Are You Sure You Matter? 2040's Ideas and Innovations Newsletter, Issue 133

Issue 133, November 2, 2023

Holding onto next-gen workers and customers (born between 1997 and 2012) requires more than a trick up your sleeve.  They are actively changing up the rules of engagement in, and for, organizations of all sizes — whether they are employees or customers.  Call them naïve or a brutal force of nature with critical mass, they are redefining the workplace culture and the brand/customer value proposition.

Here’s the key thought: You risk irrelevance when your products and services are viewed by Gen Z simply as commodities. Gen Z and Alpha are pragmatic. They have little loyalty to any one brand. They view brands to serve a purpose, and if the brands fail, they move on. This is not just in context of the consumer culture; it relates to employers, associations, organizations, financial institutions, retailers – any brand they engage with. If you don’t deliver what they want, they will find someone/thing that will. They have choice because they can. And that means the…