By Neena Dasgupta
It starts with a quiet scroll. Gen Z consumers fly through their feed, absorbing and discarding a blur of trending sounds, rapid cuts, and bold visuals. Then something makes them pause. What stops them is authenticity, content that feels natural, not manufactured.
That pause reveals something bigger. Gen Z has grown skeptical of brands that chase every trend or mimic youth culture without a real understanding. They spot inauthenticity immediately and reject brands that try too hard to perform for them. Instead, they value brands that listen closely, respect their individuality, and communicate in ways that feel genuine and effortless.
By 2035, every second rupee spent in India will come from a Gen Zer. They are the hardest generation to win over, but when they believe in a brand, their loyalty runs deep. What sets them apart is fierce individualism and a sharp instinct for what does not fit their world. They officially represent the fundamental shift in consumer power dynamics. Last year, a major Indian brand’s multi-million-rupee dance challenge failed to spark authentic engagement. Comments had to be turned off after Gen Z flooded the posts with “this ain’t it” responses. This generation doesn’t just ignore inauthentic marketing, they actively call it out. They have witnessed the entire evolution of digital marketing, and they’re immune to most traditional tactics.
There is also a kind of generational shift: when a brand starts to feel like it belongs to an older generation, its cool factor can fade quickly. That is why new-age brands that are socially aligned and culturally fluent are winning.
In India, the 2025 Snapchat Gen Z Index revealed 80% of young consumers are moving away from celebrity-heavy, high-gloss campaigns in favour of creators and communities that feel closer to their own lives. This is not about rejecting entertainment. It is about rejecting content that lacks connection.
This is exactly why brands are moving beyond conventional demographic insights and adopting conversation-led marketing and psychometric understanding. Grasping emotional triggers, value systems, and personality cues is essential to crafting messages that feel like a natural part of the audience’s conversations. A streaming platform’s social presence works because it mirrors the quick wit and cultural tone of its audience. A leading Indian food delivery brand has built loyalty by tapping into everyday quirks and inside jokes that feel like they could have come from a friend. Globally, Duolingo’s eccentric owl connects because its humour is consistent and self-aware, not manufactured for every trend.
In the end, Gen Z is not asking brands to chase them. They are asking brands to participate; when a brand becomes part of the conversations they care about, it stops feeling like marketing and starts feeling like a connection. In a feed full of noise, connection is the only trend that never goes out of style, and trying too hard remains the fastest way to lose them.
The author is founder & CEO, The Salt Inc