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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Brands can follow a trend without abandoning authenticity—but the trend needs to fit their established values, matter to the people they want to reach, and give them a credible reason to participate. A viral post may win attention; it does not, by itself, show that a brand understands Gen Z or has earned trust.
What authenticity means in Gen Z branding
Authenticity is not just a casual tone, meme-heavy posts, or an intentionally rough visual style. For a brand, it is the observable consistency between what it says it stands for, what it does, and how it communicates. A trend can change the format or moment of a message; it should not require a brand to pretend to hold a position or expertise it does not have.
Survey findings suggest that values and perceived sincerity matter to many respondents, but they measure different things. In Ipsos’s 2024 global survey, 92% of Gen Z respondents said being authentic and true to oneself was extremely or very important. That asks about respondents’ personal values, not whether they buy from brands they consider authentic. In the same report, 67% said they were open to new brands or products if they aligned with their values. Ipsos Generations Report (May 2024).
Edelman’s 2024 global Trust Barometer special report found that 84% of people globally said they need to share values with a brand to use it; that is a global figure, not a Gen Z-specific result. Separately, 58% of the Gen Z respondents in Edelman’s report said that when a brand does not communicate its actions on societal issues, they assume it is doing nothing or hiding something. Edelman frames its Gen Z discussion as ages 18–27; that age range should not be assumed for other studies. Edelman, “Winning with Gen Z” (June 13, 2024).
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These numbers do not establish one universal Gen Z preference or prove that a particular style of branding causes a purchase. The surveys ask different questions, use different samples, and cover different geographies. Treat them as context for decisions, not as a single authenticity score.
How to decide whether a brand should join a trend
Use these four questions as a practical screen, not a validated scoring model. The framework draws on McKinsey’s discussion of personalized, consistent communication across platforms and Edelman’s emphasis on values and intention.
1. Does it fit the brand’s identity?
Can the brand connect the trend to values, product truths, or a point of view it has demonstrated before? If participation requires a sudden, unearned persona, the mismatch may be more noticeable than the trend itself.
2. Is it relevant to the intended audience?
Look for evidence that the audience the brand wants to reach cares about the conversation. A trend’s broad visibility is not proof that it matters to every age group, market, or customer.
3. Can the brand contribute credibly?
Decide what the brand can add: useful information, a genuinely entertaining take, a product connection, or a meaningful action. Avoid implying expertise, commitments, or lived experience the brand does not have.
4. Will the participation stay consistent across channels?
Check whether the message makes sense beside the brand’s other communications and behavior. A one-off post that conflicts with how the brand acts elsewhere can make the participation feel opportunistic.
If the only reason to join is visibility, participation risks making the brand’s voice interchangeable. That is a strategic inference, not a causal result established by the surveys cited here. The available sources do not isolate trend-chasing against a control group or measure its independent effect on trust or loyalty.
Social discovery is not the same as recommendation trust
Social media can help people discover products and research them without being their most trusted source of recommendations. Keeping those behaviors separate avoids a common mistake: assuming that because a platform is popular, its trends or endorsements carry the most weight with every Gen Z audience.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Ipsos reported that 63% of global Gen Z respondents trusted product or brand recommendations from influencers more than what brands say about themselves. This is the report’s specific comparison; it does not mean all influencers are trusted. Ipsos also describes peer reviews and user-generated content as part of Gen Z purchasing decisions. NielsenIQ and World Data Lab likewise describe online reviews as important in shopping and Gen Z’s interest in authentic relationships with brands and influencers. NIQ and World Data Lab, Spend Z announcement (June 5, 2024).
McKinsey’s 2025 report describes a different pattern: social media use for product research rose to 32% on average, compared with 27% in 2023, across multiple markets—not Gen Z alone. It also found that 29% of surveyed consumers in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States had bought a brand they learned about on social media but completed the purchase elsewhere. In Europe and the United States, respondents said social media influenced them least for brand and product recommendations, while family and friends influenced them most. Product research, discovery, and recommendation influence are distinct behaviors, so these findings are not necessarily contradictory. McKinsey, “State of the Consumer trends report 2025”.
Platform-specific findings need the same care. TikTok’s 2025 trend report says 39% of TikTok users find brands that showcase personality more relevant, and 45% of social and video platform users say brand relevance comes from feeling understood. These are platform-reported findings, not an independent cross-platform estimate of Gen Z opinion. TikTok What’s Next 2025 Trend Report.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the evidence does—and does not—say
A YouGov survey of U.S. adults collected from November 2024 to November 2025 found that 65% of U.S. Gen Z respondents liked when companies had a moral message. This is specific to U.S. respondents and the survey period; it should not be presented as a global result. YouGov, “What America’s Gen Z really wants from brands” (November 17, 2025).
- There is no shared definition of authenticity across these reports: some ask about personal values, others about brand behavior, shared values, or trust in recommendations.
- Geography and sample matter. Global findings, U.S. findings, and results from specific European and U.S. markets are not interchangeable.
- The figures do not prove that trend participation causes greater trust, or that trend-chasing alone causes less trust or loyalty.
- No directly comparable statistic establishes a universal Gen Z preference for authenticity over every form of trend participation.
For a brand, the defensible takeaway is to evaluate fit and credibility rather than treating trend adoption as a shortcut to relevance. A trend can be a useful creative vehicle when the message still reflects what the brand does and believes.
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