Article
The future of brand building in the FMCG industry
Published
3 March 2025
Forget the old ways of working with brand identity. We live in an age of new consumption drivers, where expectations of brands and businesses are raised to an entirely new level. Generation Z is a powerful and growing customer group, and businesses are working hard to win them over. So, is your business ready to win this generation?
Navigating brand building in a new age
Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, is set to be the most influential generation ever. They are not only the largest generation, making up 32% of the global population, but their current purchasing power is approximately 400 billion EUR – and it will only grow. In fact, by 2031, Gen Z will surpass the spending power of Millennials.
Businesses that continue to rely on previous generations are set to fail, which explains why it is crucial for businesses to understand Gen Z consumer trends. In fact, we already see many global industry leaders repositioning their brands to stay relevant and target Gen Z. Examples include Tuborg tapping into culturally connected consumption with Tuborg Peacock, Oatly moving from a health-focused brand to focusing on celebrating authenticity and imperfection, not to mention the recent rebrand of Jaguar to cater to new generations. The list goes on.
Newcomers in the FMCG industry have also listened, with examples such as Starface, a pimple patch business promoting skin positivity and self-acceptance, and Everyday Humans, an eco-friendly skincare brand with no-nonsense products designed for daily life.
The winners of Gen Z consumers dare to build brands differently – but how?
Many brands that are successful among Gen Z have managed to embrace their preferences and trends, resulting in a purpose-based approach that challenges established players. At Implement, we have mapped six major trends driven largely by Gen Z, which radically change the expectations of brands and their role in the lives of consumers. These are:
The six major trends
How it’s all connected
It is clear that the requirements of the new generations of consumers are driving transformational changes to brand and marketing. But how does it all connect?
Understanding consumer trends and insights comes down to having a forward-looking view of your values, preferences, and needs. Ultimately, it is about predicting the future and identifying your creative space. To ensure brand relevance, your brand purpose, brand positioning and marketing activation strategy must work together in unity and be grounded in consumer trends and insights.
To Gen Z, a brand purpose has become an opportunity for businesses to reframe their role in society, to give back and to drive value beyond the bottom line and shareholder interests. A relevant and guiding brand purpose should inform the entire organisation and value creation process to ensure authenticity and relevance.
Strong Gen Z brands’ positioning aligns with their worldview and expectations. They should embrace individualism, be authentic and light-hearted, and drive value.
Marketing activation towards Gen Z requires new ways of working to ensure personalisation, speed, and relationship building, shifting marketing from a push to a pull effect.
How do you get started?
Implement works with industry leaders and helps them to rethink their brand position, product offering, and marketing activation setup to become fit for Gen Z consumers. When clients want to know how they can get started, we suggest they ask themselves these five questions:
- Do you really understand your customers?
- Are you relevant for future generations?
- Do you reach your consumers where they are?
- Are you building strong relationships with your consumers?
- Do you have the mindset and agility to stay relevant?
So, if your brand is not already living and breathing Gen Z in your brand work, it is time to get started. It may not be an easy task, but it will prepare your business for the future, making the transition smoother as Gen Z’s spending power rises. Dare to learn, to fail, and be bold.
Any questions?
We have extensive experience helping brands set up for success in this new consumer age. If you would like to know more about how we can help your business, our team is ready to help you connect with Gen Z. Reach out to one of our commercial growth and brand building experts:
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