Barbie: The biggest blockbuster of the year trends #1 on Twitter following its highly successful opening weekend.
Elon: Social media reacts to news that Elon Musk is changing Twitter's name to X.
Oppenheimer: The Christopher Nolan-directed film also trends following opening weekend. Both Barbie and Oppenheimer fans continue to joke on social that the two films have united the nation.
Gen Z is not an audience; they are part of the show
What it is: Beyonce’s Renaissance World Tour, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, and even the premiere of summer blockbuster movies like Barbie, have raised the bar for what it means to be an audience member, especially if you’re part of Gen Z. Concerts and movie theaters have become stages and runway shows for Gen Z, a generation that is taking to apps like TikTok to document their commitment to being on theme, celebrating their favorite artists, and going all out to stand out from the crowd. Fans are planning overseas trips around concerts, creating new personalities based on their chosen experience, and finding unique ways they can connect with strangers who share a same interest. Gen Z is no longer happy with just attending. This generation is all about finding ways to make of their presence just as important as the experience itself.
What brands can learn: Transforming a moment into an experience is what Gen Z seeks out the most, especially if they can be a main character in it. For brands, this can mean many different things. Perhaps it is creating social content that engages a specific fandom in a way only they can understand, like this “what I packed to see Beyonce” video. Or maybe it’s the way merch is launched to match creative ways that fans can experience certain items, like the way Swifties are exchanging friendship bracelets during the Eras Tour. Overall, brands need to think beyond giving their audience content or products they’ll enjoy, and also focus on the way they’re making their customers just as important and as part of the experience.
Examples: 1 / 2 / 3
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