5 WAYS GEN Z HAS CHANGED THE BUSINESS WORLD

Newsweek Exclusive Feature

Generation Z has rewritten the marketing rule book—fast, emotional, and funnel-free. Here is how they are changing everything.

Marketing used to follow a script: build awareness, nurture interest, drive a sale—with this road map being taught on college campuses for decades. But Gen Z has tossed that script out.

Today, one swipe on TikTok can take a shopper from discovery to purchase in seconds—and brands that do not move at that speed are already behind. Gen Z has taken the traditional marketing funnel, flipped it, and rebuilt it with creator personalities, storytelling, and viral moments at its helm.

The most-successful brands marketed toward this generation or run by Gen Z founders—like Rhode, Odd Muse, and TALA—are not just selling products; they are building communities, movements, and identities.

That transformation was captured in a video posted by Florida marketer Alyssa Ege on May 24, which has since drawn more than 235,000 views on Instagram.

"Gen Z has completely destroyed the marketing funnel," Ege said in the clip, which features a backdrop of Gen Z-loved brand ads.

Speaking to Newsweek, she and industry expert Toni Ferrara detailed how this generation has upended every step of the customer journey—from how products are discovered to how loyalty is earned.

"They have flipped it upside down, redefined it, and then stitched it back together using TikTok transitions, storytelling, and social proof," Ferrara told Newsweek.

Here are the five ways Gen Z has changed the business world forever.

1. Obsession Has Replaced Awareness

"Gen Z does not want a slow drip," Ferrara, a public relations and brand strategy specialist, said. "It is obsession or nothing."

In the traditional marketing funnel, brands spent time and money building awareness. But Gen Z demands emotional resonance from the start. One viral TikTok or influencer moment can propel a brand from obscurity to must-have status in seconds.

Ege echoed this in her now-viral video. She pointed to BÉIS as a prime example of how Gen Z stumbles upon a reel, hits follow, and is instantly swept into a branded universe of ads, content, and events.

"You become a part of their brand and their world," Ege said.

This instant, emotional connection—often sparked through creators or founder-led content—has replaced the slow-burn awareness campaigns of previous generations that were much less visible.

2. Storytelling Is the Strategy

For Gen Z, narrative is not a nice-to-have—it is nonnegotiable.

"Storytelling is the strategy, not a supporting role," Ferrara said. "They want to know who is behind the brand, why it exists, and what values

it stands for—before they even click 'add to cart.'"

Rich Pleeth, former Google marketing lead and now co-founder of logistics startup Finmile, put it this way: "Gen Z expects stories, behind-the-scenes content, product demos, and creator reactions. The brands winning today behave more like content studios than traditional retailers."

The experts say that this is why brands like Hailey Bieber's Rhode, Matilda Djerf's Djerf Avenue and Paige Lorenze's Dairy Boy have soared, all by embracing founder visibility—while others have struggled when this faltered.

3. Influencers Are the Funnel

Forget about top-down campaigns where influencers show up at the end to amplify a brand message.

"The influencer funnel is inverted," said Ferrara. "Influencers are the marketing team. Their community becomes the test group. Their videos become the ad campaign."

Pleeth agreed: "For Gen Z, the influencer is the ad, the endorsement, and the checkout button."

This shift has collapsed the traditional customer journey into one seamless digital swipe—from discovery to decision in seconds.

Ege built her agency, Sail Away Media, around this reality: performance marketing driven by content creators, paid social, and behind-the-scenes storytelling that actually reflects how modern consumers make decisions.

4. Loyalty Comes From Community, Not Repeat Purchase

Where older generations might reward loyalty through points or perks, Gen Z builds bonds through participation.

"Millennials were loyal to brands that served them well," Ferrara said. "Gen Z is loyal to brands that see them."

This generation does not just want to consume—they also want to cocreate. Whether it is a private Discord, a comment-driven product drop, or a founder responding directly to feedback, Gen Z rewards brands that make them feel seen and that can offer them a part in their desirable world.

Pleeth added: "When the post-purchase journey is flawless, they come back."

5. The Funnel Is a Fast Loop, Not a Line

In traditional marketing, customer journeys unfolded in linear stages: awareness, consideration, purchase, loyalty. Gen Z does not play by those rules.

"The funnel is no longer linear—it is circular, emotional, and fast," Ferrara said. "They can go from discovery to purchase in one swipe, and back to sharing within minutes."

Ege captured this sentiment in her original video: "The smart brands have completely changed their strategy to meet users where they are at."

For brands today, the challenge is not guiding consumers along a path—it is keeping pace with a generation that loops between discovery, influence, purchase, and engagement at speed.

Gen Z has not simply disrupted marketing—it has also reconstructed it.

Pleeth said: "They have ripped [the funnel] apart and rebuilt it into something faster, more emotional, and brutally honest."

And, as Ferrara made clear, brands that embrace storytelling, community, and immediacy are more likely to survive.

THANK YOU FOR READING

READ THE FULL STORY HERE: 5 Ways Gen Z Has Changed the Business World - Newsweek