Did Gen Z Break the Marketing Funnel?
That was the central question posed to industry leaders during a recent roundtable hosted by UK Advertising at Cannes Lions and The News Movement, as they unpacked the behaviours reshaping the path to purchase and what it means for the future of marketing. Because gen z does not just consume media; they live it. With near constant access to smartphones and social platforms, their buying behaviour is fragmented, fast moving, and heavily informed by peer content, creators, and social values. But does this mean the traditional marketing funnel is still fit for purpose?
To understand how gen z interacts with brands, you need to understand the world they have inherited. They have come of age during a global pandemic, climate anxiety, and information overload. This has made them sceptical, privacy conscious, and highly attuned to performative behaviour. They value transparency, crave connection, and interestingly, 47 per cent say they would prefer life without the internet. Slavka Jancikova from Footlocker noted that gen z is “best understood not by geography or even family background, but by the interests, peer groups, and niche communities they form online.”
Marketing to gen z means showing up without the gloss. This generation does not want perfection; they want realness. It demands a kind of brand fallibility that can feel alien, even risky. But it is exactly this unvarnished approach that builds trust. Quick, lo-fi content often outperforms polished campaigns, and cultural reactivity, when done right, wins. Fabio Tambosi emphasised the importance of honesty, suggesting that when brands make genuine mistakes, openly acknowledging them can actually open up meaningful conversations with gen z, provided it is handled thoughtfully. Balancing transparency with caution is essential to maintaining credibility.
Speed also brings friction. Agencies face pressure to produce content rapidly while navigating regulatory compliance across social, broadcast, and digital channels. Laura Rogers from AMV BBDO explained that marketers can no longer think in terms of isolated campaigns but must engage audiences every day with continuous content.
The funnel itself may not be broken but disrupted not only by gen z but by technology as well. Linda Wise, Umbrella reminded the group that every generation evolves the funnel, and this is the next stage. Increasingly, gen z bypasses traditional search engines in favour of TikTok and generative AI tools for product discovery and recommendations. Social search is visual, fast, and peer validated. Callum McCahon, Born Social noted that social and technology have fragmented the funnel requiring brands to stay consistent and relevant across multiple touchpoints.
Creators are no longer just media buys but collaborators who bring authenticity and peer credibility. Ewa Moxham, Yoplait pointed out that gen z is savvy enough to recognise when influencer content is genuine and connected to the creator’s expertise anything else is quickly rejected. Sam Hicks, Channel 4 highlighted how working with creators on commissioned shows can help them reach new audiences in ways that feel natural and engaging, pushing beyond one-off activations towards long-term partnerships grounded in trust and shared values.
Gen z’s media consumption is interactive and participatory. They remix, reframe, and respond to content, often sparking more engagement through comments and communities than through the original post. Fi Case, Bandstand described how awareness, consideration, and conversion still apply but not always in that order reflecting a fluid and looping customer journey where discovery, purchase, and loyalty can happen simultaneously or in any sequence.
Loyalty for gen z is about experiences and cultural alignment rather than discounts or cash rewards. They seek early access, community recognition, and exclusive content. At the same time, they are protective of their digital identities, carefully curating what they share online. Marketers must therefore strike a delicate balance between personalisation and privacy.
Much of gen z’s outlook has been shaped by gaming culture not necessarily as gamers but through its mechanics of progression, rewards, and community interaction. This influences how they expect brands to engage with interactivity, earned status, and a sense of progression.
So, did gen z break the funnel? Not quite. They have remixed it, reordered it, and reshaped the rules. They have forced brands to show up faster, more transparently, and with greater cultural awareness. Lucy Porter, Pretty Green observed that gen z “move in loops rather than lines, they have turned media from a messaging pipeline into a live conversation loop.” Paul Bainsfair, IPA, added that while gen z may consume less traditional TV, they are still reached by outdoor advertising and cinema. Channels where brands have opportunities to engage them in new ways.
Rebecca Hutson, The News Movement and moderator concluded the discussion by summarising that gen z “haven’t broken the funnel, they just do it faster and it’s not just gen z, it’s technology speeding things up for everyone.”
The rules have changed, and brands that cling to sequential journeys, polished messaging, and top-down creative control risk being outpaced or irrelevant. The marketing funnel is evolving and brands must evolve with it.
Roundtable attendees included: Rebecca Hutson, The News Movement (moderator), Fabio Tambosi, senior sports and eSports marketer, ex Nike, ex adidas, ex Saucony, Lauren Dick, managing director, media and commerce, Mail Metro Media, Laura Rogers, EDC, AMVBBDO, Sam Hicks, head of sales strategy, Channel 4, Ewa Moxham, head of marketing, Yoplait, Linda Wise, client services director, Umbrella, Paul Bainsfair, director general, IPA, Fi Case, director, Bandstand, Lucy Porter, strategy and creative partner, Pretty Green, Callum McCahon, Born Social, Slavka Jancikova, VP marketing EMEA, Footlocker, Olga Komleva, marketing CG region Central and East, Essity
