We think Gen Z = #YouthRepresent, when the spotlight should be on the real #YouthGen: Gen Alpha!
Referred to as the “landmark generation”,
Gen Alpha’s been dropping truth bombs that might surprise you!
Less Screentime
Kids are getting more gadgets (and at younger ages than ever before, too). But despite more gadgets, there is less device usage, with parents reporting that device usage is less heavy compared to 2023.
- -14% for 8 to 11-year-olds
- -7% for 12 to 15-year-olds
That is not to say that they aren’t going online—Gen Alpha do still spend an average of 1 hour on YouTube a day, after all—but it means they’re less glued to their screens than they were before.
The main reason:
They found post-pandemic freedom.
Opportunities for Brands:
Online ➡️ O2O
BE THEIR HANGOUT: Merge kids’ love for online and offline with a cool O2O take. Why not partner up with games like Roblox where kids play together, then elevate it with an on-ground event where they can play together in person?
BE WHERE THEY HANGOUT: Look at places and events that kids and teens are going to—like fan conventions, toy fairs, even aesthetic cafes where they meet up with friends. Why not strike up a fun collab—exclusive merch to be sold in a café, creating a limited-time-only partnership promo in-store, or even being the official brand sponsor for an event
BE PART OF THEIR HANGOUTS: Create engaging content that relates your brand or products to offline activities they might enjoy:
👉 TV brand? Create content featuring trending Netflix movies and series as the perfect movie marathon sleepover playlist
👉 Tumbler brand? Entice them to start collecting your tumblers by partnering up with local artists to create stickers and accessories kids can design their tumblers with.
The iPad Generation
When the first Gen Alpha were born, so was the first-generation iPad (that was in 2010, btw!). 🙊 They’re digital natives—they grew up with touchscreen phones, the internet, & social media.
But what’s surprising is that now, they’re shifting away from smaller screens.
In the age of streaming, there’s one thing Gen Alpha are going back to: movies at the cinema.
And while there has been a decline in interest in books since 2021 (-4%), Gen Alpha have turned to a different format more native to their generation: audiobooks (+75% increase from 2021)
They’ve also started turning towards podcasts—as a way to keep up with news and trends (instead of reading about them). Interviews are the top growing podcast genre with a +10% increase YOY.
Opportunities for Brands:
Make branded cinema or audio experiences extra fun & exciting
Ride the shift from small screens, to…
NO SCREENS 🎧
👉 Explore audio and music platforms like Spotify, where you can create and share branded playlists, or TikTok where you can upload your own original audio that teen creators can use for their own content.
👉 Appeal to the power of fandom! Start up fun and exciting collabs with fan-favorites—sponsoring fan events, working with the artists to create original music for your brand (like Robinsons Malls tapping Ben & Ben to create their mall jingle, or Jollibee recently getting into the BINI craze).
BIG SCREENS 🍿
Make it a party! Explore an event at the mall cinema:
👉 food brands can partner with cinemas to supply unique snacks or collaborate on limited-edition cinema tumblers, popcorn buckets, or even stickers and collectible movie tickets
👉 streaming brands can host screening parties of movies and concerts
👉 toy brands can offer birthday party packages in partnership with cinemas to create unique experiences for kids
👉 game brands can host launch parties and game battles for new games and consoles.
The Up-agers
As up-agers, or kids forced to “grow older” at a faster rate vs. previous generations, Gen Alpha are already making a stand. ✊
And they’re also changing the narrative.
YPulse’s Sustainability Report reveals that 81% of teens believe “their personal behavior has the potential to stop climate change.”
But according to GWI, Gen Alpha are “already making distinctions between individual behavior and large-scale goals”, which means they know to hold brands and corporations accountable.
Opportunities for Brands:
Be an advocate they can support
ACT, DON’T PERFORM: How can you integrate your brand in a meaningful way that doesn’t feel contrived or performative?
👉 For example, don’t just limit yourself to a simple greeting post for Pride Month and stop there; instead, create an influencer-driven initiative to raise awareness about the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, or partner with an organization to help raise funds for a cause.
SMALL SCALE, BIG IMPACT: It doesn’t always have to be a big initiative to make an impact. You can create awareness and establish relevance in small, meaningful ways too:
👉 Create a TikTok hashtag challenge where participants will pledge their support for the cause
👉 Tap creators to help educate Gen Alpha through an engaging #EduTok series
👉 Run an enticing promo for product purchases that will benefit a cause (e.g. Buy 1 Take 1 promo for flip-flops, where 1 pair will go to street children in need)
👉 Integrate your cause into your product—display a short blurb about the cause on your product shelves, release unique, limited-edition product packaging or GWPs (e.g. partnering with an animal shelter to create graphic tees with cartoon dog designs of actual pups up for adoption)
LEAD WITH PURPOSE: Purpose is weaved into the fabric of the brand itself—from messaging, to products and services, to business operations.
👉 If your brand says it supports sustainability, reflect it not just in the products you sell but also in your practices in the workplace (from operational practices like having lights off for 1 hour in the office to save energy, to engagement initiatives like having recycling drives or participating in coastal clean-ups).
ACTIVATE THE COMMUNITY: How can you activate Gen Alpha to be advocates too?
👉 Do you tap Gen Alpha influencers to be a part of your #EduTok series, in a “by kids, for kids” segement?
👉 Do you host online challenges where they can create their own content (e.g. Green Challenge where they share how they reduce, reuse, and recycle at home)
👉 Do you start a volunteer initiative they can join with their parents or their friends (e.g. a clean-up drive), or sponsor a fundraiser with a non-profit organization and/or a school that student orgs can be a part of (e.g. school-wide garage sale or pet adoption drive)?
The Social Gamers
Gen Z see gaming as a form of escapism, with relaxation as their top reason for playing.
But for Gen Alpha, gaming is a shared social experience.
What do Gen Alpha like to play?
Roblox:
🎮 Gen A creators are already streaming their gameplays on YouTube
🎮 It’s described as the “most social ecosystem on the planet” by The Drum
🎮 It’s further solidified Gen Alpha’s desire for social interaction while gaming—teens like games that include teamwork (32%) and events (26%).
Minecraft:
🎮 Aside from social gaming, Gen A also prefer games that let them build & create, as said by 38% of teens
🎮 Games like Roblox and Minecraft help develop critical thinking skills & harness creativity. Minecraft users are more likely to describe themselves as creative (+20%) & social (+11%). They also use the game space to interact with brands (+27%).
Opportunities for Brands:
Nurture creativity with game hijacks & collabs
How can you make a big splash with a unique brand activation?
BE PART OF THE GAME: Branded skins showing different makeup looks, clothing collabs as in-game collectibles, branded world designs—how can you fit yourself seamlessly into the game’s universe?
BE AROUND THE GAME: How can you integrate your brand into the gaming experience without being part of the actual gameplay? Consider ad interstitials, rewarded videos (i.e. user-initiated ads where users earn rewards like in-game points or coins when they watch your ad), or even interactive gamified ads (e.g. having a branded mini-game as an ad that users can play in the middle of their actual game)
BE AWAY FROM THE GAME: Where can you target gamers outside of the game universes? Explore tapping gamer communities like Discord or Twitch where you can host a streaming party, sponsoring an esports tournament, or collaborating with game streamers and influencers to create content (e.g. food brands can send gamers snacks to munch on while gaming).
Fashion Trends & Aesthetics
Gen Alpha already like experimenting with styles & dressing up. Inspired by celebs like Olivia Rodrigo, they’re recently redefining “preppy” fashion through a range of “aesthetics”
Skincare Obsession
It’s not just the world of fashion the Gen Alpha kids are dipping their toes into—they’re infiltrating skincare, too.
👉 In the US, they spend nearly $300 a year on cosmetics, skincare products, & fragrances
👉 Trending skincare brands include Drunk Elephant, Laneige, & Glow Recipe
Social media has even birthed the concept of Sephora Kids who shop for adult skincare products.
While this has caused brands like Drunk Elephant to release statements to reassure parents about the safety of their products for children, other brands like Dove sought to challenge the opposite. Their 2024 #TheFaceof10 TikTok campaign tackles the issue of how using anti-aging skincare not only harms kids’ skin but also their self-esteem. Find out more about the campaign here!
Opportunities for Brands:
Let Gen Alpha channel their creativity through fashion & beauty
How can brands from other industries penetrate the skincare, beauty, and fashion market?
👉 Malls & retailers: Why not explore an online beauty fair that’s especially tailored to the younger gen? Create educational stations where kids can ask experts on the best skincare for their age, fun makeup stations where they can play with makeup and experiment on different looks, or even makeover areas where you can have them recreate looks from their favorite celebs or movie and TV characters. The beauty fair can even coincide with important event milestones for their age group, like graduation season!
👉Food: Try exploring unique product collabs—lipstick or eyeshadow shades inspired by your brand’s candy or chocolate flavors, game character-inspired product packaging, graphic tee collections with your product/brand designs (like Uniqlo’s Potato Corner collection).
👉 Entertainment: Activate fandoms: Partner with a clothing brand to create curated collections that will allow Gen Alpha to “cosplay” as their favorite celebs, musicians, or idols for their everyday looks.
👉 Home & living: Gen Alpha live for “aesthetic”. Why not help them create aesthetic bedroom spaces by tapping influencers to create content on their bedroom hauls and room makeovers that align with different trending aesthetics—cottagecore bedrooms, coquette-style bedrooms, and beige aesthetic bedrooms?
