Sample #2 (speech excerpts)

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Now, first and foremost it’s crucial to have a basic definition of Gen Z. We have defined Gen Z-ers as those born during or after 1996. You will see others start around 2000 and others around 1994, but our distinction is 1996.

The disparity in people’s viewpoint on when a generation begins and ends is actually more important then it first appears. On the surface it is little more than a data point issue, but it actually showcases the key issue with generational studies: they are, by their arbitrary distinctions, inherently flawed. The grouping together of disparate people will highlight trends, but it misses the nuance of insight that provides us with the image of the consumer as an individual. 

This isn’t to say that there isn’t merit to the practice, it simply highlights that we must be wary of falling into the trap of believing the myths that are springing up around a generation that is only now beginning to get their first sense of financial and intellectual independence. 

Gen Z, like every generation of youth before it, suffers from the cynicism of older generations. Too often generational studies are written as a death knell for society with attention spans getting shorter, music getting worse, and an over reliance on technology. Of course technology is now more pervasive than ever, but that is always the case. Television was once thought to be the end of society. Even the gutenberg printing press had its critics. In reality Gen Z-ers are simply attempting to navigate a reality that they have not defined. They, as an emerging group face that most universal experience of youth: uncertainty tinged with an almost arrogant hopefulness. 

And it is in this uncertainty that myths have begun to spring up around them. In our book What You Don’t Know About Gen Z, we explore five of these myths based around their political allegiances, their tech obsession, their media consumption habits, their capacity for critical thought, and their habits as consumers.

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The reality is that Gen Z is still a vague concept. They are young, they are figuring out their identity in the world, and above anything else they are nuanced, individuals just like the rest of us. When looking to generate revenue off this group we now have the technological tools to do something that we've never been able to do before: create truly personal experiences for the consumer. 

When designing strategies, experiences, campaigns, products, merchandising, even packaging for this group—the question to ask isn’t how do I sell to Gen Z, it should be how do I sell to each Gen Z-er.