The strongest brands are building participation, authenticity and long-term trust directly into their marketing. The Gen Z strategies working today go beyond trend chasing.

Here are five brands from the CommerceNext community that are getting it right.

1. Glossier: Turning customers into co-creators

Glossier built its brand around community. Rather than acting as the authority, the company treats customers like collaborators. User feedback influences products, while customer content regularly appears across social.

Glossier highlights real routines, tutorials, and reviews from its audience. That approach makes customers feel part of the brand itself, not just buyers.

The takeaway is that Gen Z wants brands that invite participation and make the community visible.

2. e.l.f. Beauty: Moving at the speed of culture

From viral music campaigns to creator-led trends, e.l.f. Beauty embraces humor and internet culture without losing its identity.

Balance is what makes e.l.f. successful. The content feels playful and fast-moving, but still aligned with the brand’s positioning around affordable, high-performance beauty.

Many brands struggle because they try too hard to imitate Gen Z behavior. e.l.f. succeeds because it adapts to culture while staying authentic to itself.

3. Aerie: Authenticity requires consistency

Aerie has spent years building credibility around authenticity. Its no-retouching policy evolved into a core part of the brand’s identity across campaigns, merchandising, and stores.

More recently, the brand reinforced that positioning through unretouched campaigns and a public stance against overly AI images. Diverse casting and realistic representation continue to strengthen consumer trust.

For Gen Z consumers, authenticity cannot feel temporary or performative. Brands earn loyalty when their values remain consistent over time.

4. Rhode: Building a distinct brand world

Rhode has mastered narrative control. Founder Hailey Bieber plays a major role in shaping the brand’s cultural relevance, helping launches feel organic instead of manufactured.

The brand combines minimal visuals, strategic scarcity and highly shareable products to create momentum online. A perfect example is Rhode’s viral lip case: functional, visually recognizable, and built for social sharing.

Rather than depending entirely on influencers, Rhode has created a brand identity that creators naturally want to participate in.

5. Nike: Turning marketing into participation

Nike approaches Gen Z through active participation. Platforms like Nike Run Club and Nike Training Club create ongoing experiences where consumers engage with the brand daily.

That strategy extends into local activations, youth programs and community initiatives that bring people into the ecosystem over time. Instead of marketing to Gen Z as one audience, Nike creates multiple ways for consumers to connect through shared experiences.

What these brands have in common

The strongest Gen Z strategies include:

• Community over campaigns
• Participation over broadcasting
• Consistency over short-term virality
• Trust over reach

Gen Z loyalty is not automatic. Brands earn it by creating experiences people genuinely want to be part of.

From Gen Z marketing to AI innovation, CommerceNext brings together retail leaders shaping the future of the industry through shared insights and real-world strategies.