Brands who want to win with youth should mine Gen Z’s creative impulse through mutually beneficial collaboration, as opposed to viewing GenZers simply as customers to serve.

To become a successful brand that shares, it is important to build a community that is more equal and less hierarchical.‍

This means empowering both internal and external leaders to contribute and shape the direction of the community. According to Get Together: How to Build a Community with Your People by People & Company, the focus should be less on defensively managing the community and more on creating other leaders who can help evolve it. Fostering a community that is based on shared goals and committing to its maintenance is essential for sharing and for maintaining a long-term relationship with Gen Z.

Every brand that shares has one thing in common: a community with which to share. A community is not a passive audience or list of followers, and it’s more than two-way dialogue: it’s two-way decisions.

In October, Ogilvy Consulting released “Gen Z Playbook” – a guide to building lasting bonds with Gen Z.

Brands need to design thoughtful, engaging, and creative opportunities that encourage shared ideation and longer-term partnerships for their community members.

Here's the download link if you’re interested in reading the paper.