For Gen Z, the line between what’s cool and what’s cringe is razor-thin—and brands are constantly walking it. Young consumers are hyper-aware of how everyone, including companies, presents themselves online. We know this gen prefers content that feels imperfect and unfiltered. But, sometimes, when brands lean into personality, they can get roasted in the comments for trying too hard—and getting labeled “cringe” is tough to bounce back from. What makes it even harder is that the same content that wins big for one brand might totally flop for another. The cringiest or coolest things a brand could do could be one and the same, which raises a lot of questions. Should you give your mascot a social life, spotlight your employees, or sprinkle Gen Z slang in your social content? To understand how to navigate this tricky line, YPulse created our Cringe trend report, unpacking what young people consider cringe from regular people, influencers, and brands. We ask 13-39-year-olds to decide whether popular marketing tactics—from commenting under viral...
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