By now, you may have seen one of the 4,000-plus TikToks with the hashtag #genzmarketing, where a business or institution (many zoos and museums are in on the trend) has a person of a certain age film a promo using words that are a part of Gen Z's vernacular (slay, rizz, it's giving, brat) — and it's working.
The videos are wholesome and funny — and some have received tens of millions of views. A Bed & Breakfast in South Oxfordshire, U.K., for example, has received 2.3 million likes so far.
@fyfieldmanor I can confirm she understood nothing she said #staycation #bedandbreakfast #snallbusiness #genz #oldhouse #uk ♬ original sound - Fyfield Manor B&B
Meanwhile, the Northumberland Zoo has 1.4 million likes, and the Jacksonville Zoo has more than 250,000. Comments have been mostly positive, calling the Boomers and Gen X'ers delivering the lines "King" and "Queen." "This kind of marketing works on me, it's making me watch the whole video," one posted. "Give the Gen Z marketing person a raise," wrote another.
@northumberlandzoo Our Zoo Directors didn't understand the assignment. #genz #genzmarketing #viral #fyp #funny #marketing ♬ Jazz Bossa Nova - TOKYO Lonesome Blue
Marketing company Webbee suggests that the trend is taking off because Gen Z cares about "authenticity, humor, and genuine content" in the age of generic AI.
"People don't like being sold to," they noted. "While AI can be helpful in advertising, many businesses rely on it too much without any human touch, leading to generic, sales-y messages that fail to engage viewers."
Meanwhile, per data from Gartner, marketing budgets have dropped from an average of 9.1% of company revenue in 2023 to 7.7% in 2024, a fall of 15% year over year. This, of course, makes creating inexpensive TikToks even more appealing.
Webbee notes that the "marketing script" TikTok fad is part of a new phenomenon in the workplace, Employee-Generated Content (EGC), which uses current employees to produce content, instead of external influencers or agencies.
So should your business get in on the trend? If you have the time and availability, it can't hurt — but do it fast.
Wired notes that once people over 35-ish start using your slang, the trend will be over soon.
Related: An Outpost of a Popular Buffet Chain Has Racked Up Tens of Millions of Views on Social Media. Here's How It Keeps Going Viral.
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