In developed economies, fears of AI-related job displacement, and a connected appreciation of well-crafted physical objects in a highly digitalised world (see also Mixed Media Buzz Heroes the Human Impulse in Nonconformity Creative Cultures), is spurring youth interest in trades and craftsmanship. Early-adopter beauty, fashion and home improvement/DIY (do-it-yourself) brands are opening academies, training programmes and apprenticeships in response.

Astute brands are creating galvanising incubators for Gen Z wanting to make it on their own terms – nurturing a hustle culture particularly entrenched in developing nations, including India and many African countries, but underpinning all creative or entrepreneurial ambitions. Standout strategies include working-class creatives clubs challenging industry gatekeeping and academies tied to streetwear, music and fashion brands coaching business ideas to fruition.

Gen Z’s fears of tech-driven cognitive decline – they’re the first generation deemed less intelligent than their predecessors in more than a century – are coalescing with fears of AI job displacement (see Key Stats), spurring the desire for brain boosts, perceived as providing a competitive edge. Forward-thinking wellness and sports brands are responding by repurposing sports neuroscience into everyday performance-boosting tools and tutorials.

A wave of beauty, fashion and tech brands’ flagship spaces are nurturing media-making ambitions – acting as crucibles for the blend of self-expression and entrepreneurialism driving many Gen Z creative (and online content creator) careers. Key formats include 360° concepts encompassing performance, pre- and post-production spaces, interactive tech-embedded flagships where fans can contribute to brand content, and stores facilitating influencers’ after-hours content creation.

Financial security is the primary Gen Z concern (see below). While many simply crave better money management, rising numbers globally are investing to achieve this, with some transgressing Gen Z’s risk-averse behavioural norms. Smart fintech and banking brands are serving the appetite with coaching, aspirational upskilling content – sometimes refuting regressive attitudes towards gender roles – and service design backing banking know-how and considered investments.

Banking, insurance and home improvement brands are also stepping up to support a more everyday Gen Z ambition: transitioning into adulthood. It’s a strategy with significant mileage for convenience and grocery brands, and the best initiatives contemporise dull adult tasks (like taxes) with parodic activations or branded entertainment, or encourage pride in self-reliance.

Especially relevant in China, but with global appeal for a generation worried about mental atrophy – see Cognitive Coaching for the #SmoothBrained Era above – forward-thinking brands are creating activations and spaces centring intellectual pursuits. A celebration of knowledge and the pleasure of learning, these concepts present a pushback against mindless hyperconsumption spurred by social media commerce.