In This EpisodeYou’ll hear JCK editor-in-chief Victoria Gomelsky (https://www.jckonline.com/writer/victoria-gomelsky/) and news director Rob Bates (https://www.jckonline.com/writer/rob-bates/) talk with Ziad Ahmed, CEO of JUV Consulting, a New York City–based firm that advises companies on how to market to Gen Z.Show Notes00:30 Victoria and Rob introduce their guest Ziad Ahmed, CEO of JUV Consulting06:02 Rob asks what characteristics define Gen Z14:30 Victoria asks about non-digital experiences and purpose-led brands, while Rob asks about how Gen Zers feel about marketing18:45 Rob asks how Gen Z views the luxury category21:27 Victoria asks how Gen Zers are now buying jewelryEpisode CreditsHosts: Rob Bates and Victoria GomelskyProducer and engineer: Natalie ChometPlugs: jckonline.com (https://www.jckonline.com/), @jckmagazine (https://www.jckonline.com/), JUV Consulting (https://www.juvconsulting.com/)Show RecapIntroducing Ziad AhmedVictoria and Rob introduce their guest Ziad Ahmed, CEO of JUV Consulting, a New York City–based firm that advises companies on how to market to Gen Z. Gen Z is defined as people who were born between 1997 and 2012. Ziad was born and raised in Princeton, N.J., in an American-Muslim household. In eighth grade, he started a nonprofit, a by-teens, for-teens organization that make community and schools more operative and inclusive. In high school, he started JUV Consulting, as he believed diverse young people should have a seat at the table.What Makes Gen-Z Rob asks what Ziad relies on for the information he’s tapped into on Gen Z, and Ziad reports that it’s a mix of survey data, in-depth research, and more. Victoria asks what kind of clients JUV works with, and Ziad says it ranges from Fortune 500s to startups to local campaigns to nonprofits. Ziad shares some of the clients that he’s been proud to work with. Rob asks the key characteristics that define Gen Z, and Ziad says Gen Z has grown up in the digital age, with social media as a language that they’re fluent in that allows them to find community. Victoria asks which platforms are essential, and Ziad thinks TikTok is the platform of the moment where celebrities are made overnight.Gen Z and Digital Experiences, Sustainability, and MarketingVictoria is interested in Ziad’s non-digital experiences, and Ziad explains how non-digital and digital experiences are blended. She then asks how Gen Z views the marketplace and how they want to shop, and if purpose-led brands are important to Gen Zers. Ziad says the American market has the capital to spend a little extra on purpose-led brands. Ziad believes we will continue to raise the bar on what sustainability looks like. Rob asks what turns Gen Zers off or what comes across as tone-deaf, and Ziad says that most marketing is cringe-inducing, and that’s why JUV consulting exists.How Gen Z Views LuxuryRob asks about luxury and how Ziad’s generation tends to look at luxury, and Ziad says luxury is in for a rude awakening as a lot of it is antithetical to Gen Z’s values. There are issues around inclusivity, income inequality, and gluttony and excess that are being scrutinized by this generation. Gen Z is concerned with what companies are paying their employees, how stable the supply chain is, and what kind of craftsmanship went into the making of the piece. Gen Z, Ziad says, is concerned with its image, and, like a brand, is trying to create who they are and show what they represent through their purchasing habits.