not require you to give up existing relationships with older consumers, forgo your legacy or identity, or call anyone who isn’t under the age of 25 a “boomer.” Winning with Gen Z will, however, require you to do the following: 1. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the issues Gen Z is interested in and the values that Gen Z holds, and then prioritize the ones which connect to your brand to drive impact. 2. Share your brand with young people who hold a mutual interest in your offering and allow them to help co-create your user community and future direction. 3. Instill shared values and purpose throughout the brand and achieve measurable impact around mutually defined goals. The more you share with Gen Z, the greater the understanding of future market needs and cultural insights you will have over and above other brands. The idea is to think of co-creation not just as a novel tool or marketing mechanism to use when it's convenient, but as a belief that consistently sharing your brand will lead to growing your interest-based community, seeing new market opportunities, collaborating on ideation in future offerings, and solidifying your place in youth-culture-based movements. Continuously adding value to your developing Gen Z audience is key to consumer longevity. As co-creation efforts spread, new opportunities to become more transformative in the lives of Gen Z will be unearthed—as will powerful new ways to grow your business. Evolution, not revolution Growth with Gen Z requires developing a structure to cultivate and share with a community passionate about your purpose. The long- term impact of your brand on Gen Z will be determined by your ability to identify, bring in, and co-create with a diverse group of youth who resonate with your mission and purpose. OGILVY EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 31 30
- 17. 1 2 3 4 5 FIVE KEY TAKEAWAYS Brands must embrace a new, expanded definition of sharing in order to succeed with Gen Z. A brand that shares is one which not only allows, but also encourages, Gen Z to help shape the direction of the business at all levels. The precursor to sharing is community, and your community should be more egalitarian than hierarchical, with internal and external leaders empowered to contribute at all levels. Large-scale cultural shifts, such as changes in the education and employment landscape, represent huge opportunities for brands to begin sharing and deepen their relationships with Gen Z. Sharing your brand is a commitment to support a segment of youth in their own ambitions and personal purposes. Whether it’s through ambassador networks, advisory boards, or a Gen Z-Council, the best youth-oriented brands give their users the resources to build new decision-making tables for all parties to use. OGILVY EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 33 32
- 18. AUTHORS REID LITMAN Global Consultant, Futuring Ogilvy Consulting JENK OZ Founder & CEO Thred Media Reid builds Brand and Marketing Strategies with purpose - contributing to growth brand strategy, community building, and innovation projects for top brands, creators, & startups at Ogilvy Consulting. He is also building a Studio offering at Ogilvy to connect client brands to the pulse of youth culture, everyday kids, and the creator economy through co-creation. He’s interested in the intersection of social equity, brand, and technology, believing brands can be instrumental in changing not only social forces, but concrete policy in the years to come. Jenk is a 17- year-old social entrepreneur, public speaker, social change activist and the Founder & CEO of Thred Media. Thred Media is a consulting agency focused on publishing, media, consulting and production aimed at Gen Z. The central tenet is the 100% social change-focused website Thred, which is available in seventeen languages and reaches readers in 220 countries/ territories a month. Thred Media allows clients to access a Gen Z approach to research and futurecasting insights using first-hand data, co-creation strategies and game-changing content production. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS JEREMY KATZ Editorial Director Ogilvy NIKOLAJ BIRJUKOW Global Managing Director Ogilvy IMAGES PROVIDED BY EYEEM BY TALENTHOUSE VANESSA PERRY Global Partner, Marketing Ogilvy Consulting LUIS VILCHES Senior Art Director Ogilvy CHRIS CELLETTI Global Editor Ogilvy CODY BOEGER Global Partner, Design Strategy Ogilvy Consulting EMBRACING CO-CREATION AT ALL LEVELS: PUTTING SHARING INTO PRACTICE 34
- 19. For more information please reach out to: https://www.ogilvy.com Ogilvy Consulting is the strategy, innovation, and business insights arm of The Ogilvy Group. An enterprise-wide offering, we provide advisory services across Business Growth & Innovation Strategy, Business Transformation, Brand & Marketing Innovation, Sustainability, Behavioral Science and Futuring. Ogilvy inspires brands and people to impact the world, creating iconic, culture-changing, value-driving ideas for clients since David Ogilvy founded the company in 1948. We are a global network and bring agile and diverse teams of analysts, strategists, and consultants together at the intersection of brand, growth, innovation, and transformation. We are positioned as the strategic advisors to the C-Suite on all aspects of brand, marketing, and business growth. We collaborate closely with teams and businesses across Ogilvy, including Advertising, Brand and Communications, Public Relations & Influence, Experience and Health. Our global consulting team works across all sectors and categories, including healthcare, technology, financial services, manufacturing, automotive, retail, and many more. We continue building on that rich legacy through our borderless creativity—operating, innovating, and creating at the intersection of talent and capabilities. Our experts in Advertising, Experience, Public Relations, Health, and Consulting work fluidly across 131 offices in 93 countries to bring forth world-class creative solutions for our clients. Ogilvy is a WPP company (NASDAQ: WPPGY). For more information, visit Ogilvy.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. ABOUT OGILVY CONSULTING ABOUT OGILVY