University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Generation Z: social media, influencers and brand loyalty in entertainment

(USC Thesis Other)

Generation Z: social media, influencers and brand loyalty in entertainment

PDF

Download a page range

Download transcript

Copy asset link

Request this asset

Transcript (if available)

Content

Generation Z:
Social Media, Influencers and Brand Loyalty in Entertainment

Adriana Becerra
University of Southern California
Master of Arts in Strategic Public Relations
May 2019

Becerra 1
Table of Contents
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………..2
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………....3
Who is Generation Z?.......................................................................................................7
Phone Addicts
Mental Health Spike
Financial Realists
Entrepreneurs
Diverse and Accepting
Growing up Slowly
Social Media…………………………………………………………………………………....20
Facebook? I Don’t Know Her
A False Sense of Security
More Than a Meme
Influencers………………………...………........................................................................28
Is That an Actual Word?
Britney Spears v Baby Ariel
The Wild West
Brand Loyalty…………………………………………………………………………………..37
Love Me, Love Me Not
IHOB
Entertainment ……………………………………………………….………………………...44
To All the Entertainment I’ve Loved Before
Put Them all Together and What do you Get
Conclusion………………………………………………....………………..………………....54
Works Cited…………………………………...……………………………..………………...57

Becerra 2
Abstract
Born after 1997 (Pew Research Center), Generation Z (Gen Z) is a cohort full of
phone addicts, financial realists, and entrepreneurs, experiencing one of the worst
mental health spikes in recent years. Gen Z is fully dependent on social media to
interact, engage and communicate with their friends, family, and favorite brands and
companies. Many generational watchers refer to Gen Z as one of the most diverse and
accepting generations to come along, wanting everyone to feel safe, respected and
afforded the same opportunities. Members of Gen Z are fiercely loyal to their “circle of
trust” – a group of people, brands and organizations that they let into their lives. They
respect their circle’s opinions and beliefs, and often can grow dependent on them. Part
of Gen Z’s circle of trust are certain brands and influencers - trusted advisors that Gen Z
turns to in decision-making times. It’s crucial for public relations professionals to truly
understand Generation Z and their usage of social media, influencers and connection
with brands in order to successfully gain consumers in this elusive generation.
Keywords: Generation Z, Gen Z, Brand Loyalty, Influencers, Social Media

Becerra 3
Introduction
“I’m the only one of my friends who has a driver’s license.”
“I asked her why she hadn’t posted to her private Snapchat story in a while, so she had
to unblock me.”
“Those kids drink and party a lot, that’s why I don’t hang out with them.”
Sitting across from my 16-year-old sister, I realized just how different our adolescent
lives were. Seven years doesn’t seem like much but listening to her talk about her
friends and school, it was hard to believe I was ever in that same position. Technology
and social media play a pivotal role in her life. She has Snapchat streaks with dozens of
people. She will delete an Instagram post if it doesn’t get “enough” likes - but she
herself will scroll through her feed without liking any posts. She doesn’t have a
Facebook account. She spends hours every night doing homework. She doesn’t know
what she wants her career to be, but she knows she needs to go to college. She often
will go to school dressed in sweats and a sweatshirt because she just doesn’t care what
people think.
Driving to the mall, my sister explained to me the ins and outs of social media.
We start off with YouTube. She doesn’t really go on it much, as she’s more of a TV
person. But she knows a lot of people who never watch TV, instead opting for YouTube
as their main source of entertainment. Next, we cover Instagram and she explains that
everyone her age has two separate Instagram accounts - one for public use and one
that is just for close friends to follow. Of course, I know this - I’m not that far from my
teenage years. The public Instagram account is used very much like Facebook is to
Millennials: as a way to keep in touch with our large network of friends and to post

Becerra 4
things we wouldn’t mind our great-aunt who lives four states away to see and comment.
The private Instagram (also known as a Finsta or Sinsta) is where teens post content
that they don’t want anyone but their close circle of friends to see - whether that is
because it’s an inside joke or a scandalous picture depends on the teen. Either way it’s
a picture that the teen doesn’t want associated with their curated social media
presence.
Next, we talked about Snapchat, where I apparently had a novice-level
understanding. My sister started telling me a story about a girl in her grade getting upset
over being blocked from her friend’s private story. I stopped her at this comment and
asked if she meant a group chat. No. Evidently users can add posts to their story that all
their friends can see OR they can create a private story with only certain people. You
can create an infinite number of these private stories with an endless combination of
recipients. My sister personally doesn’t have any private stories because she said she
wouldn’t be able to keep track, but she is a member of several private stories. This
causes its own drama - who has a private story with who and who is left out of so-and-
so’s private story.
All the while I am driving with my mouth gaping open, my sister is explaining
these rather confusing timelines of high school drama while also tapping away at her
phone. She snaps a picture of her face (just the top half - cutting off at her nose), sends
that. Opens up Instagram to check how many likes her picture is getting. Checks
Snapchat maps to see if anyone she knows is at the mall. Sends a text to her
groupchat. My 16-year-old sister is doing all of this while never missing a beat in her
story. I thought, being a Millennial, I was fairly seasoned at multitasking. And I am, to an

Becerra 5
extent. What my sister was doing was a whole new level of multitasking - one that can
only come from being born in an era of on-demand.
Fascinated by my sister’s behavior and stories of teenage life prompted me to
explore more of this new generation. A generation I had previously assumed was similar
to mine. Born in 1995, I am on the cusp of Millennials and Generation Z. For me, I can
tell you I lean more toward the Millennial generation. I remember September 11, 2001, I
didn’t own a smartphone until I was 16, it wasn’t until my junior year that teachers
expected essays to be typed, I remember watching Barack Obama’s political campaigns
on television. I did not grow up with 13-year olds owning iPhones, or with cyberbullying
being a real issue, or with schools teaching active shooter drills. I assumed Millennials
and Generation Z would be somewhat of fraternal twins.
Why is it important that I identify as a Millennial and not Generation Z? Why is it
important that there are distinctions made between generations? Anyone who deals
with human behavior should care about these differences. Teachers, psychologists,
marketers, managers, anyone who believes that he/she/they must appeal to a 65-year-
old differently than a 15-year-old. Generations are bonded by their shared life
experiences. Sure, not everyone in a generation is going to act or believe in the same
way, but a teen growing up in the 1960s and experiencing hippie culture is going to be
different than a teen growing up in 2000 during the War on Terror. Teachers, managers,
marketers, need to know the distinct traits of their target generation in order to
understand how to communicate effectively to them. This is especially important for
public relations professionals who need to keep in mind how to communicate and attract
the next wave of consumers.

Becerra 6
We have come to thoroughly understand the Silent Generation (1925-1945),
Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1980), and Millennials (1981-1996),
but we have yet to fully understand Generation Z. Those who have attempted to study
and characterize this generation don’t always seem to agree. Some researchers believe
a certain trait is clearly evident within the generation; yet another believes that same
trait is clearly absent from the generation. There’s not even an agreed-upon start year
for Generation Z. What’s more interesting is Gen Z doesn’t even claim to be Gen Z.
Those born in the early 2000s don’t feel associated with any generation, though
researchers would stick them comfortably in Generation Z (see fig. 1 and fig. 2).

Fig. 1. @Marisasanchezzz. Tweet, 21 July 2018,
https://twitter.com/marisasanchezzz/status/1020831374452850688.

Becerra 7
Fig. 2. @Olivelenabarela. Tweet, 23 July 2018,
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BpGqAZL6DuM10-
LeHl3HX_o8gijeztmUF8WUhGY_iGc/edit.

Despite what teens are saying, some researchers say the generation begins in 1995 -
coinciding with the widespread acceptance of the Internet (Twenge). Other experts say
it doesn’t start until 1997/1998 (Goldman Sachs and Woo). Pew Research Center even
released a statement asserting that they will use 1996 as the official end year of
Millennials (Dimock). For my research purposes I have decided to use 1997 as the
official start year of Generation Z.
Other aspects up for dissent include privacy concerns, maturity level, and
entrepreneurial spirit. Through understanding the discrepancies, we can learn more
about what traits are exemplified by Generation Z, and how best to target them.
Who is Generation Z?
Phone Addicts
To start, there are a solid set of traits that most experts do agree on. You can
probably guess what the first one is because it’s what most gripe about regarding this
generation. That’s right. Cell phone addiction. In 2018 95% of teens reported having
access to a smartphone and 45% said they were online on a near-constant basis
(Anderson and Jiang). More telling is that 68% have admitted to sleeping with the phone
next to them and 46% say they can’t go more than an hour without checking it
(Snapchat, “Technophiles”). In another study by Business Insider, 80% of Gen Z
received their first smartphone between the ages of 11 and 13 (Premack, “Gen Zs never
watch TV”). Though unclear whether adolescents are pressuring parents into getting
them a phone, if parents are upgrading phones and simply giving the old one to their

Becerra 8
child, or if parents are under the impression that a child with a phone is safer, it is clear
that Generation Z is experiencing some of the most pivotal years of their lives with a
phone in hand.
Most researchers find that adolescents spend too much time on their phones and
that parents should limit phone usage. One study pegs Gen Z’s phone usage at 15.4
hours a week (Kleinschmit). Professor of psychology at San Diego State University and
Gen Z expert Jean Twenge concluded that teens check their phone more than 80 times
a day, for a total of 6-8 hours a day (Twenge). Twenge goes on to advise parents to
limit a teen’s phone usage to 1-2 hours a day, as anything more can be harmful to the
teen in terms of mental and emotional state. She even elaborates on a few theories, all
leading to the idea that more screen time advertently or inadvertently leads to
unhappiness and depression (Twenge). However, a study by UNICEF found that
“moderate use of digital technology tends to be beneficial for children’s well-being, while
no use or too much use can have a small negative impact” (Kardefelt-Winther). The
study goes on to claim that other factors play much bigger roles in a child’s mental well-
being.
Even regarding a well-agreed upon trait like excessive smartphone use brings
out dissension in the impact it has on children and teens. So, should parents limit
children’s screen time or does it just not really matter? Limiting Gen Z to 1-2 hours a
day seems great but how practical is that? In the case of my sister, what if a teen sends
a quick text or watches a friends’ Snapchat story, how would a parent time check that?
Teens aren’t on their device in long stretches of time. It’s on their person all day, being
used in short bursts. Yes, there are times when a phone should be turned off - during

Becerra 9
school, homework, dinner, but attempting to time out an hour each day will quickly
prove futile. Even if parents were able to take away a Gen Zers’ phone, that doesn’t
stop them from accessing screen time - it’s everywhere. Take away a kid’s phone and
they also have their laptop, Kindle, iPad, school computer, friend’s phone, etc (Pollack).
How will you monitor how long a child is on a mobile device if they ask their friends to
use their phone to log in and check their social media? Try as you might, but Gen Z will
outsmart you.
Mental Health Spike
This generation has demonstrated a spike in mental health issues. A survey
conducted by the Center for Disease Control found that 31.5% of teens believe they are
depressed, and 17% said they have seriously considered suicide, up from 14.5% in
2007 (Tamkins). Across the board, research shows Gen Z is experiencing an influx of
depression, anxiety and loneliness. It’s widely agreed that they are the loneliest and
most depressed generation thus far.
Again, the reason for this attribute remains debated. Some, like Professor
Twenge, believe the main culprits are smartphones and social media. Twenge says
smartphones increase the feelings of being left out of a group or activity (Twenge).
There’s even a new phrase and acronym for it - FOMO: Fear of Missing Out. More,
Twenge believes that not getting a reply back on social media and the emphasis on
posting the perfect, Instagram-worthy picture increases anxiety (Twenge). This does
seem possible, after all 42% of Gen Z say that social media has a direct impact on how
they feel about themselves (Center for Generational Kinetics, “Gen Z Social Media
Usage”).

Becerra 10
Social media can’t be all to blame, however. It was reported that “introverted
adolescents were more motivated to communicate online to compensate for lacking
social skills” (Kardefelt-Winther). This supports the finding that people who feel lonely
use Facebook, but Facebook doesn’t cause people to feel lonely (Kardefelt-Winther).
Additionally, in a survey conducted by USA Today, there was no significant difference in
loneliness levels between those that used social media frequently and those who used it
infrequently. They did, however, find a big difference in loneliness levels between Gen Z
who had frequent, meaningful in-person encounters and those that didn’t (Trinko). They
cite a decline in community activities for an increase in depression. Though, are teens
less inclined to participate in community activities because they’re too busy on social
media? Who can really say?
Some teens believe the surge is attributed to their societal realities. The prospect
of willingly accepting a soul-crushing amount of student loan debt to just end up working
a minimum wage job is to blame for high rates of depression (Iqbal) (see fig. 3).

Fig. 3. @AnthonyCharm. Tweet, 23 July 2018, 8:08pm,
https://twitter.com/AnthonyCharm/status/1021593000521162752.

This viral tweet racked up 43,000 retweets. It’s clearly a sentiment many agree with.
First, the tweet starts off with “Alexa” which is an expression that rose in popularity

Becerra 11
during the 2018 summer. It refers to the Amazon Echo device in which users ask Alexa
questions. The tweet is obviously humorous, but it does show an annoyance and
frustration with making a salary far less than their boomer bosses. This tweet perfectly
sums up Gen Z - it’s sarcastic, trendy, and mocks the new financial reality of being
saddled with student loan debt.
Perhaps teenagers are facing an increase of mental health issues because of
one or more of the listed reasons. Or maybe we as a society are just more aware of
mental health. Maybe the number of people with mental health issues has remained
constant, but the amount of people being diagnosed has increased. Mental health
services are a lot more accessible and the stigma attached to them has weakened
significantly. There’s currently no extensive research to prove if this is true or if
something in our society has spurned a sharp uptick in mental health problems,
especially among teens and adolescents.
Financial Realists
Unlike Millennials, Gen Z can be characterized as being financially realistic. They
don’t have grandiose dreams of following their passions, being compensated to their
liking, and having the freedoms of a flexible schedule. For many businesses, the days of
having to deal with quixotic Millennials will soon be in the past. This new generation
were very young children when the housing bubble popped. They saw their parents
struggle in the proceeding recession. Gen Z understands that success is not
guaranteed. They understand they’ll have to work harder but won’t reap nearly as much
of the benefits as in years prior. An overwhelming majority of researchers and scholars
accept the 2008 recession as the reason to why Gen Z is mindful of their financial

Becerra 12
issues and future careers. Many Gen Zers have a plan for after high school for secure,
attainable jobs (Westcott Grant). This doesn’t necessarily mean that Gen Z is throwing
their interests to the wayside - though 70% prefer a stable job over a passion job that
lacks security (Haley), according to Business Insider “76% of Gen Z members aim[ing]
to create jobs out of their hobbies” (Paige). Gen Z are focused and realistic in terms of
their future financial success.
Entrepreneurs
Most agree the entrepreneurial spirit has seized the upcoming generation. Some
relate this back to Gen Z’s realistic nature. How can you trust any company after seeing
your parents get laid off? Even more than that possibility is the definite reality of student
loan debt. We’ve seen tuition steadily increase in the last few years. Gen Z has seen
older, Millennial siblings go through college only to end up struggling to find a job to pay
off their debt. So jaded is Generation Z that 23% think personal debt should be avoided
at all costs (Garcia). What does a kid who distrusts the “safety net” college is supposed
to provide (i.e. a decent job) do? They become their own boss and make it happen for
themselves.
This seems counter-intuitive to me. Starting a business seems like a way bigger
financial risk, and if Gen Z is so financially realistic, then they too would see it as too big
of a gamble...right? Evidently Gen Z doesn’t see it this way. They believe they will not
be handed a career or financial success, they have to go out and get it for themselves.
Sixteen-year-old Josh Miller, CEO of his own company, wrote a letter to Gen Z,
beginning it with “The world is filled with opportunity...Entrepreneurship is sexy to Gen
Z” (Miller).

Becerra 13
Additionally, kids are becoming more interested in money and business at
younger ages. We’ve seen this a few times now - kids building and selling their brands
on social media. They understand that with strategic branding and a social media
campaign, they can build their own business and become a sort of influencer. This is
especially true for teens in the fashion world - Isabella Rose Taylor, Teni Adeola, and
Tyler Lambert to name a few (Tyler). All started posting their work on social media,
which eventually landed them high-profile clients. Seeing their peer’s success in running
their own businesses has to have an effect on Gen Z.
Gen Z expert Stefan Pollack sees a clear reason for the back and forth on
whether Gen Z is entrepreneurial or not. Combining Gen Z’s cautious nature with their
desire to succeed has led Gen Z into becoming entrepreneurial if it’s in a controlled
environment (Pollack). If they know they’re going to succeed at it, then yes, they will
take that shot at starting their own endeavor. If it seems like there’s too much risk and
too much at stake, no way is a Gen Zer going to pursue that. Pollack called this
“entrepreneurial within limits” because Gen Z will only risk creating their own business if
they know there is a safety net.
Diverse and Accepting
Gen Z takes the cake as the most diverse and tolerant group of people. This
should come as no surprise. Interracial marriage has been a standard in their lifetime.
They’ve grown up with the fight for same-sex marriage to be legalized. In a study by
USA Today, 66% of Gen Z back marriage equality and a majority of 13-17 year-olds
said they would date outside of their race, outside of their religious views and outside of
their political views. Gen Z is growing up ethnically diverse and accepting of others.

Becerra 14
They are unprecedented in their belief of gender equality (Twenge). This tolerance also
extends to gender norms, sometimes even discarding them altogether (Premack). Look
no further than Gen Z favorite Harry Styles who wore a variety of floral, bell-bottom suits
for his latest tour (see fig. 4 and fig. 5).

Fig. 4. @HarryStyles. “Dallas, Live On Tour.” Instagram, 6 June 2018,
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjspAVfjN55/?hl=en&taken-by=harrystyles.

Fig. 5. @HarryStyles. “Milan, Live On Tour.” Instagram, 3 April 2018,
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhHYY8RDa4S/?hl=en&taken-by=harrystyles.

Becerra 15
Some observers believe Gen Z takes this title too far, calling these teens and
kids “too sensitive.” To Gen Z “…they are being sensitive to the needs of others when
they support trigger warnings and safe spaces, and it seems cruel not to…” (Twenge).
These things didn’t exist a decade prior - but neither did extensive mental health
awareness. Gen Z understands the diversity of the people around them and strive to be
welcoming at all costs. Some think the cost is too high. Twenge explores the possibility
of safe spaces stifling discussion - teens can shut down a viewpoint they don’t agree
with by simply saying that idea is offensive. This sentiment is especially echoed within
academia, and even extends to include the firing of some faculty because of overly
sensitive students (Cohen).
Pollack thinks the opposite is true of safe spaces. Instead of stifling discussion,
he says it encourages discussions. He sees Gen Z as accepting and comfortable
listening to different points of view because of the very idea of safe spaces - the idea
that everyone deserves the spotlight to share their views, no matter the view (Pollack).
Pollack does accept that Gen Z is fiercely protective of their friends. He calls Gen Z’s
friends a “circle of trust.” Gen Z is comfortable in this group and will often go out of their
way to make decisions that are best for the group, instead of a decision which is better
for them as an individual (Pollack). When someone threatens or hurts this group, that’s
when Gen Z gets upset. For example, the gender pay gap is not beneficial for the group
and “when something is wrong for the group, they don’t know why it’s still happening”
(Pollack).
I agree the notion of Gen Z being too tolerant and it having a negative effect on
freedom of speech is extreme. Sure, we might see a case or two like that in the news-

Becerra 16
cycle and it might start to affect how others express themselves, but it can’t last for long.
Society needs some time to adjust to the idea that the next generation has no problem
calling out social injustices. It might seem extreme now, and it might be, but eventually
the pendulum will swing back more toward the center.
Categorizing Gen Z as too tolerant and diverse can be somewhat misleading,
however, given our current political state. In the 2016 presidential election 37% of voters
aged 18-29 voted for Donald Trump. Now these voters are among the Millennial
generation and not Gen Z but it’s a common thought that the younger generations are
more liberal than the preceding. More than 1 in 3 Millennials (close in age to Gen Z)
voted for Trump, who can be categorized as especially intolerant toward race and
gender equality. It’s worth noting that maybe the next generations aren’t nearly as
diverse and tolerant as we expect. We’ll just have to wait until the 2020 election when a
bigger handful of Generation Z will be able to vote.
Growing up Slowly
Contrary to what older generations would assume, Gen Z is actually growing up
slower than previous generations. With 13-year-olds posting selfies exhibiting makeup
skills better than most 30-year-olds, it would seem like kids these days are growing up
too fast and need to slow down. Teen shows like Riverdale explore mature topics that,
by their popularity among teen viewers, make it seem like teens can identify. Columnists
and researchers that claim Gen Z is outpacing their age were only looking at it on the
outside. They cite the lack of supervision on the Internet and current popular celebrities
as proof that Gen Z is growing up quickly (Kennedy).

Becerra 17
In reality they are experiencing life marks at later ages – marks that are seen by
experts as “typical” teen activities. Professor Twenge heavily explored this topic in her
book iGen. She finds that teens, across all demographics, are less likely to go out
without their parents. Less teens are having sex; “In the decade following 2007, the
number of students who had ever had sex fell from almost 48 percent to 39.5 percent”
(Gander). Even more, teens are getting their licenses later - some of the teens Twenge
interviews blame it on parents not pushing them to get it -, aren’t staying at home by
themselves, and are not working until later in adulthood (Twenge). It might also come as
a surprise that teen drinking is decreasing. In the 90s the average 8th grader had tried
alcohol, in 2014 the average 10th grader had not (Twenge). Gen Z is waiting longer to
have sex, get their license, work, and drink. Experiencing these life markers helps teens
mature, so the drop in these “risky behaviors” suggests a lower level of maturity
(Parker-Pope).

Becerra 18
Fig. 6. @ItsJojoSiwa. Tweet, 21 July 2018,
https://mobile.twitter.com/itsjojosiwa/status/1020855856647172097.

This tweet is from JoJo Siwa, a 15-year-old who was featured on Lifetime’s
Dance Moms and can now be considered an influencer (see fig. 6). Siwa is referring to
a Facebook post from a mom appreciating how she still acts young, and as a result is a
better role model for her daughters. Siwa’s tweet garnered over 19,000 likes, so we can
assume there are many viewers who agree that it’s preferential to act young and not try
to grow up too fast.
Some researchers point to parents as the reason why teens are waiting to
experience “typical” teen activities. Parenting expert Julie Lythcott-Haims asserts that
micromanaging children’s lives are not allowing them to grow up. Acting as a child’s
personal handler and secretary, managing their school, grades, courses,
extracurriculars, leaves no room for a child to take over the reins of their own life.
Pressure on college admissions and a successful life are burning kids out before they
even graduate high school (Lythcott-Haims). Most damaging is the notion that
helicopter-parenting sends kids the message that they cannot achieve anything without
the help of a parent (Lythcott-Haims).
Pollack agrees that Gen Z has a harder time separating when it comes time to
leave the nest because they rely heavily on their circle of trust (Pollack). Recall that the
circle of trust is Gen Z’s group of confidants, one they rely heavily on. Going to college,
moving out, or simply not going to high school anymore removes that Gen Zer from their
circle of trust, and once outside the circle they don’t feel confident or safe (Pollack). This
might be why it seems that Gen Zers aren’t prepared for the adult world; they seem too
young because they depend on that circle of trust too much. Additionally, Pollack

Becerra 19
suggests that teens consciously make the choice to opt out of these “teen” activities.
They are choosing to delay these things and instead decide to play more sports, or
focus on starting a business, or whatever. Gen Z is “…okay with who they are,” they
don’t feel the need to force themselves to do anything just because that was the norm
before (Pollack).
It has also been suggested that kids and teens are refraining from typical “teen”
activities because they would rather stay at home and stream, play video games, or
stalk social media (Parker-Pope). Is growing up slowly a bad thing? Some seem to think
yes because kids are going off to college and the “real world” ill prepared - there’s even
headlines that have branded them as “boring, sensible and hopelessly screen-addicted”
(Iqbal). The fact that a drop in risky behavior is seen as lacking maturity is backwards. If
a child chooses to refrain from risky behavior, wouldn’t that child be categorized as
mature for steering clear? We would rather our teens participate? Some say yes, it’s a
sign of maturity. I say no - let the teens twiddle on their phones instead of sneaking off
to a party.
Listening to my sister talk about herself and her friends, I can tell these
characterizations can be true. No one can deny this generation is glued to their small
rectangular lifeline as a digital appendage. Her friends accept Barack Obama as the
president they grew up with - not an outlier, but a fact of life. They talk about their future
careers and how they plan to be financially stable. Last year a mentally-ill student
threatened to attack her school. She has friends who identify as queer, gay, and trans.
And as I said before, my sister is the only one of her friends who has a driver’s license.

Becerra 20
Social Media
Equipped with a basic knowledge of the traits of Gen Z, we can begin to
understand how this generation interacts with entertainment. First, it’s perhaps Gen Z’s
favorite bit of entertainment, social media. Unsurprisingly, it plays a major role in youths’
lives – as of mid-2018, almost 75% of teens in the U.S. have profiles on social media
(Burnett and Davis). A study by the Center for Generational Kinetics found that 37% of
Gen Z said that social media has a direct impact on their happiness and 39% said it has
an effect on their self-esteem (“Gen Z Social Media Usage”). It makes sense - kids are
hyper-connected and can never truly be alone. They are expected to keep up this
curated image of themselves on social media. I’m not here to tell you if this is inherently
good or bad for adolescents - at this point it is simply a fact of life.
MySpace, though not credited as the first social media, is the first social site that
Gen Z could have interacted with. It was created in 2003, and by 2006 was the #1
website, valued at $12 billion in 2007 (CBS, “Then and Now”). The oldest members of
Gen Z, those born in 1997, would have been on the cusp of preteen years when
MySpace was at its most popular. Most won’t have ever interacted with MySpace, but
instead have come of age during Facebook’s reign. By age 15 I, as well as everyone I
knew, had a Facebook account. It’s no surprise that Facebook was the social
networking site to be on. Recently, however, Facebook seems to be losing its grasp. It
was able to capture Millennials, Baby Boomers, Gen X, and even some in the Silent
Generation, but can’t seem to attract Gen Z. Facebook expects to see a 5.6% decline in
users from the young adult age group (Sloan).

Becerra 21
Facebook? I Don’t Know Her.
Why is Gen Z staying off Facebook? By the time they are at an age to make an
account, their mom, grandpa, great aunt, neighbor, teacher, also have an account and
would you want to be on a site where your dad posts pictures of his garden? No, you
don’t want Facebook because there are younger, cooler apps to be on. The three top
apps that Gen Z prefers? YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram. According to Pew
Research Center, 42% of Gen Z girls claim Snapchat is the social media site they use
most often, while boys (29%) say YouTube is their favorite platform (see fig. 7). This
seems to be no surprise when pinpointing their commonality - visual content. The three
platforms were built off visuals. Gen Z’s attention span has dwindled to a mere 8
seconds, down 4 seconds from the previous generation (Trevino). There’s not much you
can do in 8 seconds, but you can present a visual. It’s so much faster and easier to grab
attention from a video or photo than from words on a screen.

Fig. 7. Anderson, Monica and Jiang Jingjing. “Teens, social media & technology 2018.”
Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 31 May 2018,
http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/.

Becerra 22
But which one of these apps reign supreme? Look no further than Gen Z queen
Kylie Jenner. The 21-year-old built her company on Snapchat. Not only did she post
Snapchats of her daily life, her clothes, her friends, her parties, but she also used it to
sell her products. Besides being able to keep up with the Kardashians, Gen Z was
allured by the little ghost for its anonymity and instantaneousness. Gen Z likes the
secret aspect of Snapchat. No one else can see what you’re sending and the snap
disappears after a predesignated time. Now of course we could delve into screenshots
and all, but the gist of Snapchat is the disappearing content. Another draw for Snapchat
is the instantaneousness of it. There’s no need to filter or edit the photo - you simply
snap, scroll right for a geotag, and send. Gen Z is a generation of on-demand, they
want things done fast and Snapchat caters to that. What started off as a simple back
and forth has now expanded for the personalization of the user. The user can have a
group chat, streaks, several private stories, public stories, and even keep track of their
friends’ whereabouts with Snapmaps.
We must keep an eye on Snapchat, however. Though based on the Pew
Research data above, Snapchat is used the most often, it’s not by much, and it trails
behind YouTube and Instagram by the percentage of teens who use it. This survey was
conducted in March and April of 2018, a few months after Snapchat’s despised
redesign. In an attempt to separate friends’ content with publishers/creators/influencers,
Snapchat completely revamped their interface, much to their users’ frustration. More
than a million people signed a petition asking for the old version of the app to be
restored, unique engagement dropped by over 50%, and new subscriber numbers also

Becerra 23
plummeted (Kosoff). Even the queen of Snapchat, Kylie Jenner, criticized the changes -
leading many teens to jump ship and abandon the app for Instagram (see fig. 8).

Fig. 8. @KylieJenner. Tweet, 21 February 2018,
https://twitter.com/KylieJenner/status/966429897118728192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ct
wcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E966429897118728192&ref_url=https%3A%2F
%2Fmoney.cnn.com%2F2018%2F02%2F22%2Ftechnology%2Fsnapchat-update-kylie-
jenner%2Findex.html.
Snapchat is confident that it will pick back up - that it just needs to outride these growing
pains (Kosoff). We saw the dip in engagement after the redesign, but we have yet to
see if Snapchat has seen the light at the end of the tunnel. For now, however, we can
still confidently say that Snapchat is still one of the most popular social media apps for
Gen Z.
A False Sense of Security
It might seem like Gen Zers are cognizant of their privacy, but in reality, they are
less inclined to care. Yes, they like Snapchat because of the sense of privacy, but
privacy from other users. Snapchat does not broadcast who the user is snapping with -
you can only see interactions between you and your friends, not others’ interactions. My
sister has a love/hate relationship with Snapmaps. She thinks it’s fun to see where her
friends are, but at the same time she doesn’t like how others can see where she is at all
times. Not because of safety reasons - but in case she lies and tells her friend she can’t

Becerra 24
hang out because she’s running errands with our mom, but in reality, she’s lying in bed.
My sister tells me that only about half of her Snapchat friends have the function even
turned on, half have turned it off, meaning that no one can locate them on Snapmaps.
We touched on teens and preteens having Finstas and Sinstas, which serve the
same purpose. These are almost always private, allowing the Gen Zer to monitor and
allow who gets to see and interact with their content. Some members of Gen Z think
efforts to stay private from other users are futile. Children and teens have gotten to
know the Internet pretty well; they can take just a first name and in a matter of minutes
find that person’s Instagram account fairly easily. Having privacy settings doesn’t stop
people from finding out information. As one Gen Zer put it, “if someone really wants to
find something out about you on the Internet, they can (Sloan). Still, it doesn’t stop Gen
Zers from taking themselves off Snapmaps. Making these “private” accounts might
seem like this generation cares for their privacy, but in reality, the opposite is true.
Just because Gen Z likes to limit who is able to see their interactions on social
media, doesn’t mean they necessarily care which brand, organization or corporation has
their information. If an app tells a Gen Zer that they need information, they’re most likely
going to give it to them; “instantaneous gratification in return for personal data distracts
consumers from considering the impact that carte blanche access to their information
will have twenty years from now” (Westcott-Grant). If a child wants to be on that
platform, especially if it’s one their friends are on, they are not going to think of the
consequences of giving an app access to their account. A Gen Zer will bring that app to
their circle of trust and if their friends give the go ahead - a confirmation that the app is
legitimate and worthy of being on - the Gen Zer will feel comfortable giving their

Becerra 25
information to that app in exchange for access (Pollack). Arguably there’s also a built-in
trust that is inherently given to companies and platforms. Users assume that a company
has to abide by certain regulations put in place to keep their information safe, so they
put full trust in that platform.
We have yet to see how Gen Z will handle a breach of trust from their most
beloved sites. Facebook’s data selling was off-putting and was a large factor in its
recent decline of one million users (Sloan). But, we’ve already established that Gen
Zers have mostly steered clear from Facebook, so we haven’t seen what Gen Z would
do if they found out their privacy wasn’t so private after all. I think we can assume that
Gen Z would act as most generations do - mad and upset but ultimately don’t change
their behaviors. From Equifax to Wells Fargo, breaches in trust lead to an initial uproar.
Consumers claim they will no longer be customers to that company. But in reality, most
never make the switch. Whether they forget, or it takes too much time, or whatever, it
just never happens. This is the norm and until a new generation proves otherwise, will
be the standard.
More Than a Meme
Some older generations might think that Gen Z is using social media to waste
time and circulate poorly-executed memes. Social media is more than just a place to
catch up on Internet culture. First and foremost, Gen Z is using social media to
communicate with their circle. Gen Z doesn’t hang out with their friends as much in
person, but they do still socialize - just online (Kardefelt-Winther). This includes the
people they know and socialize with in classes, sports, clubs, in-real life, but it also
includes people they might not have ever met in person. They don’t just use the

Becerra 26
messaging app either - we know Gen Z prefers visuals, so it makes sense that they use
Snapchat, Instagram and other social sites and apps like FaceTime to talk to their
friends. My sister, much to my annoyance, will contact me via Snapchat. I ask her why
she doesn’t just call or text me, but she says she would rather send me a snap of her
face with a text bar covering her forehead. How one can prefer to have a conversation
over Instagram DMs or disappearing pictures is beyond me, but that’s Gen Z – they like
the secrecy.
Social media is not only their friend, but their teacher as well. YouTube is one of
Gen Z’s top platforms, and though not a social media site in the traditional sense, it is
still used to communicate with others, just by video instead of words or pictures.
YouTube is unique in that Gen Z uses it to teach themselves skills. In fact, a study
found that 85% have watched at least one online video in the past week to learn a new
skill (Watson). YouTube is Gen Z’s Google. This again goes back to the visual nature of
Gen Z; they would rather see a video on the topic they’re interested in instead of
reading some boring article about it. From math to changing a tire to hairstyles, there’s a
YouTube video for it.
Along with learning how to cook an omelet, Gen Z also uses YouTube for
reviews (Watson). About 78% of Gen Z look at ratings and reviews before purchasing a
product (Center for Generational Kinetics, “The State of Gen Z”). Unsure if a product
actually works? More times than not there will be a YouTube video of someone
reviewing that product. If there’s not, all Gen Z has to do is a little Internet sleuthing.
Twitter will for sure have some tips, reviews or recommendations. Gen Z trust their
friends - or people on the Internet who seem to be speaking directly to them - over a

Becerra 27
company or organization who is trying to sell a product. This is also how Gen Z finds out
about new products and brands. A video reviewing one acne medicine will suggest
other reviews for other acne medicines. Moreover, Gen Z can see and interact with
brands and companies that their friends are interacting with online. Instagram has a
feature where users can see what other users are liking and following. You can see that
your friend “liked” PacSun’s newest summer line and in one click you’re on PacSun’s
website ready to buy a new top. Practically every brand and company has social media
and uses it to interact with their users so Gen Z doesn’t have to look hard to find new
brands and products.
Social media is also the place Gen Z goes to get news. It seems like every day
there’s a new viral video circulating of someone doing something offensive. Before,
these types of events might not even have made the news. Now with a crop of citizen
journalists capturing everything on video, it forces itself into the news-cycle. In my own
personal social media experience, I’ve noticed a sharp uptick in the amount of people
who care to keep up with the news, and correspondingly, politics. For the majority of
Gen Zers Trump’s presidency goes against their open and accepting point-of-view.
We’ve also seen that Gen Z isn’t afraid to stand up for what they believe in.
The most notable example is the Parkland kids. This group of juniors and seniors
from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. survived a school
shooting and vowed to change gun control laws.

Becerra 28

Fig. 9. @DavidMilesHogg. “This is America.” Instagram, 30 May 2018,
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjZlzIEFX6C/?hl=en&taken-by=davidmileshogg.

They have been outspoken in their attempts and have utilized social media to
their advantage, even orchestrating a nationwide school walkout in protest of the current
administration’s stance on gun control. By this Instagram screenshot posted by David
Hogg, a Parkland survivor, it’s clear that there is opposition to what they are doing. The
comment featured reads, “Since when is America a country run by 18 year olds and
their irrational emotions” (see fig. 9.) These students are taking on the NRA and refuse
to step down. They are fighting for what they believe is right - more gun control across
the country. The Parkland kids are not outliers in the generation (Parker-Pope). Caring
about others and wanting to create safe spaces for everyone have led Gen Z to use
their most extensive communication tool, social media, to not only share news, but to
become agents of change as well.
Influencers
Is That an Actual Word?
What is social media without influencers? Just a decade ago this was not even
an accepted word in our vocabulary. Now, good luck trying to get anything through to

Becerra 29
Gen Z without one. What constitutes an influencer? It is a person who has a substantial
amount of social media followers and has sway or “influence” with or over her/his/their
followers. They can persuade their following across multiple social media platforms to
try new things, buy new products, etc. I don’t need to lay out the reasons why this is
important in any business...but essentially, it is the new way to market to Gen Z. As we
said before, Gen Z trusts their friends for recommendations on new products,
restaurants, movies, and more. These influencers feel very much like a friend to Gen Z
– someone that they can trust. This might be because many influencers start off as
personal accounts on social media, they then garner a following, and are eventually
recruited by companies to sell products.
The word influencer seems to have a stigma attached to it. Some might think that
an influencer is simply a pretty person who buys followers and would say anything just
to get more likes. And to some extent, this can be true.

Fig. 10. @TanaMongeau. Twitter, 27 July 2018,
https://twitter.com/tanamongeau/status/1022975120980172800.

Tana Mongeau is a famous YouTuber and influencer. This tweet was posted in July
2018 and seems to have no real content – I’m not even convinced that the conversation
she recorded actually happened (see fig. 10). It seems to be a made-up exchange for

Becerra 30
the sake of virality and being “relatable.” She ends the tweet with “rt to find ur soul mate”
– directly asking her followers to retweet her. However, not all influencers are after likes
and retweets. Some truly care about their following and want to give them genuine,
honest recommendations. These are the influencers that brands are hungry to find and
use in reaching the Gen Z demographic.
A post from an influencer can cost a company anywhere between $10,000 to
$100,000 (Reuters). Is it worth it, you might ask. A study by L2M, an e-commerce
analytics firm, found that 72% of Instagram users reported making purchasing decisions
based on something they saw on the site (Reuters). Again, we look to Gen Z queen
Kylie Jenner, herself an influencer. She tells teens what to buy, wear, and say, and for
the most part they follow along. Her own company, Kylie Cosmetics, has racked $420
million in retail sales in its first two years (Calfas). It’s not because the makeup was
revolutionary, it’s because Kylie and her judgement are trusted. If a “friend” regularly
tells you great recommendations, you’re going to keep listening.
One of the first influencers I was ever aware of was Tyler Oakley. He started
creating and posting videos on YouTube in 2007, but I don’t recall knowing about him
until around 2012. He started off just posting personal content – things he liked, didn’t
like, past experiences; it served as more of a video diary than anything else. Eventually
his following grew to the millions and soon came partnerships. With each video
receiving 800,000 or more views, companies wanted him to just simply mention their
product. So great was his influence, President Obama even met with him to discuss
how to communicate with online audiences (Spangler). With such a far reach and so

Becerra 31
much influence, it was just a matter of time before companies needed to rely on
influencers to help sell their product or service.
Britney Spears v Baby Ariel
Way back when, in 2001, Britney Spears was at the peak of her career. As
celebrities do, Britney partnered with Pepsi in a multimillion-dollar contract to appear in
a series of commercials promoting the drink. Now, we’ve seen this before and it must
have worked if companies continued to partner with celebrities. The thinking goes that if
a person likes a certain celebrity, and said celebrity appears in a commercial for a
specific soft drink, then that person would be more inclined to buy that soft drink. Again,
celebrity endorsements are not new, so it must have proved fruitful if companies are
willing to do it. But, we as viewers can assume that the celebrity was paid. We don’t see
a Pepsi commercial with Britney Spears in it and think “Wow she must love Pepsi so
much that she wanted to be in a commercial.” No, we know that Britney got paid a lot of
money to appear in that commercial - she might not even drink soda at all!
This is something that Gen Z has picked up on. They like authenticity and they
can tell when something is forced (Aziz). They don’t “buy” Britney in a Pepsi
commercial. Gen Z doesn’t care if Pepsi or Doritos or MAC was able to buy a celebrity
endorsement. No, that’s not authentic. More real and valued are influencers who,
though are also paid, have more of a say. Britney couldn’t tell Pepsi what she wanted to
do for the commercial - they gave her a script and she simply followed. For the most
part, influencers aren’t given word-for-word directions. A company pays an influencer to
post about their newest product or service on social media, but that influencer has a lot

Becerra 32
more freedom regarding what to say and how they say it. Gen Z knows this, so they
follow influencers they trust to be honest and transparent, and they listen to them.
With 67% of Gen Z preferring to see real people over celebrities in ads
(Claveria), they are going to listen to Baby Ariel over Britney Spears any day.
Influencers’ engagement rates per follower surpasses 10% per post - more than even
Taylor Swift (Fromm). This could be because Gen Z feels like they know influencers,
like they’re friends, so they feel more comfortable commenting and interacting on
influencers’ posts than celebrities – someone they can’t identify with.
I named Baby Ariel as an influencer who has more sway with Gen Z than Britney
Spears, but up until a few months ago I had no clue who she was. Upon conducting
research, I came across the name “Baby Ariel” a few times. Curious, I asked my sister,
who informed me that she was a very famous Music.ly user. Music.ly is another popular
Gen Z app where users film and post themselves lip-syncing to songs. Ariel Martin,
better known as her handle Baby Ariel, has over 26 million Music.ly followers, 8.9 million
on Instagram, 3.1 million on YouTube and 1 million followers on Twitter. By all accounts,
the 17-year-old is an influencer. Her rise to fame is remarkable because she only began
posting to Music.ly in 2015. In three years, Baby Ariel has managed to amass a loyal
following, while still in high school. She was even featured in Time’s 25 Most Influential
People on the Internet in 2017 (Time).
Brands were quick to recognize Baby Ariel’s reach and influence over young
people. In 2017 Disney cast her in an episode of Bizaardvark - a show aimed toward
preteens. She was also featured in Coke’s #ShareACoke campaign (“Top 20 Music.ly
Influencers”).

Becerra 33

Fig. 11. @BabyAriel. “Me and a clearly very friendly dinosaur who loves me lol new
video babies link in biooooo #UniversalVibes #Ad.” Instagram, 25 May 2018,
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjNqkEZgazk/?hl=en&taken-by=babyariel.

Baby Ariel posted this picture in May (see fig. 11). It’s clearly an ad for Universal
Studios – one that came just a month before the June 2018 release of Jurassic World:
Fallen Kingdom. Ariel’s caption includes promotion for her own music video. By posting
that caption Ariel is able to fulfill her promised post for Universal while also promoting
herself. The post got hundreds of thousands of likes and comments. The ones shown
here proves Gen Zers are posting comments that are clearly directed toward the
influencer. They are, rightfully or not, assuming that she goes and reads and responds
to the comments.
It’s projected that top Music.ly users can earn up to $300,000 per sponsored post
(“Top 20 Music.ly Influencers”). Quite a lot of money for any 17-year-old, but that’s the
power people like Baby Ariel can wield. It’s clear by her amount of following and
engagement on posts that Gen Z trusts influencers, even if they know that influencer

Becerra 34
was paid by the company. They don’t think that the influencer would take the
partnership unless they truly believed in that brand or product.
Keep in mind that influencers and celebrities are not one or the other. Some
celebrities are also influencers. Zendaya and Fifth Harmony included. These women
became famous through their talents and are now influencers. Some influencers also
become celebrities. Singer Shawn Mendes started off on Vine singing covers. Now, he’s
on the Billboard Hot 100. What separates a celebrity like Jennifer Lawrence from an
influencer celebrity like Amandla Stenberg is social media. Both Stenberg and
Lawrence appeared in The Hunger Games together and are beloved by movie fans.
The only difference between the two, and what makes one an influencer and one not, is
their social media presence. Stenberg is active on social media, with an Instagram
following of 1.7 million. She posts, comments, and tells her following what she believes
about certain issues and why they should care. Lawrence doesn’t even have an
Instagram or Twitter or Facebook. If a celebrity is active on social media, posting
photos, interacting with their audience, giving them recommendations, whether it’s
regarding food or clothes or political opinion, most likely that celebrity can be considered
an influencer. If a celebrity, like Lady Gaga, is somewhat active on social media but only
ever interacts with fans when they’re in the midst of promoting their own album or
project, then they are just a regular ‘ole celebrity. Don’t mix personal promotion for
influencing.
The Wild West
With anything new, there has been a learning curve on how to effectively use
influencers. They sound great – they can be less expensive than hiring a bone-a-fide

Becerra 35
celebrity for a campaign. A post from an influencer will cost anywhere between $10,000
to $100,000 (Reuters), whereas Beyonce’s deal with Pepsi in 2012 cost the company
$50 million (Casserly). Influencers seem like an easy way to reach Gen Zers.
Companies need to be careful, however. At this point there’s no Rosetta Stone dictating
the rules or guidelines for using influencers, but there are a few aspects to keep in mind.
Gen Z highly regards authenticity and can tell if an influencer has sold themselves out.
MAC, a company known to test on animals, partnering with a beauty blogger who is
also an avid animal lover will not work. Followers of the beauty blogger will know that
the influencer sold themselves, and their morals, out.
Not only does the influencer have to be the right fit, but the post or video has to
flow with the influencers’ aesthetic. Influencers build themselves as a brand and many
times that means that their posts look a certain way, i.e., a certain filter or crop or
hashtag. Promotions from brands through influencers must align both with the company
and the influencer’s brand. Gen Z does not take kindly to those who are inauthentic so
finding the right influencer and creating a natural as possible feel for the partnership is
important in gaining the ears of Gen Z.
Legally, influencers have some hurdles as well. Of course, if a post is paid for, it
must be noted by a hashtag, comment, caption, etc. Influencers can’t pretend to be
promoting a company on their own good will, but in reality, be getting paid to do so. This
has been a struggle for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) which has been updating
the laws in an attempt to keep up with influencers, but a lot of it is still gray. For
example, if an influencer returns a product after they have already reviewed it, they
might not have to make any sort of disclosure. The FTC says it depends on the product

Becerra 36
and how long the influencer is allowed to use it (United States, Federal Trade
Commission). It’s easy when a company goes to an influencer and asks them to make a
post about their product - that post would obviously be labeled as an ad. Earned media -
posts made by influencers solely on the influencers own accord - is fine and doesn’t
need to be labeled as an ad. An example of this is if an influencer goes to see a movie
with a friend, loves the movie, and chooses to make a Twitter post telling their followers
to see it. The movie studio didn’t ask the influencer to do so, they did it on their own. It
gets murky, however, when companies send influencers swag. For example, if Apple
sends an influencer a phone case and that influencer uses it and then makes a
YouTube video where they mention how much they love the case - is that a paid
promotion or earned media? Technically Apple didn’t ask or pay for the influencer to talk
about the case, but they obviously were hoping that would happen. Ideally, the
influencer would mention in the caption or the actual video that the case was sent by
Apple, so the reader can decide for themselves if they think the opinion is genuine or
not.
Again, the FTC has been in the process of updating these laws to ensure that
Gen Zers know when their favorite influencers are expressing their own opinions and
when they are being paid by a company. With the laws changing, it’s best for
companies to lay out clear guidelines in their partnerships with influencers. Not only is it
better legally to be safe than sorry, but Gen Z appreciates the transparency. They know
influencers are being paid by companies, and that’s fine with them as long as the
company and influencer are upfront about it.

Becerra 37
Brand Loyalty
Love Me, Love Me Not
Whether or not Gen Z retains any sense of brand loyalty is debated among
researchers and experts. Being loyal to a brand is obviously important to companies.
Sure, you want new customers, but you also want to retain the customers you’ve had so
they keep coming back. In the past this was no hard feat. Once your product infiltrated a
family, it would most likely stay in the family. Get a mom to use Windex and her kids are
going to choose that because that’s what mom always got. This isn’t so simple
anymore. Kids don’t just have mom telling them what product she usually gets - no now
they have their circle of trust, influencers, and review sites like Yelp to help them decide
what product and brand to get (DeMers). A study conducted by Snapchat found that
61% of Gen Z surveyed said that friends have the greatest influence over their
purchases (“So on Brand”).
These reviews are easily accessible, and Gen Z likes to use them when
purchasing. Gen Z could be at the store, looking at a product to buy while
simultaneously checking their phone to see which brand is best. This, of course, is
when Gen Z shops in store. The rise in online shopping can prove detrimental to
brands. It’s much easier to compare brands online - you have the prices, reviews,
everything right there on the same page. Additionally, Gen Zers are financially
conscious, so it’s more likely they will choose less expensive products rather than
buying a brand just for the sake of the brand name. Seventy-nine percent of Gen Z said
that quality is their main decision-making factor when purchasing, and 72% said they
would switch to another brand if they find a similar product for a lower price (Read). This

Becerra 38
is not good news for brands. Whereas before, it was easier to keep those repeat
customers, now brands really have to work to prove to Gen Z that they are worth
coming back to.
Making things harder are department stores. Having been in decline in recent
years, they have changed up their strategy. Instead of showing off head-to-toe
ensembles from one label, stores are “displaying styles of clothes across several
different brands all in the same place” (Smith). A study by Business Insider found that
Gen Z has a wide range of fashion interests, from streetwear and athleisure to high-
fashion, so mixing prices and styles and brands has a higher chance of attracting Gen Z
(Magana). This is even happening online - “when a customer clicks on an item, it
usually appears with merchandise from other brands” (Smith). Online and in store,
brands are being mixed with others, becoming even more difficult to differentiate
themselves from the competition.
Still, it’s unfair to say Gen Z is not brand loyal whatsoever. Give a 13-year-old a
choice to buy an iPhone or a cheaper smartphone, they’re going to pick Apple any day.
Select brands are in for Gen Z and they will be loyal to that brand. It’s worn as a sort of
“badge of honor” for Gen Z, something that they are proud to show off (Pollack et al.).
The brands that are represented by Gen Z are the brands that prove they are worthy of
a repeat purchase. These brands have high quality, are fun, and are socially
responsible. Many members of Gen Z believe that brands have the power to enact
social change and they should address societal and environmental issues (Uche).
Among Gen Z’s top progressive values were racial equality, domestic violence and

Becerra 39
women’s rights (Uche). Not only does Gen Z want their brands to be socially conscious,
they want them to create a conversation and to build a relationship (Fromm).
Some of Gen Z’s favorite brands include Nike, American Eagle Outfitters, Adidas,
Vans, Tarte, Amazon, MAC and Maybelline (Snapchat, “So on Brand”) (see fig. 12).
Some of these brands, like Nike, Tarte, and Maybelline, have set, ongoing CSR
campaigns. Tarte is cruelty-free, has green packaging, and donates to causes like sea
turtle conservation and March of Dimes (Tarte). Other brands lack in a CSR effort but
are high quality and create a relationship with the customer.

Fig. 12. Snapchat. True to Self(ie) Part 3: So On Brand. ForBusiness.Snapchat.com,
2018, https://forbusiness.snapchat.com/blog/true-to-selfie-part-3-so-on-brand/.
Take Nike - one of Gen Z’s most popular brands (Snapchat, “So on Brand”). Nike
was founded in 1964, well before Gen Zers were born. The company has kept up an
aggressive public relations effort to stay popular. Throughout the years they’ve
managed to secure incredible faces for the brand - Michael Jordan, Carl Lewis, Spike
Lee and Cristiano Ronaldo. They pick high-profile, popular athletes to sponsor. Colin

Becerra 40
Kaepernick serves as the face of Nike’s current campaign. Though controversial,
Kaepernick is still a significatnt athlete and key figure. Nike is also a huge sponsor of
college athletics, most notably in football. Gen Z has grown up knowing, and
subsequently trusting, Nike. They have built a relationship with the younger generations
– always hoping to pick up the latest, popular athlete. Now, we also have to note that
there has been a spike in athleisure which obviously is a huge reason for Nike’s
continued success in recent years. So, in part Nike should be thanking the Kardashians
for making sports apparel fashionable. Still, there’s no doubt Nike has built a
relationship with teens from a young age and it’s paid off.
IHOB
Recently, it’s not enough for brands to market to Gen Z in the traditional sense.
No, Gen Z doesn’t want to see key messages or anything of the like. They want to see
their brands have a personality. Gen Z doesn’t mind seeing digital ads - they know it’s a
fact of life - but 87% said they want those ads to be funny or entertaining (Snapchat, “So
on Brand”). Humor can work on two fronts for brands. First it catches Gen Z’s eye,
which is obviously important. It also helps brands insert themselves into Gen Z’s lives.
From the fact that over half of Gen Z say their purchasing decisions are mainly
influenced by friends, it’s incredibly important that brands get “in” with the circle of trust.
A brand’s humor could serve as a talking point for Gen Z and their friends, thus getting
their foot in the door in the circle of trust.
But again, Gen Z values authenticity. A brand can’t just come out of nowhere and
make a bunch of off the cuff jokes hoping to attract Gen Z. A brand’s personality has to
make sense for that brand. The Make-A-Wish Foundation can’t and shouldn’t use

Becerra 41
humor in their posts because that can come off as insensitive and off brand. Not only
does the type of personality have to match the organization, but the brand must pull off
that personality well. If you’re trying to be an empowering, motivational brand then you
should be making your followers practically cry with motivation. If you’re a tissue brand
and want your personality to be a hopeless romantic, then you need to be posting Drake
lyrics on your Twitter page. You get the picture. The brand doesn’t just have to be witty
– Nike’s brand personality is very serious. It’s motivational and all about athletics and
physical strength, but they still have over 7 million Twitter followers. Brands just need to
own the personality and be good at providing content that corresponds.
Recently, IHOP launched a social media campaign to gain hype for their new
menu item - burgers. So, they decided to change their name on all their social outlets to
IHOB but didn’t tell anyone why. Naturally, the Internet when crazy attempting to guess
why IHOP changed their name. The most popular guess was “International House of
Breakfast.” This would have been very on brand for IHOP, as they are primarily a
breakfast diner. However, a few days later IHOP revealed that the B stood for burgers.
The Internet did not like this surprise (see fig. 13).

Becerra 42

Fig. 13. @IGZRap. Tweet, 11 June 2018,
https://twitter.com/igzrap/status/1006163895839576066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwca
mp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1006163895839576066&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2
Fwww.thrillist.com%2Fnews%2Fnation%2Fihop-becomes-ihob-jokes-memes.

Breakfast would have been a better, more cohesive idea. IHOP was most likely trying to
boost lunch and dinner sales, so the marketers crafted this campaign to remind
customers that they also have other food options. Still, social media did not take to
International House of Burgers. Though IHOP received negative attention for their
rebranding surprise, it was the first time “IHOP” was trending on social media. If
anything the stunt brought awareness to IHOP, so at least they got that (Forbes Agency
Council).
This was a great opportunity, however, for IHOP’s rivals to jump in. The brands
that decided to comment on the Internet craze were ones that had already established

Becerra 43
themselves as humorous on their social media pages. Burger King uploaded this photo
(see fig. 14).

Fig. 14. @BurgerKing. Facebook, 11 June 2018,
https://www.facebook.com/burgerking/photos/a.160996107247067/2186400781373246/
?type=3.
Wendy’s had this to say (see fig. 15).

Fig. 15. @Wendys. Twitter, 11 June 2018,
https://twitter.com/Wendys/status/1006198612349673473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctw
camp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1006198612349673473&ref_url=https%3A%2F
%2Fpeople.com%2Ffood%2Fihop-name-change-ihob-twitter-reactions%2F.

Becerra 44

Netflix got in on the fun (see fig. 16).

Fig. 16. @Netflix. Twitter, 11 June 2018,
https://twitter.com/netflix/status/1006225471812468736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwca
mp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1006225471812468736&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2
Fpeople.com%2Ffood%2Fihop-name-change-ihob-twitter-reactions%2F.

These responses worked for these brands because they had already established their
personality as lighthearted and witty AND because they do it well.
Whether the brand is attempting to be humorous or serious, the best place for a
brand’s personality to shine is through social media. Print campaigns, commercials on
television, these can also be avenues for a brand personality, but social media is where
the brand can fully develop because it should be updated daily. Pick an aesthetic, so to
speak, and stick with it. If you need to change it up because the personality chosen
doesn’t mesh, little by little begin the switch. Ultimately, Gen Z just wants genuine
brands that are socially responsible, make quality products, can build a relationship, and
can entertain them.
Entertainment
To All the Entertainment I’ve Loved Before
Like everything we’ve talked about so far, Gen Z has managed to turn
entertainment on its head. Movies, television, music, Gen Z is doing them all differently.
These changes don’t necessarily fall squarely on Gen Z, however. Television has had to

Becerra 45
adapt to satisfy new technologies. In recent years people have chosen to “cut the cord”
– getting rid of cable in lieu of streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. A study
by Business Insider found that only 2% of Gen Z watch traditional cable, but 62% watch
Netflix or other streaming services (“Gen Z never watch TV”). The next generation is
growing up in an era of on demand, getting to watch whatever they want whenever. In
fact, many probably can’t even comprehend how just a few decades ago people would
have to wait for their favorite show to come on and then make sure to be in front of their
television at the right time. If you missed the day and time, you would have to find out
when the episode re-aired – likely at 2am on a Thursday. Gen Z doesn’t understand
how convenient television has become. With this convenience also comes more
competition between television producers. Before, networks and cable competed with
each other – but now traditional television is also competing with streaming services’
original content.
Streaming services are also changing how films conduct business. Now, studios
can forego the traditional theatrical release and move straight to streaming. In August
2018 Netflix released a movie titled To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before with seemingly no
promotion. The film was produced by Overbrook Entertainment, To All the Boys
Production and Awesomeness Films with Netflix gaining the distribution rights (IMDB).
Instead of going the traditional route and trying to get a theatrical release, the
production company decided to go straight to streaming. A week after the movie was
released, I was bombarded on social media with how amazing the movie was. Every
social media channel I own, I saw post after post telling me I needed to see it. The
movie has a 7.6/10 score on IMDB (IMDB) and a 95% approval rating on Rotten

Becerra 46
Tomatoes (Rotten Tomatoes). This was all without traditional promotion OR a traditional
theatrical release. Netflix relied on Gen Z and their ability to recommend and trust the
opinions of others to spread the word about the film. Whether this was done purposely
or not, it goes to show that movies don’t need to stick with the status quo anymore to be
successful.
Nevertheless, the movie industry still relishes getting people to the movie theater,
but it won’t happen without upgrades. With reclining lounge chairs, full-service bars, and
full restaurants, theaters are creating an experience for their customers in an attempt to
lure in moviegoers. By the success of MoviePass, a monthly subscription-based service
offering users a certain amount of movie tickets per month, it’s clear that people want to
go to the movies if only the pricing was cheaper. Unfortunately for MoviePass their
business model is not sustainable and as of this research, they are in a downward spiral
of revamping it, but as a result are losing users. Fortunately for the movie industry, the
surprising amount of people who signed up for MoviePass signals that a subscription-
based model for theaters could actually work. AMC Theaters recently announced the
creation of a subscription-based service for their movie theaters. Unlike MoviePass,
they set a hard limit of movies per month based on a higher, but still fairly inexpensive
monthly fee.
Likewise, music has progressed as the next generation strays away from buying
individual songs and albums to a subscription-based service. Spotify and Apple Music
are the top music services. They have arguably even a ‘Apple or Android’ sort of cult
following. Luckily for artists and music labels, the streaming services are the
middlemen. They haven’t turned around and created their own content like Netflix or

Becerra 47
Hulu. It’s possible that music streaming services could sign their own artists - and
obviously easily promote them in their app - but that has not happened yet. The music
industry doesn’t seem to be pushing against these services, not like with film and
television. I’m sure artists would make more money if they were still selling individual
albums instead of streaming rights, so this truce might be on rather shaky grounds.
Rapper Nicki Minaj has been vocal on social media showing her fans the animosity and
tension between artists and streaming services (see fig. 17).

Fig. 17. @NickiMinaj. Tweet, 19 August 2018,
https://twitter.com/NICKIMINAJ/status/1031286622665498632.

From this tweet Minaj makes it clear that Spotify feels it has control over artists and that
artists aren’t getting compensated in the way they feel is reflective of their success. Still,
Minaj’s whole discography is available on Spotify because she knows in order to get her
music to the masses, she needs to use streaming services. Only hardcore fans are
going to buy physical albums. So, the music industry must embrace streaming services
as the primary channel for the next generation.
Put Them all Together and What do you Get
These changes are happening for our society as a whole, but for the longevity of

Becerra 48
the entertainment industry it’s pertinent to secure the support and loyalty of Gen Z.
From MoviePass to streaming services, it’s clear that the industry is evolving and
keeping up with the shift in technology and demand. However, the industry has not yet
caught up in how to communicate and gain trust with Generation Z. If you can’t get in
Gen Z’s circle, there’s no point in keeping up with the latest technology.
Social media, influencers, and brand loyalty are all areas which are important to
Gen Z and are crucial for the entertainment industry to master. Social media needs to
be a main priority for the entertainment industry because it’s such a critical part in Gen
Z’s lives. It’s where they learn about new companies, new products, and get reviews
before purchasing. Practically every member of Gen Z has access to a phone, so
mobile is uber important in reaching Gen Z. They aren’t watching commercials on
television anymore – know where Gen Z is: online and on social media.
Not only do those in the entertainment field need to be on social media promoting
their newest product or service, but they need to be interacting with their followers. This
could be responding to a tweet or liking comments on a photo that a user tagged the
company in on Instagram. Gen Z likes when organizations interact with them – it makes
them feel like they are building a relationship with that organization. If a film studio is
promoting a movie, they should get the actors of the film to comment, post, interact with
fans online. Having a well-liked actress tweet “Send me photos of you with your ticket
stub” would have a massive effect on Gen Z. A clothing brand that reposts customers
who post pictures of themselves wearing the brand would no doubt see higher
customer-brand engagement.
Brandy Melville is a clothing company that is currently “in” with Gen Z. The brand

Becerra 49
has only been available in the U.S. for 10 years, but they’ve managed to become a
staple in Gen Z’s wardrobe (Rubin). Brandy Melville’s main strategy relies on
exclusivity. They are a one-size-fits-all brand – which in itself is exclusive because we
all know there is no way one size can fit everyone. The company also picks girls on
Instagram to become models for them. How it works is Brandy Melville marketers
review their tagged posts on Instagram and repost photos that teens have posted that fit
their brand image. Some of these girls have even started working for the company
(Rubin). Because the brand is popular and exclusive, teen girls meticulously take, edit,
and tag their photos in hopes of getting noticed by the brand. In this way, teen girls are
the sole vehicle driving promotion. No need to hire models or pay for a campaign when
your customers are doing it for you for free. Now not every entertainment brand can do
this - it’s a rather extreme case - but it does show how strong social media can carry a
company, product or service.
Employing social media to this degree won’t happen in the near future, not with
the people who are currently in charge of the entertainment industry. Older, white males
still dominate the decision-making powers, and they don’t seem to be too keen on
change and progression. Social media is still an afterthought – something that
accompanies a strategy, not a strategy in itself. Until those who wield the power to
create strategy embrace social media as a legitimate approach, social media will
continue to be underutilized.
Going hand-in-hand with social media are, of course, influencers. We’ve talked
about the rules for influencers – the influencer has to fit with the brand and he/she/they
has to be authentic. The entertainment industry needs to be strategic when deciding

Becerra 50
which influencer to use for which audience. If the artist is Halsey, then getting a young,
alternative influencer would be more successful communicating to the target
demographic. Entertainment companies also want to make sure they don’t oversaturate
the market with promotion, and risk annoying their audience. This is all pretty standard
public relations stuff. Nothing new here – obviously companies are using targeted
research to find the best spokesperson to reach a particular type of person.
The entertainment industry needs to keep in mind that Gen Z is all about
recommendations and trusting others’ opinions – this is why influencers work. However,
instead of using influencers like we’ve come to know, why not try micro-influencers?
They are the same as influencers just on a smaller scale. Instead of having 100,000
followers they have 3,000. Micro-influencers are even more connected to their following.
Many are trying to grow to become full-fledged influencers, so they put a lot of time and
energy into their social media followings. If a new movie coming out reached out to a
handful of micro-influencers giving them tickets to a premiere or advanced screening,
I’m sure more of them would be willing to go (simply because they aren’t getting as
many offers as more famous influencers) and they are more likely to encourage and
interact with their following about the film. Even better, is that these micro-influencers
aren’t as expensive as regular influencers. Because their following is not as big,
companies can get away with offering them less, maybe even just a ticket is enough to
make them feel it’s worth it.
Often the people that follow these micro-influencers are friends with them in
person as well. Micro-influencers are not doing it full time - they aren’t like Tyler Oakley
who is only friends with other YouTubers and influencers. Many times, micro-influencers

Becerra 51
are just everyday teenagers and young adults who go to school or have a 9-5 job. My
younger sister knows a number of teens at her high school that claim anywhere
between 5,000 to 10,000 followers online. Not only are micro-influencers sharing their
thoughts and experiences online, but they’re telling the people in their lives as well.
Word of mouth is still a great way to get news, products, services out to Gen Z. They
won’t try anything unless recommended by a friend. Take advantage of that. Get one of
the people in their circle of trust to experience a movie, album, theater, whatever, and
you’re guaranteed to get into the circle’s ears. Also keep in mind that one person is not
solely tied to one circle of trust. Because of this, it’s like a domino effect. One teen tells
their circle about a new album, another person in that group takes that recommendation
and then tells another one of their circles. This is how all of Gen Z are simultaneously
on the same page on a number of topics. It’s how To all the Boys I’ve Loved Before
exploded with all of Gen Z claiming its merits.
I would encourage those in the entertainment field to utilize both well-known
influencers and micro-influencers. Influencers still have that pull and can reach a larger
audience who trusts them. Micro-influencers have the ability to build that foundation that
gets Gen Z talking. Both together, and it’s more than likely you’ll have an audience with
Gen Z.
The last hurdle the entertainment industry needs to face when connecting with
Gen Z is brand loyalty. Some Gen Z traits to keep in mind when thinking about brand
loyalty are their entrepreneurial spirit and the fact that they are diverse and accepting.
These are traits the entertainment industry needs to highlight when creating a brand
image, and subsequent brand loyalty.

Becerra 52
Positioning a brand image as innovative and forward-thinking would no doubt tap
into Gen Z’s entrepreneurship. They like fresh, new ideas. Take Apple or Amazon - two
of Gen Z’s favorite brands. Despite being older companies, both are on the forefront of
new models, technologies, etc. Gen Z respects and listens to brands that have an
innovative touch, so be sure to showcase that to Gen Z. Nike recently released an app
where users can get codes to purchase exclusive shoes - this not only creates
exclusivity and hype, but it’s also a new way to release limited edition products. It’s
fresh and new and Gen Z loves it.
Diversity is HUGE for Gen Z and something they look for in the companies and
brands they support. This is especially true for the film and television field because Gen
Z knows that representation matters. Crazy, Rich Asians premiered in August 2018 and
exploded at the box office. It is the first Hollywood film in 20+ years to feature an all-
Asian cast, which is a huge reason for the film’s success. Moviegoers know that
successful films generate more of those kinds of movies, so there has been a push for
everyone to go see it and make it successful. Gen Z is the most diverse and accepting
generation so obviously they are going to support a movie, artist, television show,
brand, production team, etc., that feature all walks of life. Not only is this a selling point
for Gen Z, but it’s also an important step forward in society. Why should the majority of
movie execs be white males? We see time and time again that companies with low
diversity are out of touch with half of their audience. Brands need to keep up with
societal change and that means learning how to connect with transgender men,
Mexican females, people with autism, Chinese men, biracial women, etc. The only way

Becerra 53
for a brand to authentically present diversity is to actually be diverse in their staff and
talent.
After establishing a clear, distinct brand image, the next step is to gain Gen Z’s
loyalty. Again, this is done by getting into Gen Z’s circle of trust; become a sort of
influencer in their lives. Don’t only tell them about the products and services related to
the company but expand that to the industry as a whole. Go above being one singular
brand and be an expert in the field. Post articles and social media content on the
industry and what’s changing. Now, there’s a line between promoting another
company’s products and talking about the industry as a whole. For example, a film
studio can repost articles about the fact that a movie subscription like MoviePass could
be the wave of the future. It’s more of a commentary of the industry rather than a free
promo for another company. Gen Z is more likely to trust a brand that talks about more
than just themselves. They’re more likely to view this brand as an influencer rather than
normal public relations activity.
A major part of establishing and maintaining the brand’s image is social media.
How a brand interacts with users on their social channels is a huge selling point for Gen
Z. They want their brands to be their friends, to be in that circle of trust. Like influencers,
brands need to interact with their following. Gen Z likes when brands have distinct
personalities on social media. Again, they don’t need to always be witty or snarky, but
the brand should take on a life of its own. It’s important that brands hire a social media
team that will be consistent - the more consistent, the more authentic - and that are
well-versed in pop culture. Gen Z wants brands to comment on what’s going on in
society. Again, when IHOP pulled their badly-viewed stunt, Gen Z was waiting for other

Becerra 54
brands to hop in with commentary. Brands want to seem like friends to Gen Z -
someone they should trust, and something they feel like they need to talk about with
their friends. Social media is key to building Gen Z loyalty. Consistency and interaction
play a huge part in building and maintaining social media following.
Netflix is a great example of a company in the entertainment industry that has
taken advantage of social media to help build and stabilize their brand image. Netflix,
obviously, wants to be seen as a staple - the friend that’s always there. Their social
media is the same. They tweet and post about new movies coming out on Netflix, but
they also comment on film festivals, memes, and reply to other people’s tweets. Netflix
has curated a certain brand image and have stuck by that on social media. Brand image
is the face of the company. To get to Gen Z brand image must reflect what they want to
see - diversity, innovation and a personality all its own.
Conclusion
Walking around the mall with my sister, she babbles on about her school, her
friends, her interests. She weaves in social media like it’s a fact of life – “So-and-so
DMed me this video; My friends post a Snapchat of their schedule on the first day of
school so you know if you have class with that person before you get there; I learned
how to do a cut crease from this YouTuber.” It’s integrated so heavily in her life, she
hasn’t known a time when it wasn’t.
She makes us go to PacSun, Vans, Forever 21, and American Eagle, saying she
knows people who own practically everything in the store. She says the clothes and
shoes are cute and sometimes cheap. She plans to shop here for the foreseeable
future, because where else is she supposed to shop? Macy’s? That’s a “mom store.” All

Becerra 55
her friends shop at the same stores, listen to the same music, watch the same shows,
believe in the same things. She follows celebrity influencers like Nina Dobrev and
Sophia Bush, who post a lot about animal and environmental conservation. But, the
people she listens to most are her friends because they understand her and they like
the same things.
Even though my parents give her money to shop (because she doesn’t plan on
getting a job anytime soon), she asks me to pay for her purchases. This way she can
pocket the money she got from my parents for other things. I tell her to get a job so she
doesn’t have to rely on anyone but herself for money. She tells me school is hard
enough, there’s no way she’d be able to keep up while also having a job. Besides, she
tells me she’s still young and doesn’t need to be working just yet. I remind her I had a
job at 15 - she gives me a grin and shrugs.
She tells me all the shows she’s watching on Netflix – Riverdale, Vampire
Diaries, That ‘70s Show and The Office. A mix of modern and “classic” shows. She
doesn’t go to the movies that much - only when my parents want to go and buy her a
ticket as well. She forces my dad to listen to Drake, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber and
Mariah Carey in the car. My parents paid for Spotify Premium after months of her
begging. She excitedly texted me a link to hop onto the family plan, and though I was an
avid Apple Music user, I switched because she was so excited, and of course, free
Spotify for me.
My sister lives in a world vastly different than the one I live in. Sure, we have
access to the same technologies and same opportunities, but on the whole, she
experiences life unlike anything I could have ever guessed. The constant

Becerra 56
connectedness, the pressures to succeed, the persistent pestering by older generations
to grow up, the unforgiving images of perfection continually thrown in their face, I have
to feel for this generation having to face this while going through the most vulnerable
and impressionable part of life.
Generation Z is handling it pretty well. Give them time. Be up front with them.
They’ll welcome you in. They are, after all, the most accepting generation.

Becerra 57
Works Cited
Anderson, Monica and Jiang Jingjing. “Teens, social media & technology 2018.” Pew
Research Center, Pew Research Center, 31 May 2018,
http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/
Aziz, Afdhel. “Brands: Want to know about marketing to Gen-Z? Why not ask the
experts?” Forbes, Forbes Media LLC, 25 June 2018,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/afdhelaziz/2018/06/25/brands-want-to-know-about-
marketing-to-gen-z-why-not-ask-the-experts/2/#2858299d5716
Bernstein, Lenny. “Fewer teens are having sex as declines in risky behaviors continue.”
The Washington Post, Nash Holdings LLC, 4 January 2018,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/fewer-teens-having-
sex-as-decline-in-risky-behaviors-continue/2018/01/04/a868bf84-f15c-11e7-97bf-
bba379b809ab_story.html?utm_term=.f21c3e3c4827
Burnett, Erin and Asha Davis. “Parents may fret, but teens and even experts say social
media use has its benefits.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network,
23 March 2018,
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/23/parents-may-fret-but-
teens-and-even-experts-say-social-media-use-has-its-benefits/451461002/
Casserly, Meghan. “Beyonce’s %50 million Pepsi deal takes creative cues from Jay Z.”
Forbes, Forbes Media LLC, 10 December 2012,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2012/12/10/beyonce-knowles-50-
million-pepsi-deal-takes-creative-cues-from-jay-z/#221e77784346
Calfas, Jennifer. “Here’s how much money Kylie Jenner made before she turned 20.”
Time, Meredith Corporation, 10 August 2017,
http://time.com/money/4895185/kylie-jenner-net-worth-kylie-cosmetics-lip-kits/
Center for Generational Kinetics. “Gen Z social media usage and trends infographic.”
Center for Generational Kinetics, The Center for Generational Kinetics, 2016,
http://genhq.com/igen-genz-social-media-trends-infographic/
Center for Generational Kinetics. “Gen Z technology usage and trends infographic.”
Center for Generational Kinetics, The Center for Generational Kinetics, 2016,
http://genhq.com/igen-genz-technology-trends-infographic/
Center for Generational Kinetics. ”Gen Z’s views and opinions on politics and voting
infographic.” Center for Generational Kinetics, The Center for Generational
Kinetics, 2016, http://genhq.com/igen-gen-z-stance-on-politics-infographic/
Center for Generational Kinetics. “The state of Gen Z 2017: Meet the throwback
generation.” Center for Generational Kinetics, The Center for Generational
Kinetics, 2016, http://genhq.com/gen-z-2017-research-white-paper/

Becerra 58
Ciechanowski, Elizabeth. (2016). The generations of baby boomer to generation Z as
defined in consumer culture (Order No. 10006520). Available from ProQuest
Dissertations & Theses Full Text; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
(1762745121). Retrieved from http://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://search-
proquest-com.libproxy1.usc.edu/docview/1762745121?accountid=14749
Claveria, Kelvin. “Unlike Millennials: 5 ways Gen Z differs from Gen Y.”
VisionCritical.com, Vision Critical Communications Inc., 3 March 2017,
https://www.visioncritical.com/gen-z-versus-millennials-infographics/
Claveria, Kelvin. “When it comes to Gen Z, forget everything you know about brand
loyalty.” VisionCritical.com, Vision Critical Communications Inc., 1 September
2017, https://www.visioncritical.com/gen-z-brand-loyalty
Cohen, Ben. “Generation Z: The intolerant ones.” James G. Martin Center, James G.
Martin Center for Academic Renewal, 27 July 2018,
https://www.jamesgmartin.center/2018/07/generation-z-the-intolerant-ones/
Contrera, Jessica. “Generation Z: Growing up in an age of likes, lols and longing.”
Chicago Tribune, Tronc, Inc., 25 May 2016,
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-generation-z-20160525-
story.html#
DeMers, Jayson. “Is the concept of brand loyalty dying?” Forbes, Forbes Media LLC, 9
June 2017, https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2017/06/09/is-the-
concept-of-brand-loyalty-dying/#1090446b5b52
Dimock, Michael. “Defining generations: Where Millennials end and post-Millennials
begin.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 1 March 2018,
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/01/defining-generations-where-
millennials-end-and-post-millennials-begin/
Ehmke, Rachel. “How using social media affects teenagers.” ChildMind.org, Child Mind
Institute, Inc., 2017, https://childmind.org/article/how-using-social-media-affects-
teenagers/
Forbes Agency Council. “ Nine marketing pros weigh in on that bold ‘IHOB’ campaign.”
Forbes, Forbes Media LLC, 26 September 2018,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/09/26/nine-marketing-
pros-weigh-in-on-that-bold-ihob-campaign/#968c1e231a5b
Fromm, Jeff. “Instagram is a powerhouse for Gen Z influencer marketing.” Forbes,
Forbes Media LLC, 20 March 2018,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2018/03/20/instagram-is-a-powerhouse-
for-gen-z-influencer-marketing/#4c8f817b1d64

Becerra 59
Fromm, Jeff. “Is brand loyalty dead with the pivotal Generation Z?” Millennial Marketing,
Millennial Marketing, 2017, http://www.millennialmarketing.com/2017/06/is-brand-
loyalty-dead-with-the-pivotal-generation-z/
Fromm, Jeff. “Why storyliving brands win with Gen Z.” Forbes, Forbes Media LLC, 14
June 2018, https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2018/06/14/why-storyliving-
brands-win-with-gen-z/#7354314d7d72
Gander, Kashmira. "Why are high school students having less sex?" Newsweek, IBT
Media/Newsweek Media Group, 15 June 2018, https://www.newsweek.com/why-
are-high-school-students-having-less-sex-979623
Garcia, Denise. “How Generation Z’s social media savvy entrepreneurs are giving
Millennials a run for their money.” CNBC, NBCUniversal, 9 June 2018,
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/08/how-generation-zs-social-media-savvy-
entrepreneurs-are-giving-millennials-a-run-for-their-money.html
“Generation Z.” CBSNews.com, CBS Interactive Inc, 2018,
https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/meet-generation-z/
“Gen Z power list: Meet the brands, platforms and creators that teens love.”
AdWeek.com, Adweek, 1 June 2017, https://www.adweek.com/digital/gen-z-
power-list-meet-the-brands-platforms-and-creators-that-teens-love/
GlobeNewswire. “New research reveals branded desserts win with Gen Z and
Millennials.” Business Insider, Insider Inc., 24 July 2018,
https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/new-research-reveals-branded-
desserts-win-with-gen-z-and-millennials-1027393668
Goldman Sachs. “What if I told you… Gen-Z matters more than millennials.” The
Atlantic, The Atlantic Monthly Group, 2018,
https://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/goldman-sachs-2016/what-if-i-told-you-
gen-z-matters-more-than-millennials/903/
Green, Timothy D. Muzic Appreciation: Bridging the Gap between Generation Z &
Classical Music, Liberty University, Ann Arbor, 2018. ProQuest,
http://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.libproxy1.usc.edu/docview/2046301204?accountid=14749
Haley, Bill. “Understanding the Gen Z mindset.” AlliedPixel.com, Allied Pixel, 14
November 2017, https://www.alliedpixel.com/2017/11/understanding-gen-z-
mindset/
Homayoun, Ana. “What teens wish their parents knew about social media.” The
Washington Post, Nash Holdings LLC, 9 January 2018,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2018/01/09/what-teens-
wish-their-parents-knew-about-social-
media/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.9e12eceeb5b9

Becerra 60
Hunt, Elle. “How do we save the world from Instagram ‘influencers’? A new mural could
help.” The Guardian, Scott Trust Limited, 27 June 2018,
https://www.theguardian.com/news/shortcuts/2018/jun/27/how-do-we-save-the-
world-from-instagram-influencers-a-new-mural-could-help
IMDb. “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” IMDb, Amazon, 2018,
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3846674/
Influencer Marketing Hub. “Top 20 Music.ly influencers who have built small media
empires for themselves.” InfluencerMarketingHub.com, 2017,
https://influencermarketinghub.com/top-20-musical-ly-influencers/
Iqbal, Nosheen. “Generation Z: ‘We have more to do than drink and take drugs.’” The
Guardian, Scott Trust Limited, 21 July 2018,
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jul/21/generation-z-has-different-
attitudes-says-a-new-report
“It’s lit: A guide to what teens think is cool.” Google, 2016,
https://storage.googleapis.com/think/docs/its-lit.pdf
Johnson, Jim. “Gen Z & brand loyalty: How to persuade a generation of marketing
skeptics.” Huffington Post, Oath Inc., 17 August 2017,
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gen-z-brand-loyalty-how-to-persuade-a-
generation_us_599618cae4b03b5e472cee2b
Kane, Libby. “Meet Generation Z, the ‘millennials on steroids’ who could lead the charge
for change in the US.” Business Insider, Business Insider Inc., 4 December 2017,
http://www.businessinsider.com/generation-z-profile-2017-9
Kardefelt-Winther, Daniel. How does the time children spend using digital technology
impact their mental well-being, social relationships and physical activity? An
evidence-focused literature review. Florence: UNICEF Office of Research-
Innocenti, 2017.
Kay, Karen. “Millennial ‘influencers’ who are the new stars of web advertising.” The
Guardian, Scott Trust Limited, 27 May 2017,
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2017/may/27/millenial-influencers-new-
stars-web-advertising-marketing-luxury-brands
Kennedy, Atira. “Is the next generation growing up too fast?” TheOdysseyOnline.com,
18 July 2016, https://www.theodysseyonline.com/next-generation-growing-fast
Kleinschmit, Matt. “Generation Z characteristics: 5 infographics on the Gen Z lifestyle.”
VisionCritical.com, Vision Critical Communications Inc., 4 December 2015,
https://www.visioncritical.com/generation-z-infographics/

Becerra 61
Kosoff, Maya. “’It was cataclysmic’: Can Snapchat survive it’s redesign?” Vanity Fair,
Conde Nast, 10 May 2018, https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/05/snapchat-
publishers-discover-redesign?mbid=social_twitter
Lythcott-Haims, Julie. “How to raise successful kids – without over-parenting.” TED
Talk, November 2015, Conference Presentation.
https://www.ted.com/talks/julie_lythcott_haims_how_to_raise_successful_kids_wi
thout_over_parenting#t-837214
Magana, Gregory. “Retailers are adapting to chase millennials and Gen Z.” Business
Insider, Business Insider Inc., 1 June 2018,
http://www.businessinsider.com/retailers-chasing-millennials-gen-z-shoppers-
2018-6
May, Ashley & Sean Rossman. “Generation Z predicts the future: America’s kids explain
love, marriage and gender roles.” USA Today, Gannett Company, 9 July 2018,
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/07/09/post-millennial-
generation-z-love-dating-marriage-gender-roles/715927002/
McNair, Kamaron. “Will Gen Z finally kill Facebook?” The Daily Beast, The Daily Beast
Company LLC, 6 July 2018, https://www.thedailybeast.com/will-gen-z-finally-kill-
facebook
Miller, Josh. “A letter to Gen Z entrepreneurs.” LinkedIn, LinkedIn Corporation, 2
January 2018, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/letter-gen-z-entrepreneurs-josh-
miller/
Nessel, Nancy. “Generation Z considers cost when selecting a college – research by
Nitro College.” GettingGenZ.com, 15 August 2018,
https://gettinggenz.com/2017/08/15/gen-z-considers-cost-when-selecting-a-
college/
Nessel, Nancy. “Top 10 insights on Gen Z in the workplace, by Sage.”
GettingGenZ.com, 10 July 2018, https://gettinggenz.com/2017/07/10/how-to-
manage-gen-z-in-the-workforce-by-sage-advice/
Nessel, Nancy. “Branding GenZ: Lessons learned from the redesigns of iconic logos.”
GettingGenZ.com, 30 May 2018, https://gettinggenz.com/2018/05/30/branding-
genz-lessons-learned-from-the-redesigns-of-iconic-logos/
Nessel, Nancy. “Generation Z applies early decision to everything.” GettingGenZ.com, 1
November 2018, https://gettinggenz.com/2017/11/01/4503/
Nessel, Nancy. “Have smartphones destroyed a generation? The Atlantic, Sept. 2017.”
GettingGenZ.com, 7 September 2018, https://gettinggenz.com/2017/09/07/have-
smartphones-destroyed-a-generation-the-atlantic-sept-2017/

Becerra 62
Nichols, Thomas and Meghan Wright. Generational differences: Understanding and
exploring Generation Z. 2018. Texas Wesleyan University, PhD dissertation.
Paige, Ashely. “11 characteristics of Generation Z.” PopSugar, Popsugar Inc., 22 April
2017, https://www.popsugar.com/career/What-Generation-Z-40064775
Parker-Pope, Tara. “Are today’s teenagers smarter and better than we think?” The New
York Times, The New York Times Company, 30 March 2018,
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/30/well/family/teenagers-generation-
stoneman-douglas-parkland-.html
Patel, Arti. “Generation Z doesn’t care much for driving, having sex or drinking alcohol.”
GlobalNews.ca, Corus Entertainment Inc., 19 September 2017,
https://globalnews.ca/news/3755912/generation-z-study/
Perlstein, Tim. “Fullscreen original research results are in.” FullScreenMedia.co,
Fullscreen, Inc., 23 May 2017, https://fullscreenmedia.co/2017/05/23/fullscreen-
original-research-results/
Pollack, Stefan. Personal Interview. 21 Aug 2018.
Pollack, Stefan, et al. Disrupted, from Gen Y to iGen: Communicating with the next
generation. Los Angeles, Pacific Coast Creative Publishing, 2012.
Premack, Rachel. “7 ways Gen Zs and millennials are drastically different.” Business
Insider, Business Insider Inc., 7 July 2018, http://www.businessinsider.com/gen-
zs-habits-different-from-millennials-2018-6
Premack, Rachel. “Gen Zs never watch TV, are stressed about Snapchat, and are
concerned that technology has ruined their mental health – here’s what it’s
REALLY like to be a teen in 2018.” Business Insider, Business Insider Incs., 29
June 2018, https://www.businessinsider.com/teens-gen-z-generation-z-what-
teens-are-like-2018-6
Premack, Rachel. “Generation Z is already moving away from Facebook, and 8 more
industries coule be next.” Business Insider, Business Insider Inc., 29 May 2018,
http://www.businessinsider.com/generation-z-things-gen-z-are-killing-facebook-
ralph-lauren-2018-5
Priporas, Constantinos Vasilios, et al. Generation Z consumers’ expectations of
interactions in smart retailing: A future agenda. Computers in Human Behavior,
2017.
Reuters Staff. “FOCUS – Firing fake pineapples, Pernod uses ‘influencers’ to drive
sales.” Reuters, Thomas Retuers Coroporation, 3 July 2018,
https://www.reuters.com/article/pernod-ricard-marketing-influencers/focus-firing-
fake-pineapples-pernod-uses-influencers-to-drive-sales-idUSL1N1TT280

Becerra 63
Robinson, Syd. “Here’s what Gen Zers are wondering about Facebook.” Buzzfeed,
Buzzfeed, 12 April 2018, https://www.buzzfeed.com/sydrobinson1/questions-gen-
zers-have-about-facebook?utm_term=.jo35Yk8p5R#.le9lQ46dl0
Rotten Tomatoes. “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” Rotten Tomatoes, Fandango,
2018, https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/to_all_the_boys_ive_loved_before/
Rubin, Julia. “Smells like teen spirit: Inside the secretive world of Brandy Melville.”
Racked, Vox Media, Inc., 24 September 2014,
https://www.racked.com/2014/9/24/7575693/brandy-melville
Ryback, Ralph. “From Baby Boomers to Generation Z.” Psychology Today, Sussex
Publishers, LLC., 22 February 2016,
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-truisms-wellness/201602/baby-
boomers-generation-z
Satariano, Adam. “What the G.D.P.R., Europe’s tough new data law, means for you.”
The New York Times, New York Times Company, 6 May 2018,
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/06/technology/gdpr-european-privacy-law.html
Schlossberg, Mallory. “Move over, Millennials – here’s where the young consumers of
Generation Z are spending their money.” Business Insider, Business Insider Inc.,
8 October 2015, https://www.businessinsider.com/where-generation-z-shops-
2015-10/#stuff-not-experiences-1
Sloan, Garett. “Facebook sees its Gen Z audience slipping away to Snapchat.” Ad Age,
Crain Communications, 12 February 2018,
http://adage.com/article/digital/facebook-sees-gen-z-audience-slipping-
snapchat/312330/
Smith, Ray. “Retailers stalk the elusive millennial shopper.” Wall Street Journal, Dow
Jones & Company, 30 May 2018, https://www.wsj.com/articles/retailers-stalk-the-
elusive-millennial-shopper-
1527692005?utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Pos
t%20Blast%20%28bii-e-
commerce%29:%20Retailers%20adapting%20to%20chase%20millennials%20%
E2%80%94%20Nordstrom%20plans%20two%20more%20merchandise-
free%20stores%20%E2%80%94%20Walmart%20looks%20to%20gain%20toy%
20market%20share&utm_term=BII%20List%20E-Comm%20ALL
Snapchat. True to Self(ie) Part 1: Z SNA – Uncovering what makes Gen Z, Gen Z.
ForBusiness.Snapchat.com, 2018, https://forbusiness.snapchat.com/blog/true-to-
selfie-part-1-z-dna-uncovering-what-makes-gen-z-gen-z/
Snapchat. True to Self(ie) Part 2: Technophiles. ForBusiness.Snapchat.com, 2018,
https://forbusiness.snapchat.com/blog/true-to-selfie-part-2-technophiles/

Becerra 64
Snapchat. True to Self(ie) Part 3: So On Brand. ForBusiness.Snapchat.com, 2018,
https://forbusiness.snapchat.com/blog/true-to-selfie-part-3-so-on-brand/
Spangler, Todd. “President Obama meets with YouTube stars to push Obamacare
(video).” Vanity Fair, Conde Nast, 6 March 2014,
https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/president-obama-meets-with-youtube-stars-
to-push-obamacare-video-1201127120/
Sturt, David and Todd Nordstrom. “Generational differences: When they matter, and
when they don’t.” Forbes, Forbes Media LLC, 16 August 2016,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidsturt/2016/08/16/generational-differences-
when-they-matter-and-when-they-dont/#7d7b7e43692d
Tamkins, Theresa. “Teen survey shows fewer are having sex, but more are feeling
despair.” Buzzfeed News, Buzzfeed, 14 June 2018,
https://www.buzzfeed.com/theresatamkins/teens-less-likely-sex-drugs-
survey?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BuzzFeed%20News%20-
%20June%2015%202018&utm_content=BuzzFeed%20News%20-
%20June%2015%202018%2BCID_f60ca9ff7cb54d29dc0b5e5fcbe3358b&utm_s
ource=BuzzFeed%20Newsletters&utm_term=.uwY6daYKw#.ykqDgW2pJ
Tarte. “Tarte Gives Back.” Tarte.com, Kose, 2018,
https://tartecosmetics.com/en_US/explore/about-us/tarte-gives-back/
Taylor, Brian. “How important is online privacy to Gen Z?” JayWing.com, Jaywing, 19
March 2018, https://jaywing.com/news/z-5-privacy
“Then and now: A history of social networking sites.” CBSNews.com, CBS Interactive
Inc., 2017, https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/then-and-now-a-history-of-social-
networking-sites/7/
ThinkWithGoogle. Gen Z: A look inside its mobile-first mindset. ThinkWithGoogle.com,
2017, https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/interactive-report/gen-z-a-look-inside-its-
mobile-first-mindset/
Time Staff. “The 25 most influential people on the Internet.” Time, Time Inc., 26 June
2017, http://time.com/4815217/most-influential-people-internet/
Trevino, Nicole G. The Arrival of Generation Z on College Campuses, University of the
Incarnate Word, Ann Arbor, 2018. ProQuest,
http://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.libproxy1.usc.edu/docview/2055240184?accountid=14749
Trinko, Katrina. “Gen Z is the loneliest generation, and it’s not just because of social
media.” USA Today, The Gannett Company, 3 May 2018,
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/05/03/gen-z-loneliest-generation-
social-media-personal-interactions-column/574701002/

Becerra 65
Twenge, Jean. IGen: Why today’s super-connected kids are growing us less rebellious,
more tolerant, less happy – and completely unprepared for adulthood – and what
that means for the rest of us. City of Publication, Publisher, 2017.
Tyler, Jessica. “Some of Gen Z’s biggest fashion entrepreneurs have worked with starts
like Kylie Jenner and Lorde – and they’re all under 22.” Business Insider,
Business Insider Inc., 26 June 2018, http://www.businessinsider.com/kylie-
jenner-lorde-clothes-from-young-designers-2018-6
Uche, Sharon C. Generation Z and Corporate Social Responsibility, Syracuse
University, Ann Arbor, 2018. ProQuest,
http://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.libproxy1.usc.edu/docview/2067436531?accountid=14749
United States, Federal Trade Commission. “The FTC’s endorsement guides: What
people are asking.” 7 September 2017, https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-
center/guidance/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking
Watson, Heather. “How does Gen Z actually use YouTube?” The Center for
Generational Kinetics, The Center for Generational Kinetics, 3 May 2018,
http://genhq.com/how-does-gen-z-actually-use-youtube/
Westcott Grant, Kristin. “Data privacy, social media, visual content and Adobe: Through
the lends of Generation Z.” Forbes, Forbes Media LLC, 9 May 2018,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinwestcottgrant/2018/05/09/data-privacy-social-
media-visual-content-adobe-through-the-lens-of-generation-z/#4843b0253a9c
Wheeler, John. “For Gen Z, online privacy is like bathroom privacy. Respect it.”
GenZInsights.com, Unidays, 2018, https://www.genzinsights.com/gen-z-sees-
online-privacy-kind-of-like-you-see-bathroom-privacy-show-them-respect
Williams, Alex. “Move over, Millennials, here comes Generation Z.” New York Times,
New York Times Company, 18 September 2018,
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/20/fashion/move-over-millennials-here-comes-
generation-z.html
Woo, Angela. “Time to wake up to the next consumer powerhouse: Gen Z.” Forbes,
Forbes Media LLC, 23 July 2018,
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/07/23/time-to-wake-up-
to-the-next-consumer-powerhouse-gen-z/#36889c0d53f4
Woollaston, Victoria. “Kids ARE growing up faster today – and it’s all down to
technology: Facebook and mobile phones causing children to mature more
quickly, poll reveals.” Daily Mail, Daily Mail and General Trust, 17 November
2014, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2834559/Kids-growing-
faster-today-s-technology-Facebook-mobile-phones-causing-young-people-
mature-quickly-poll-reveals.html

Becerra 66
Zhang, Jack. “Generation Z must seek, and find, journalism it can trust.” Boston Herald,
MediaNews Group, 17 July 2018,
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/2018/07/generation_z_must_seek
_and_find_journalism_it_can_trust
“34% of Generation Z social media users have quit social media entirely.” Business
Wire, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., 5 March 2018,
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180305006051/en/34-Generation-
Social-Media-Users-Quit-Social

Abstract (if available)

Linked assets

University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Conceptually similar

PDF

The influencer break-down: a history, categorization, and analysis of success for health & wellness influencers

PDF

Experiential public relations: the importance of strategic messaging, understanding target audiences, and analysis of successfully curated brand-consumer interactions

PDF

Memes, meme marketing, and how brands and influencers can leverage them on social media

PDF

The search for authenticity in influencer marketing

PDF

Why we follow influencers: the role of Asian female fashionistas in Los Angeles

PDF

Under the influence: understanding cautious influencer marketing and relations

PDF

Digital discourse in the fashion industry

PDF

Creating brand evangelists in the 21st century: using brand engagement through social media to develop brand loyalty in teens

PDF

Musicians utilizing social media to increase brand awareness, further promote their brand and establish brand equity

PDF

Traditional and social media in modern crisis communications

PDF

Just buy it: Nike, Colin Kaepernick, and branded activism

PDF

Taking stances on social issues: case study on Lyft’s social-purpose programs and strategies

PDF

Social value orientation, social influence and creativity in crowdsourced idea generation

PDF

The women’s rights movement of today: how social media is fueling the resurgence of feminism

PDF

A study of the cultural environment of social media

PDF

The Digital Revolution and its impact on the beauty industry

PDF

The influence of brand placement in Bollywood on the Indian consumer

PDF

How Brand USA will reach its fastest-growing international market - China: Brand USA Chinese strategic public relations plan

PDF

Strategic planning model: how KFC China can attract Gen Z and Millennials through appreciating Chinese values

PDF

Evolution of visual public relations: the essentials of branded video

Asset Metadata

Creator Becerra, Adriana (author)

Core Title Generation Z: social media, influencers and brand loyalty in entertainment

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Strategic Public Relations

Publication Date 11/08/2018

Defense Date 11/08/2018

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag brand loyalty,Gen Z,Generation Z,influencers,OAI-PMH Harvest,social media

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Floto, Jennifer (committee chair), Kozinets, Robert (committee member), Pollack, Stefan (committee member)

Creator Email adrianajbecerra@gmail.com,becerraa@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-104357

Unique identifier UC11675629

Identifier etd-BecerraAdr-6940.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-104357 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-BecerraAdr-6940.pdf

Dmrecord 104357

Document Type Thesis

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Becerra, Adriana

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA