Category: News

PRovoke Media’s Innovation & North American SABRE Awards 2026 were held in New York City last week. They served as a critical benchmark for the PR industry, highlighting the shift toward more purposeful, tech-integrated communications.

Citizen secured two major wins, two certificates of excellence, & a nomination during the ceremony: 

• Innovator of the Year – Agency for Senior Vice President Joe Cariati
• Best Brand Event & Immersive Experience for the SickKids 150 “Balloonspotting” campaign 
• Certificate of Excellence – The Tomorrow-First Engine
• Certificate of Excellence – Cause For Alarm: The Living Jingle – Kidde
• Shortlisted – PR Agency Marketing 

The PRovoke North American Summit, which includes the IN2 and North American SABRE Awards, was spread over two days and aimed to enhance the understanding and appreciation of PR’s true value in today’s complex reputational landscape. Along with a celebration of industry campaigns and individuals, the marketing industry walked away with key insights on today’s PR landscape and its shift to purposeful, tech-integrated communications. Here’s what we learned:

Adopt AI, But Don’t Overthink It

In PR, the most successful campaigns often leverage existing behaviours rather than inventing new ones. “AI campaigns don’t need to be overly complicated,” noted Citizen’s Creative Director, Jess Richards. “It’s about finding a hack or behaviour that already exists and amplifying it through multiple channels.”

The Allegra #DrowsyPrompts campaign presented at the summit was a clear example of this. When an LLM generated responses that favoured Allegra over traditional antihistamines, the creatives discovered a high-impact visual narrative that capitalized on a familiar use of AI. The key is to not overthink AI and the ways people are using it. 

“Sometimes the best idea is the simplest and most obvious one,” added Citizen’s Senior Director of Growth Performance, Patrick Bobilin. 

Citizen’s Vice President, Katie Skinner, emphasized that the agency’s goal is now seamless integration. She says, “We are finding ways to make LLMs a fundamental part of our workflow, both for efficiency and creativity.” 

The Return to Intentionality

As digital cycles accelerate, there is a growing need for brand discipline, and that speed should never come at the expense of strategic alignment.

Skinner noted that direct feedback and intelligence remain the industry’s most valuable assets. Tools such as focus groups are essential for maintaining an authentic pulse on target audiences.

Richards argued that brands need to be intentional about the role they play and position they take.

“It’s not always about being the quickest to react, but being thoughtful and purposeful in the response.”

True Innovation Challenges Assumptions

In 2026, innovation is defined by the ability to thoughtfully leverage new technology while maintaining a grounded, stakeholder-first approach. For PR agencies, there’s no time to wait. As Agency Innovator of the Year, Joe Cariati, put it, “Innovation isn’t a fire extinguisher. If you care about it only during a crisis, you’ve already lost.” 

Staying up to date on AI strategy isn’t the only consideration for an innovative campaign. Too often, innovation is confused with iteration: applying a new tool to an old way of thinking. To truly innovate, agencies need to begin challenging assumptions, retiring old habits, and embracing new workflows that complement the lived experience of their target demographic. 

In a complex world, Citizen believes that reputation is a brand’s most essential strategic asset and the shift to more purposeful, tech-integrated communications is a necessity for ambitious brands to succeed. Read more about reputation practice here. 

 

In the prestigious arena of Cannes Young Lions, Citizen Relations’ Copywriter George Hobby and Art Director Grace Zhou secured a remarkable silver medal finish in the PR category. Their campaign, Pharma Seeds, reimagines the intersection of mental health and environmental action by replacing traditional pills with native plant seeds in biodegradable prescription bottles.

Citizen Chief Creative Officer, Josh Budd, weighed in on the big win: “I couldn’t be happier for George and Grace. Young Lions is hard just to complete, let alone shortlist, let alone podium. And silver! That they’ve done so only 18 months into their careers is a testament to the drive, talent, and teamwork that we’re fortunate to see every day.”

We sat down with George and Grace to chat about their journey to the podium.

Q&A with George Hobby and Grace Zhou

Securing a silver medal at Cannes is a massive milestone. How has this experience validated your journey as creatives?

George: As young creatives, imposter syndrome can creep in, and it’s sometimes hard to know if you’re doing work “right.” This competition provided the validation that our thinking is worth pursuing and that we were hired for a reason.

Grace: Having competed in Young Lions twice, I’ve been able to see the progression of our work. Seeing that improvement really makes you start to believe in yourself.

What did this high-pressure environment teach you about each other?

George: I learned that Grace works best when most of us are asleep—definitely outside of the 9-to-5 window! Once she puts her head down, it’s best to give her space to lock in.

Grace: George is incredibly structured and organized. He loves his routine and he’s very competitive. He also keeps the mood light—he loves a good “would you rather” question to break the tension.

Looking back at the process, is there anything you would have done differently?

George: Win gold?! (Laughs). Honestly, we are very proud of the work. The only thing to do moving forward is to take the industry experience and apply it to our daily work at Citizen.

Grace: Started earlier! Having more of a plan with strict deadlines could have saved us from staying up until 3:00 AM! But having that time to go over multiple ideas together before moving forward was incredibly valuable.

What was the highlight of your Young Lions experience?

George: The final ceremony, and the opportunity to meet other junior creatives and see what the future of advertising and PR holds. It’s an inspiring community to be a part of.

Grace: For me, it was the validation of making it further and further in the competition. Receiving those emails announcing we had made it to the next round was such a thrill.

For the creatives looking to compete next year, what is your best “insider” advice?

Grace: Practice blue-sky thinking—take on the competition with an “anything is possible” mentality without constraints like budget or timing.

George: Have strong opinions but hold them loosely. What makes creatives stand out isn’t just their thinking, but their ability to decide where that thinking should be allocated.

Finally, you both represent Citizen Relations. What is it about the agency culture that helped prepare you for this win?

George: It’s the work ethic and the collaborative spirit. There is a real willingness at Citizen to share insights and information across every department, from XM to PR.

Grace: That integrated thinking is exactly what you need to succeed at a global level like Cannes. It’s this cooperation amongst departments that allows the best ideas to flourish.

In 2026, we have to look at corporate reputation as a fundamental driver of financial success.

This shift requires treating reputation as a core business lever rather than a vague sentiment, navigating the constant intersection of financial value and brand risk. Right now, reputation accounts for roughly 30% of total market capitalization across major indices like the S&P 500. ¹

The reality is that we are operating in an era where disinformation travels six times faster than the truth where the financial penalty for a response failure to a corporate reputation risk is catastrophic.

The Real Cost of a Response Failure

News of Meta’s legal battles focused on the $375M in direct damages for safety failures but the real story should be centered on the reputation damage that triggered a $119B drop in market value. That valuation remains $100B below its peak months later as investors wait for trust to be rebuilt. ²

The legal precedent sends liability shockwaves far beyond the tech sector. The market now expects immediate and total accountability from major brands. The expectation is greatest in high-frequency sectors like fast food and online retail, where a single point of friction leads to a permanent shift in spending. According to PwC’s 2025 Customer Experience Survey, 52% of consumers stop buying from a brand after a single bad experience. ³

Trust as Your Bottom Line Advantage

Trust acts as a powerful buffer to market volatility. During economic downturns, people gravitate toward the brands they believe in.

We see this in essential categories like grocery and beverage. According to 2024 Gartner research, nearly 70% of consumers stay loyal to a trusted brand even when cheaper alternatives are available or the economy becomes unpredictable. ⁴

In our experience, building trust equity requires an internal culture that matches your external voice.

A strong reputation protects your stock price and lowers daily operating costs. We see that organizations with high trust scores enjoy a 50% reduction in cost-per-hire and nearly a 30% decrease in employee turnover. ⁵

The New Playbook: Intelligence-Led Response

The most significant vulnerability for brands is the gap between the emergence of an issue and the final approval to act. When internal processes require days of committee review and legal vetting, the narrative grows beyond your control. This is where precision intelligence becomes your most critical defensive asset.

Success in 2026 depends on listening for emerging issues on niche platforms before they reach a tipping point. An early warning system allows you to implement previously approved authority frameworks, empowering your team to act in under four hours.

This same intelligence protects customer loyalty. By identifying points of friction in real-time, you can pivot messaging or operations before a single bad experience leads to a permanent loss of a customer. It is the difference between simply reacting to a crisis and actively positioning your brand to stay ahead of it.

Three Steps to Secure Against Corporate Reputation Risks

If you are concerned about your current response gap, we recommend focusing on these immediate priorities:

1. Audit your internal response time. Review your approval cycle to see if your team can move from a validated signal to a public response in under four hours.
2. Integrate Advanced Intelligence. Move beyond basic monitoring by using media analysis engines for competitive whitespace, and intent tracking to pinpoint what your audience needs based on social and search data.
3. Establish Pre-Cleared Frameworks. Create authority structures that allow your communication leaders to act on data immediately, ensuring you lead the narrative rather than simply defending it.

If you want to discuss how you can proactively equip your team for any corporate reputation challenges, reach out here.

 

1. Echo Research
2. The Guardian
3. Qualtrics
4. Gartner
5. LinkedIn

Being named PRovoke Media’s Agency Innovator of the Year forced me to be honest about what innovation looks like in practice, not just how our industry talks about it.

Because in most agencies, what passes for innovation is really iteration: a new tool applied to an old way of thinking, or a familiar framework with a fresh coat of paint.

The pressure is coming from every direction. Everyone wants proof, relevance and results they can feel.

The problem isn’t effort. PR teams are working harder than ever, with more pitches, creators, channels and content. But volume is not impact. Brands still optimizing a playbook that stopped working five years ago aren’t falling behind slowly; they’re accelerating toward irrelevance.

 Here are four ways I am unlearning to move forward:

1. Unlearn the Brand as Protagonist

The brands earning real attention today create the conditions for a story worth telling. That means stepping back and letting a community, a creator or a cultural moment lead. It means creating stories journalists want to cover, not just ones the brand wants placed.

When Duolingo announced the “death” of its owl mascot Duo in February 2025, it lit the match and got out of the way. Other brands posted mock condolences. Celebrities joined in. National news covered it. The brand didn’t control how the narrative took form; they just created the opening and let the internet take it from there. The result? 1.7 billion impressions.

2. Unlearn the Habit of Crisis-Only Reputation Thinking

Most brands treat reputation management like insurance, something to scramble for when things go sideways. That model is broken, and it usually becomes the communications team’s problem at the worst possible moment.

Trust isn’t built in a crisis response. It’s revealed by one. What looks like a communications problem in year three is often a credibility deficit from years one and two.

When public anxiety about AI was at its peak, O2 didn’t wait to be put on the defensive. It built “Daisy the AI Granny,” an AI character designed to protect elderly people from phone scammers and deployed it publicly. The campaign wasn’t just clever. It was a values statement made before the question was asked. When the AI ethics conversation intensified, O2 already had an answer that didn’t need to be defensive.

3. Unlearn the Big-Platform Monoculture

If your entire earned media approach is built around chasing major placements, that’s not strategic, that’s a (bad) habit. And you’re overpaying for reach that may not convert or drive business impact.

Skincare brand Jaxon Lane didn’t launch with a national media campaign. It seeded its hero product, a men’s sheet mask, among micro-influencers with just a few thousand followers who specialized in sheet mask reviews. Magazine editors followed those creators to spot trends and reached out directly. Within a year, the Wall Street Journal was interviewing Jaxon Lane about men’s grooming habits. The niche voice didn’t just reach the right consumer; it reached the right journalist.

One deeply trusted niche voice did what no broad-reach campaign could have manufactured. Precision beats presence, and it’s a much easier story to tell when someone asks you to justify the budget.

4. Unlearn PR as a Downstream Function

The most expensive habit in modern marketing is bringing communications in after the product is built, the campaign is locked, and the decisions are made. The ask is amplification. That’s useful. It’s only a fraction of the value on the table.

PR isn’t just a megaphone. At its best, it builds the credibility and cultural relevance that make people care what a brand does next, not defensively, but proactively. The goal isn’t to avoid bad press. It’s to build a reputation strong enough that when you have something to say, people are already leaning in.

That case has never been more urgent. In the era of generative AI search, earned credibility is infrastructure. The brands appearing in AI-generated answers aren’t there because they paid for placement; they’re there because they built a body of credible, earned coverage that AI engines recognize as authoritative. Treat PR as an afterthought, and you won’t just lose share of voice. You’ll disappear from the conversation entirely.

Brought in early, great PR sharpens positioning, finds the angles most likely to resonate and pushes ideas from adequate to compelling. Brought in late, it can only dress up what’s already been built. The brands that get this right build with PR from the start.

The only advantage that compounds

Reach can be bought. A byline can be placed. But the credibility that makes either of those things land with audiences who actually influence purchase decisions, shape perceptions, and determine cultural staying power comes from a reputation that must be earned.

Innovation isn’t always an addition. Sometimes it’s a subtraction: a habit retired, an assumption challenged, a model you stop defending because the market stopped rewarding it.

That’s the unlearning. For any brand serious about what comes next, it isn’t optional.

Earlier this week, the Canadian events industry gathered at the Canadian Event Awards to celebrate the visionaries and creators shaping the country’s experiential marketing landscape. It was a milestone night for Citizen Relations as they took home two prestigious wins: Best Pop-Up and the Founders ICON Award – the industry’s highest individual honour. 

In a definitive ‘Hall of Fame’ moment for the industry, Kevin Wagman, Managing Director, Experiential at Citizen, received the ICON Award. This prestigious accolade is the Canadian events industry’s equivalent of a lifetime achievement award, marking the pinnacle of professional recognition.

Unlike category-specific awards, the ICON Award is peer-nominated and merit-based. Reserved for individuals with over 20 years of leadership, the award celebrates those who have shaped the profession through mentorship, innovation, and industry advancement. 

Over a career spanning 20+ years, Kevin has cemented himself as an industry leader by designing and implementing marketing campaigns & experiential events for tier-one clients throughout North America and Europe. Last year, Kevin was included on Canadian Special Events’ list of 2024’s Top 25 Most Fascinating People. 

“Having Kevin recognized with the ICON Award is an incredible moment for all of us at Citizen,” said Stephanie Hurst, Citizen’s newly appointed President, Canada. “While this honour celebrates his incredible personal legacy, the true magic lies in how he has mentored and shaped our Experiential team into the powerhouse it is today.”

An annual winner at the Canadian Event Awards, the celebration continued as the Citizen took the stage again, winning Best Pop-Up Experience for their work on the Santa’s Workshop, brought to you by Shoppers Drug Mart.

To establish Shoppers Drug Mart as the ultimate holiday gifting destination, Citizen transformed The Well in Toronto into the North Pole. This wasn’t a traditional retail space; it was a fully immersive Santa’s Workshop that featured a stunning Beauty Gift Gallery, a Self-Care Chalet, and a complimentary photo experience with Santa Claus himself.

This recognition comes at a time of increased momentum for Citizen. Earlier in the year, the agency was shortlisted at both Campaign’s Global and Canadian Agency of Year Awards and last year, they took the podium for a consecutive third time at Strategy’s AOY Awards. 

Global integrated PR agency, Citizen Relations, has been recognized on the world stage, being named a finalist for Campaign’s Global PR Agency of the Year 2026. With entries from top agencies across 16 different countries, Citizen is honoured to be one of the agencies selected worldwide. 

The Campaign Global Agency of the Year Awards are unique in the industry; rather than focusing solely on creative campaign hits, the judging process involves a deep-dive audit of the agency’s “engine,” evaluating its workplace culture, innovation, and overall business health.

“Being shortlisted globally is a testament to the trust our clients place in us to navigate a messy, fast-moving world,” said Nick Cowling, CEO at Citizen. “In this landscape, reputation is a brand’s most critical asset. This recognition proves that our strategy of turning cultural complexity into commercial confidence, is delivering the real-world impact our industry needs right now.”

Citizen had a strong 2025, marked with large industry wins, including a feature on PRNews’ 2026 Agency Elite Top 120 list and a  PR Agency of the Year (Bronze) win at Strategy’s AOY Awards in Canada- their third year in a row on the podium. Citizen’s work over the past year has delivered high-impact results that moved both culture and bottom lines for clients; the team’s Balloonspotting campaign for SickKids Foundation drove record-breaking donations while their industry-disrupting campaign for Kidde delivered 4B+ impressions and demanded the topic of fire safety be brought to the forefront. The momentum has continued into 2026. Earlier this month, Citizen was named a finalist for Campaign Canada’s PR Agency of the Year and featured on PRovoke Media’s Top 100 Best Agencies in the USA list. 

The winners for Campaign’s Global Agency of the Year will be announced at the awards ceremony in mid-June in London.

At the start of 2026, inflation dominated headlines; the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a jobs slowdown,¹ and Canada’s Labour Force showed a decline.²

McDonald’s made news in March by launching a new $3-and-under value menu and a $4 meal deal.³ These trends coincide with consumer sentiment seeking affordable comforts and small treats, such as coffee drinks, manicures, or collectibles. 

While we had a sense that sentiment drives QSR consumer behavior, we wanted to dig into the facts.

Gen Z and Emotional Fast-Food Consumption

While two-thirds of Gen Z report burnout,⁴ industry reports show the same proportion ordering takeout or delivery at least once a week.⁵ The overlap is apparent. 

By the start of 2025, we noticed engagement with content about the emotional benefits of fast food was owned by 18-34 year olds by a factor of 15-to-1, compared to other generations. There’s a strong relationship between sentiment and QSR consumer behavior, and marketing teams must adapt their strategies to take advantage of this connection.

Occasional Luxuries

Conversations discussing fast food go beyond flavor, value, and brand on social media. Between 2022 and 2025, comfort-based conversations about fast food grew online by a massive 155%.

Quick-service restaurants have a relationship to comfort, nostalgia, and emotion unlike anything seen before. We wrote about the evolution of fast food from sustenance to self-care in 2025, and the trend continues to grow.

How Consumers Talk About Brands

We looked specifically at what drove consumer purchases last year. There was no clear majority, as brands always know. A mixture of hunger, convenience, price, location, and timing all come into play when running a restaurant.

In their own words, one-in-five consumers bought from a quick-service restaurant to reward themselves for a job well done. Whether they got a promotion, worked hard on a school project, or cleaned their home, nearly 20% of consumers bought fast food because they reached a goal or milestone.

Close behind, just under 16% chose fast food to pursue happiness. They chose the option “treating yourself to feel better or happier”. 

These points highlight the fulfillment quick-service restaurants play, beyond their caloric content. 

Sentiment Transcends Brand

This conversation around sentiment, emotion, and self-care isn’t owned by any single QSR brand. While many consumers have personal favorites, a third of posts in 2025 mentioned no quick-service restaurant by name when talking about comfort-based consumption.

Whether due to habit or convenience, the lack of a clear leader in sentiment-based consumption leaves room for growth. The 27% of brand-agnostic conversations represent an open opportunity.

What Can Brands Do When Sentiment Drives QSR Consumer Behavior?

Based on the data, the essential question for QSR brands is how to adapt strategies to connect emotionally with consumers.

As of Jan 2026, conversations that link QSR and mental health are up 58% from two years ago.⁶ Research shows that Millennials spend more on dining out, but Gen Z dines out more often.⁷ They want their dollars to go further, which means they’re turning to cheaper options.

Here are our four tips for how to win your brand’s share of consumer sentiment:

1. Consider Emotional Customer Journeys

Review your customer journey to seek where sentiment shows up. What are the drivers of their emotional QSR engagement? Are there ways that your brand can be the natural choice based on their behavior? What do searches on your site, search engines, and on social media show? Look for patterns in intention and direct your campaigns to capture that moment.

2. Look at Loyalty

Loyalty programs offer real-time intelligence on customer behavior. Buying patterns related to seasons, times of day, and broader cultural moments give a view as to why consumers choose a QSR brand. Make that part of your external messaging to show that you’re connected to their intent.

3. Create QSR Cultural Moments

Instead of waiting for the right time, QSR brands can create relevant moments based on QSR culture. Stand out from the crowd without paying influencer or celebrity endorsement fees by focusing on what’s special about the audience’s relationship to your brand or QSR in general. Consider Taco Bell’s “fourth meal” and Burger King’s “Whopper detour” as ways to influence behavior on your own terms.

4. Measure Sentiment Over Sales

When trying to influence sentiments, keep your eye on the conversation over the ledger. Owning more share of emotional content in the market may not result in immediate sales results. Social listening and sentiment analysis are the tools for understanding success here.

If you’re eager to build a meaningful with your audience, we’re here to help.

–––

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics

2. Government of Canada

3. Today.com

4. Fortune

5. Food Institute

6. via Meltwater

7. Investopedia

Global PR powerhouse Citizen Relations has officially welcomed Stephanie Hurst as its new President, Canada. Based in the Toronto office, Stephanie joins the executive leadership team to oversee the agency’s flourishing Canadian operations and drive a 360-degree integrated growth strategy.

A seasoned marketing and advertising veteran, Stephanie’s career has spanned both the client and agency sides, from leading the Dove brand at Unilever Canada to serving as CEO of creative agency john st. and marketing consultancy theturnlab. 

We sat down with Stephanie to chat about her marketing leadership philosophy, why reputation is the only currency that matters, and why she’s excited to be the “plus sign” in the Citizen equation.

Q&A with Stephanie Hurst

You’ve had a storied career across major brands like Unilever and top-tier creative agencies. What was it about Citizen Relations that made you want to call it your new home?

Stephanie: I’ve spent my career moving between the agency world and the client side, which has given me a 360-degree view of the marketing landscape. Earned is here to stay, and Citizen has been leading that charge for a while now.  In this era where consumers are increasingly skilled at ignoring paid ads, it’s fair to say media can buy attention, but it doesn’t buy trust. Citizen understands that reputation isn’t just a department; it’s a strategy that drives business. I was also deeply impressed by the agency’s “Agency of the Future” investments—specifically how we blend creativity with data to stay ahead of the curve.

You’ve been part of some iconic cultural moments, including bringing Dove’s ‘Campaign for Real Beauty’ to Canada. How does that foundational brand-building experience shape your approach today?

Stephanie: My years in advertising agencies gave me a foundation in brand building and craft, while Unilever taught me the “business of brands”—specifically the rigor of P&L management. My “sweet spot” is helping brands navigate change by combining empathy and business understanding. It’s about connecting the dots across a business to unlock growth

You describe yourself as an “integrator.” Can you tell us more about that leadership philosophy?

Stephanie: Every leader says they want to mobilize talented people, but I see my role specifically as being the “plus sign” in the equation 1 + 1 = 3. I’m not always the person coming up with the brand-new idea in a brainstorm; instead, my strength lies in making other people’s ideas better and spotting the disconnects. I want to ensure every team’s brilliance is fully realized by working in the same direction.

What do you see as the biggest gap in the marketing and communications industry right now?

Stephanie: Siloed thinking. Frequently, reputation and corporate comms sit in a different spot than brand building. To me, brand perception is based entirely on the experience a consumer has with it—it cannot be disconnected. Citizen is uniquely positioned to bridge this gap because we operate at both the corporate and consumer levels, remaining data-focused and business-minded. In fact, Citizen is doubling down on reputation as a tangible business asset because we recognize that PR’s true power lies not in managing the media, but in managing integrity.

For brands looking at their current strategy, what are the indicators that they are “ready” for a partnership with Citizen?

Stephanie: It’s usually when they realize that “just buying attention” isn’t working as hard as it used to. If a brand is frustrated that its marketing spend isn’t translating into long-term trust or authority, they’re ready for the work we do. As we look toward the future of brand communications, reputation is emerging as a brand’s most undervalued performance asset; one that creates a “Trust Premium” that lowers customer acquisition costs and accelerates every other marketing investment. Consumers now discover brands through search engine authority and the reputation shared by friends and social media—we help brands build that ecosystem of trust.

What does a “win” look like for you and your clients?

Stephanie: A win is moving beyond the role of a PR program purveyor to becoming a true partner in building and protecting reputation. My goal is for Citizen to be the first call—or better yet, the partner who identifies a business challenge or opportunity before the phone even rings. 

You’ve been in the office for about a month. What has surprised you most about the team so far?

Stephanie: Despite the incredible success Citizen has enjoyed in Canada—like being on the Agency of the Year podium for three consecutive years—there is zero complacency. Everyone is incredibly curious, open, and driven to evolve. There’s an openness to working together differently that’s very infectious.

Finally, for a little fun, what fuels your “plus sign” energy outside of the office?

Stephanie: As my three children are now young adults, I now have time to develop my own interests again. Pickleball, any and all outdoor time, travel with my husband and my core group of girlfriends are all major passions for me right now. I’m also an “army brat” who attended 11 different schools before university, which probably explains my love of adaptability and change!

The era of the “hidden ad” has reached its expiration date. For over a decade, brands and influencers performed a delicate dance around sponsorships, fearing that overt commercialism would shatter the illusion of authenticity and destroy consumer trust. But there’s a sharp shift in the cultural narrative: most Gen Z don’t just tolerate the hustle — they respect it. This is the Commercial Duality of Gen Z and our Gen Z marketing strategies. They’re obsessed with relatable personalities and radical transparency, yet they’re also least likely to punish a creator for “selling out”. They don’t view the creator economy as a deceptive marketing ploy; they view it as a legitimate career path.

The Data: A New Standard for Voracious Consumption

Gen Z’s engagement with influencer content is unmatched, no matter which persona they fit into. While Millennials and Gen X often hit the “unfollow” button at the first sign of excessive sponsored content, Gen Z is far more forgiving, provided two non-negotiable criteria are met:

1. The Vibe is Viral: They over-index on following creators for their spectacle and “cultural heat,” understanding that fame naturally attracts brand partnerships.
2. The Personality is Real: They demand a relatable persona and transparency in communication.

For this generation, transparency doesn’t mean “I don’t do ads,” it means “I am honest about the ads I do.” They are “Commercial Realists” who understand that if the content is free, the brand pays the bill.

Gen Z Marketing Strategy: Alix Earle x The Super Bowl

Successful brands have stopped hiding the brief. Instead, they turn the commercial relationship into “lore.”

During the 2025 Super Bowl, Alix Earle’s partnerships with Poppi and Carl’s Jr. exemplified this mastery. Rather than slipping a corporate deal quietly into her feed, she framed the moment as a “we made it” milestone for her community. The ad wasn’t an interruption; it was a plot point in her ongoing narrative.

The result? Her audience didn’t roll their eyes; they celebrated her success. By taking them behind the scenes of the “hustle,” she satisfied their craving for both virality and relatable transparency.

Engaging the 5 Personas: Persona-Specific Takeaways

To turn the “Commercial Duality” into a brand advantage, marketing efforts must align with the unique motivations of the five Gen Z personas identified by The Gen Z Collective.

• The Status Architect: Frame sponsorships as a “premium” achievement. They value success and image-consciousness, so show them that partnering with your brand is a sign of making it to the top.
• The Beta Tester: Lean into the “perpetual upgrade” mindset. Use creators to offer early access or “hands-on” trials of new features, letting them feel like they are part of the brand’s evolution.
• The Value Vigilante: Lead with radical transparency. Since they hold brands to rigorous standards, ensure your influencer partnerships provide evidence of quality and align with their practical, value-driven world.
• The Anxious Avoider: Create a “digital sanctuary”. Your commercial content should feel like a “safe space”—think slow-paced, home-based content that emphasizes comfort rather than the high-energy hustle.
• The Risk Junkie: Focus on niche access and novelty. Use limited-edition digital drops or “if you know, you know” community spaces to spark their curiosity for the “weird” and the unhinged.

The CEO Takeaway: Brand as a Co-Creator

Modern brand leadership requires a shift from “influencing in the shadows” to “co-creating in the spotlight”. If a creator is relatable and the product is relevant, the audience won’t just tolerate the ad—they will champion your brand’s success for landing it.

Action Item for Brands: Review your influencer briefs. Are you asking creators to hide the commercial intent? Stop. Give them the creative freedom to celebrate the sponsorship as part of their narrative. Gen Z is rooting for the hustle—ensure your brand is part of the win with Gen Z marketing strategies curated just for them. 

 

While not true for all of them, most Gen Z are known to be obsessed with their personal narrative. They view identity as a fluid, living document – constantly iterating, experimenting, and refining who they are in real-time across platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Yet, this generation presents a fascinating contradiction: while their identities are fluid, they demand absolute, fixed consistency and effortless utility from the brands they allow into their lives.

This social/identity paradox highlights the tension between Fluid Identity vs. Fixed Utility.

Our Gen Z Collective found that the Beta Testers persona exemplifies this shift. They don’t view brands as static entities; they see them as ecosystems in perpetual upgrade. For this group, loyalty isn’t a passive points program, it’s a daily commitment to relevance. The moment a brand becomes clunky, irrelevant, or fails to deliver on a promise of convenience, the Beta Tester evolves past you.

Sephora’s Phygital Mastery

Sephora remains the gold standard for navigating this paradox by recognizing that the Gen Z customer journey is a non-linear, always-on, omnichannel loop. They win over the Beta Testers through three strategic pillars:

• Integrating Digital Identity: Their Virtual Artist app allows customers to “try on” identities instantly — a form of digital beta testing. This fluidity is anchored by flawless, fixed utility: the app works perfectly, and the data-driven recommendations are highly accurate.
• Unifying the Experience: Sephora ensures zero friction. Loyalty points, purchase history, and personalized carts are identical whether the customer is on a smartphone or standing in a physical aisle.
• Delivering Constant Utility: They use digital interfaces to solve physical friction, such as streamlined in-store pickups and returns. For the Beta Tester, this isn’t a “premium” feature; it is the baseline expectation for their loyalty.

Strategic Takeaways: Engaging the 5 Personas

To capture this digital-first loyalty, brands must deploy the “perpetual operating system” mindset across the five distinct Gen Z personas

1. The Status Architect: Focus on the aesthetic of optimization. Provide high-design digital tools that help them curate their public-facing “Main Character” journey and wellness era.
2. The Beta Tester: Prioritize optimization and customization. Offer early access to AI-driven features or “hands-on” trials of new tech that eliminates daily friction.
3. The Value Vigilante: Lead with Radical Transparency. Use digital platforms to provide evidence of sourcing and quality, as they seek reliability and hold brands to rigorous standards.
4. The Anxious Avoider: Build a digital sanctuary. Simplify your user interface to reduce “decision fatigue” and frame your digital utility as a way to enhance their comfort and “safe space” at home.
5. The Risk Junkie: Lean into discovery and niche access. Use limited-edition digital drops or “if you know, you know” community spaces (like subreddits) to spark their curiosity for the “weird” and novelty.

The CEO Takeaway: Brand as a Perpetual Operating System

The goal for modern leadership is to stop thinking in terms of “campaigns” and start developing a “perpetual operating system”. Loyalty today is earned by making a consumer’s life effortless. Your marketing efforts must invest as aggressively in the digital utility of your product as in the product itself.

Action Item for Brands: Evaluate your digital ecosystem: apps, websites, and service chats. Are they as high-quality as your physical product? Are you willing to A/B test your services in real-time to match the speed of your audience? If the answer is no, you are leaving your most valuable customer segment on the table.