The majority (70%) of US adults do not trust health information coming from President Donald Trump, according to June 2025 data from Ipsos and Axios.
Half (50%) of Gen Z consumers have been driven to purchase by a social media ad, per an August YouGov report.
Consumers are taking control of their shopping journeys and redefining brand engagement. Heidi Waldusky of Quad joins EMARKETER’s Arielle Feger to discuss how marketers can build trust, create cross-channel stories, and connect with Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
65% of US adults say they pay for at least one mobile app subscription, increasing to 77% for 18-to-29-year-olds, per a July YouGov survey.
High housing costs and stagnant wages are causing Gen Z and Millennials to delay marriage, homeownership, and parenthood, per a Capgemini and LIMRA study. And while 68% of these younger adults see life insurance as “essential for a healthy financial future,” current products aren’t resonating. Advertising messaging must close the gap in consumers’ understanding of life insurance benefits. To do this, targeted ads and communications must highlight living benefits and flexibility, offer low-cost, entry-level options and incentives, and engage consumers digitally.
Fintech isn’t just a budgeting tool—it’s becoming a partner in Gen Z’s resilience, according to Plaid’s “The Fintech Effect” report. We knew that fintech use was on the rise and that Gen Zers even prefer these digital competitors to traditional banks. And these findings reinforce why financial institutions must either work with fintechs to deliver more complete suites of financial products, or prioritize developing them in-house. They also underscore the importance of viewing fintechs as potential partners, rather than competitors. This raises the question of whether charging fintechs fees for customer data access could backfire and drive fintechs—and customers—to competitors.
US LGBTQ+ viewers are more likely than the general connected TV (CTV) audience to cite exclusive content, ad-free content, and easier content discovery as reasons they prefer streaming, according to June 2025 data from LG Ad Solutions.
Over half (51%) of US teen boys say they’ve made a purchase after watching a YouTube Shorts ad, compared with 43% of teen girls, according to June 2025 data from Precise TV.
Gen Zers prioritize saving money. But they aren’t all putting their savings where it can help them make more money, per a recent PYMNTS study. Financial institutions (FIs) have an opportunity to help Gen Zers save faster, earning their loyalty. But to help them put that money to work, FIs must have more insight into what customers are doing with their money. Using open banking as an opportunity, FIs whose customers share their data with fintechs could have a more detailed view of what happens to their customers’ money. If they see money in non-interest-bearing accounts, FIs could send the customer a personalized message about how that money could perform in a higher-yield account.
Many younger prospective homebuyers have been waiting out mortgage rates in hopes of saving money, contributing to plateaued demand for new homes. However, creative or atypical mortgage products could spur demand. In this challenging economic environment, FIs have an opportunity to gain long-term loyalty by offering products that allow customers to realize their homeownership dreams. These products acknowledge the uniqueness of consumers’ individual financial situations. FIs should move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach and develop a full suite of specialized loan products. FIs can build these products in-house or partner with fintechs and other lenders to get them to market faster.
Gen Z’s expected holiday spend in 2025 is $1,357, down 22.5% from 2024, according to July data from PwC.
Gen Zers care deeply about their credit scores—according to one survey, even more than their social media following. That’s because most Gen Zers believe it’s an important marker of their financial health. But Bloomberg recently reported that Gen Z’ credit scores have taken the biggest hit of any age group in 2025. As Gen Zers look to their credit scores as a measure of financial success, rapidly dropping scores may drastically alter their perceptions of their financial health. Paired with delinquencies and rising debt, many Gen Zers may be actively looking for help to turn their finances around.
Retailers are expanding their footprint on college campuses. PacSun and Bath & Body Works are among the brands looking to boost recognition and build long-term loyalty. With Gen Z's spending power projected to reach $12 trillion by 2030, brands are smart to meet these consumers where they are. By making their products convenient to college students, retailers increase the odds that those shoppers will give them a try—and potentially form lifelong brand connections.
Gen Z’s recent banking and payments behavior shows they are integrating cryptocurrency into their normal banking habits. Their widespread adoption of cryptocurrency for transactions and investment signals a critical challenge for traditional banks. Meanwhile, fintechs and other nontraditional platforms are targeting these younger customers with in-demand products. Banks must embrace this shift by offering crypto-related products and services and integrating them seamlessly into core offerings. This presents an opportunity for banks to innovate, build new revenue streams, and solidify their position as the central financial hub for the next generation of consumers.
Gen Zers are putting their careers and financial health above family, community, and love, according to a recent NBC poll. These results give financial institutions perspective around these younger consumers’ primary goals. They also highlight the importance of assessing and understanding the needs of individual customers. Some Gen Zers have already bought homes and started families but likely want to further improve their financial health and status. This points to the importance of life-stages banking, including personalizing recommendations for each individual customer. Most Gen Zers want products that help them set money aside and make it work harder for them.
According to a recent Bank of America survey and a KNPX News report, 55% of Gen Zers have more than one source of income. Products like side-hustle savings accounts help track multiple income sources, automate tax withholdings, and separate business expenses from personal finances. Banks must move away from the traditional model built around a single, consistent paycheck. This means offering flexible products that adapt to fluctuating incomes as well as considering customers’ overall financial health—including side-hustle income—when making lending decisions.
The news: US consumers overall will slash their holiday spending about 5% this year, while Gen Zers expect to cut it 23%, per Inkl. Our take: We’ve seen this trend among Gen Zers in other areas of spending—such as prioritizing vacations over saving—meaning their habits are consistent. In preparation for the upcoming holiday season, financial institutions (FIs) can tap into this to demonstrate a deeper level of understanding of their Gen Z clientele. Last year we suggested marketing holiday budgeting tools. While that still holds, FIs should also customize the language of these tools to match customers’ actual goals. For example, instead of language about saving for the future, offer savings toward a goal that Gen Zers input themselves, such as a concert or vacation.
The news: Skylight is a new short-form video app like TikTok, but instead of using algorithms to decide what videos users see, it lets real people create and share their own video feeds, similar to Pinterest’s curation model. Built on Bluesky’s decentralized and open protocol, Skylight has clocked 240,000 downloads and 100,000 video uploads since April, per TechCrunch. Our take: Skylight’s reliance on creator-led feeds gives marketers a glimpse at what post-algorithm engagement could look like. But it remains to be seen if users take to an alternative way of consuming short-form video.