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3 Kinds of Social Marketing Gen Z Actually Wants from Brands

Gen Z likes when brands on social media lean into virality, memes, and content that feels natural to their feeds….

Written and Edited by the YPulse Editorial Team

Apr 15 2026
North America

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Gen Z wants brands to create ads that blend seamlessly into the rest of their feeds
They think brands should tap into viral moments—and even create their own
They want brands to make memes, using Gen Z’s voice in a way that’s not cringe-worthy

Over the past few months, YPulse has seen multiple brands completely rethinking their social media presence—sometimes even creating entirely new accounts—to mirror what they think Gen Z wants to see. Instagram quietly launched its own “finsta,” @notfit4main, following Gen Z’s years-long habit of posting more casually for a smaller, private audience. Without heavy promotion, the account aimed to build an inner-circle feel, featuring posts from employees and even celeb cameos, only for those who discovered it organically. Then Apple leaned into Gen Z’s absurd, inside joke humor for its MacBook Neo campaign on TikTok, as opposed to their usual polished...