Olivia: A recent study found Gen Z's emotional attachment to a YouTube star is seven times greater than their attachment to a traditional celebrity. Jackson: Seven times? That’s not just a small preference. That's a different operating system. Olivia: Exactly. It’s not just about a shift in who is famous; it’s a total rewiring of trust, connection, and influence. And for the big, established brands that have run the world for decades, that is a terrifying reality. Jackson: Because their old playbook is suddenly useless. They can’t just buy a Super Bowl ad and call it a day. Olivia: They can't. And that's the core question explored in The Gen Z Frequency: How Brands Tune In and Build Credibility by Gregg L. Witt and Derek E. Baird. Jackson: And these guys aren't just academics writing from an ivory tower; they're in the trenches, working as youth brand strategists. They wrote this back in 2018, right when everyone was waking up to the fact that Gen Z was about to become the most powerful consumer force on the planet. Olivia: Precisely. And they start with a story that perfectly captures the high stakes of getting it wrong... which involves Nike, of all brands, completely face-planting. Jackson: Hold on, Nike failed? The brand that literally defines "cool"? That seems impossible. Olivia: It seems impossible now, but in the 90s, when they tried to enter the world of skateboarding, they were seen as the ultimate posers. And their journey from corporate villain to cultural insider is a masterclass in what this book is all about.

Jackson: Okay, you have my full attention. How on earth did Nike, the king of marketing, mess this up so badly? Olivia: Well, in the 70s, they had a casual presence. Skaters liked their shoes. But as skateboarding became a real subculture in the late 80s and 90s, it developed a fierce, anti-corporate identity. Skaters had their own brands, their own heroes, their own code. They didn't want some giant corporation telling them what was cool. Jackson: Right, the classic "you can't buy your way in" mentality. Olivia: And Nike tried to buy their way in. In 1995, they sponsored the X Games and ran big, glossy ads in skate magazines. They even had a campaign with the tagline, "What if we treated all athletes the way we treat skateboarders?" It was meant to be respectful, but the community saw it as incredibly condescending. Jackson: Ouch. It’s like a dad trying to use teen slang. It just lands with a thud. Olivia: A massive thud. They launched their first dedicated skate shoe line in 1998, and it was cancelled within a year. They were a joke in the community. They had all the money and power in the world, but they had zero credibility. Jackson: So what was the turning point? What was the magic ingredient they finally found? Olivia: Humility. After years of failure, they finally launched Nike SB in 2002, but this time, they did it completely differently. They hired people from within the skate culture, like Sandy Bodecker and Robbie Jeffers. And instead of telling skaters what they should want, they just listened. One of the original pro skaters on the team, Richard Mulder, is quoted in the book saying, "They approached us from a place of humility... They didn’t pretend to know it all." Jackson: Wow. So they stopped broadcasting and started listening. What did that look like in practice? Olivia: It was all about co-creation. They launched the "Colors By" series, where they let four original team skaters—Mulder, Reece Forbes, Gino Ianucci, and Danny Supa—design their own colorways for the classic Dunk shoe. They didn't distribute them to big box stores; they sold them exclusively through independent skate shops, the lifeblood of the culture. They were supporting the community, not trying to take it over. Jackson: That’s a huge shift. They went from being an invader to being a partner. Olivia: A true partner. And it worked. They built genuine relationships. They signed legendary skaters. By 2013, they had captured over half the North American skate shoe market. They won because they finally understood that you can't just market to a culture; you have to become a meaningful part of it. Jackson: But the book also mentions a fascinating counter-story, the brand Savier. They were backed by Nike, had deep community ties, and were seen as authentic... but they still failed. What went wrong there? Olivia: That's such a crucial point. Savier was doing everything right on the community front. They hosted local contests, sponsored amateur skaters, even helped repair DIY skateparks. The culture loved them. But they made one critical mistake. Jackson: What was it? Olivia: They missed a trend. Savier was making these high-tech, feature-packed skate shoes, which were great. But at that exact moment, the market shifted. Skaters started wanting simpler, low-tech, low-price shoes. Savier was so focused on their high-tech product that they didn't adapt. They were authentic, but they stopped being relevant to what the culture wanted right then. Jackson: So authenticity gets you in the door, but relevance is what keeps you in the room. You have to be listening constantly, not just once. Olivia: Exactly. And that failure to read the trend with Savier shows that understanding the culture is just as important as being authentic. This brings us to the core of Gen Z's mindset: this fascinating paradox of hyper-individualization and the deep need for community.

Jackson: Okay, "hyper-individualization" sounds like a very academic term. What does that actually look like in the real world? Olivia: It means that unlike previous generations who might have identified with broad subcultures—like being a punk, or a prep, or a jock—Gen Z constructs their identities from a million different micro-interests. The book quotes a report from AwesomenessTV that says Gen Z perceives identity on a spectrum, as an "ever-evolving construction of self." They have access to the entire world's culture via the internet, so they can pick and choose the pieces that resonate. Jackson: Right, so it's less about everyone wearing the same brand to show they belong to a group, and more about finding your tiny corner of the internet where everyone gets your very specific obsession, whether it's 19th-century pottery or a niche video game. Olivia: You’ve nailed it. And that's the paradox. At the same time they are celebrating their unique individuality, they are also desperately seeking belonging. The book uses the Broadway musical 'Dear Evan Hansen' as a perfect example. Jackson: The musical about the high schooler with social anxiety? How does that fit in? Olivia: 'Dear Evan Hansen' became a cultural phenomenon for Gen Z because it gave a voice to the intense feelings of loneliness and anxiety that many of them experience, often amplified by social media. It wasn't just a show; it became a community. Fans, who called themselves 'Fansens,' connected on Tumblr and Instagram, sharing fan art and personal stories. The hashtag #YouWillBeFound became a rallying cry, a way for them to find each other and say, "You're not alone in feeling this way." Jackson: That’s powerful. It’s a community built not around a product, but around a shared emotional experience. Olivia: Exactly. And that's a profound insight for anyone trying to connect with this generation. They don't want to join a "brand community" to get discounts. They want to join communities that help them understand themselves and connect with others who share their passions or their struggles. It’s about finding your people. Jackson: This is all fascinating, but I have to ask the skeptical question. Does this ever feel a bit cynical? Like brands are just studying these vulnerable communities and their anxieties to figure out how to sell them things? The book has been praised for its insights, but some critics of the genre argue it’s all about the commercialization of a generation. Olivia: That is the million-dollar question, and it's a tension the book addresses head-on. The authors, Witt and Baird, would argue that the old model was cynical—the model of interrupting people with ads for things they don't want. Their whole premise is that the only way forward is to stop exploiting and start contributing. Jackson: What does "contributing" mean for a brand, though? Olivia: It means adding real value to the culture they want to be a part of. It could be by creating content that inspires, like Nike SB's skate videos. It could be by providing a platform for connection, like the 'Dear Evan Hansen' community. Or it could be by telling a story that empowers people. The goal isn't to "target" a community, but to "align" with it. Jackson: Okay, "aligning" not "targeting." I like that distinction. It feels more respectful. Olivia: It is. And that's what the authors try to solve with their practical framework. They argue it's not about cracking a code, but about building a genuine relationship. This is where their Five Foundational Truths come in.

Olivia: So, after establishing that you need to be authentic and understand the culture, the book provides a playbook. It’s built on five truths that work in a sequence: Identity, Trust, Relevance, Possibility, and Experience. Jackson: That sounds a little abstract. Let's break one down. What does 'Identity' mean for a brand? Is it just a logo and a color scheme? Olivia: Not at all. The book argues 'Identity' is the absolute foundation. It's the answer to the question: "Why do you exist?" It's your core story, your values, what you stand for. And it has to be genuine, because Gen Z has a built-in radar for fakes. Jackson: So, 'Identity' is basically 'know thyself' for a brand? Olivia: A perfect way to put it. And the best case study for this is the streetwear brand Supreme. They started as a single skate shop in New York City in the 90s. They weren't trying to be for everyone. They were for a very specific group of downtown skaters and artists. Their identity was raw, unapologetic, and deeply rooted in that specific counter-culture. Jackson: And they never lost that, even when they became a global phenomenon. Their whole brand is built on scarcity and an "if you know, you know" attitude. Olivia: Exactly. They never compromised their identity to chase a broader market. And that leads directly to the fourth truth, 'Possibility.' The book includes this incredible quote from a young consumer about Supreme. He says, "Supreme makes me feel like anything is possible, ’cos they started as New York skaters [and went on] to become one of the world’s biggest clothing brands. And they were themselves. They were unique, and had their own identity." Jackson: Wow. So the brand's own story of authentic success becomes an inspiration for its customers. It's not just a t-shirt; it's a symbol of what's possible if you stay true to yourself. Olivia: That's the magic. When a brand has a strong, authentic identity, it can inspire a sense of possibility in its audience. It helps them experiment with their own identities. It's not about the brand saying "buy our product to be cool." It's the brand saying "we are who we are, and you can be too." That creates a much deeper, more emotional connection. Jackson: That makes so much sense. But how does a brand that isn't as inherently cool as Supreme even start to figure out its 'Identity'? A bank or an insurance company, for example? Olivia: The book actually provides practical tools for this, like a "Youth Market Readiness Audit" and worksheets to help a brand define its personality. It forces them to ask tough questions: If your brand was a person, who would it be? What does it believe in? What's its story? It's a process of deep self-reflection that most companies never do. They just focus on the product. Jackson: But the product is the last thing Gen Z is looking at. They're looking at the story, the values, the 'why' behind it all. Olivia: Precisely. The product is just the proof of the story you're telling.

Jackson: So when you boil it all down, it seems like the message isn't just "be authentic," which can feel like a vague buzzword. It's that brands no longer have the power to dictate culture. They can only earn a place within it by contributing something of real value. Olivia: That's the perfect synthesis. The power has fundamentally shifted. For decades, brands broadcasted a single message to a mass audience. Now, culture is a network of millions of different frequencies, and Gen Z is fluent in all of them. A brand's job is no longer to be the loudest broadcaster. Jackson: Their job is to be the best listener. Olivia: Exactly. The frequency isn't something you broadcast; it's something you tune into. You have to listen to the conversations already happening and find an authentic way to add to them. The book's ultimate challenge to any brand, or even any of us in our own lives, is to ask: are you just talking, or are you actually listening? And what are you giving back to the conversation? Jackson: A great question to reflect on. We'd love to hear what you think. What brands do you feel are actually getting this right and tuning in effectively? Let us know your thoughts. Olivia: This is Aibrary, signing off.