The Marketing Society's first Coffee & Conversation brought together marketers from luxury, FMCG, B2B and finance together in Hong Kong to talk Gen Z. The coffee was black, but the tone of the conversation was light and rapid, The insightful dialogue was also lots of fun, with frequent waves of laughter punctuating the otherwise serious marketing demographic conversation. The takeaway was direct: authenticity beats polish every time. Here's what we found, and examples of brands that are getting it right.
The Set-Up
Hosted by the Financial Times in Hong Kong, tables of diverse marketers spanning luxury, FMCG, B2B, financial services; agency and client side alike explored how Gen Z discover brands, evaluate value and make decisions, and what marketers need to rethink to build stronger, more meaningful connections with this influential generation. Megan Ho, senior marketing manager, Asia at FT Live, led the conversation and shared her own perspectives along the way.
Participants worked their way through a series of thought starter questions, but soon branched off into fascinating topics and even a few dead ends like all good nuanced marketing conversations.
Authenticity Or Bust
The word that came up most was authenticity. Gen Z can smell a made-up brand backstory or a cheesy AI-generated interaction from a mile off, and turn off. The brands winning with gen Z have learned to let go a little: handing the mic to influencers and letting real conversations happen around the brand, rather than trying to script and control every touchpoint.
Trust Issues (In A Good Way)
This is a generation that has been burned before, so they are wary of broadcast media and increasingly also of established social platforms. Instead, they are gravitating toward TikTok and Douyin, niche communities on Reddit and RedNote (Xiaohongshu), communities on messaging apps, and even dumb phones designed to cut down on information overload. What they are looking for underneath all of it is something simple: direct, personal connection.
Word Of Mouth, Turbocharged
Word of mouth has always mattered in marketing, but Gen Z has scaled the dynamic up dramatically, spreading through social media, influencer networks and messaging apps faster than any campaign could hope to. And in categories such as skincare and cosmetics, the influence is increasingly regional rather than global, such as Korean beauty innovation and the Guochao (China Chic) aesthetic that blends tech-forward thinking with traditional ingredients and social-first marketing.
Who's Getting It Right
Here are three brands that's seem to be cracking the code:
Chagee
Chinese brand Chagee has redefined bubble tea for a health-conscious generation, using fresh milk, whole-leaf teas and low-calorie recipes wrapped in premium, modern branding.Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa
Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa, the traditional Chinese herbal remedy made from honey and loquat, is having an unlikely revival, spurred by Ariana Grande, who reportedly told her Wicked co-stars she wanted to "add it to her vocal box" after hearing them rave about it. The packaging hasn't changed in years, yet a new generation is discovering it.Nothing
Nothing (nothing.tech), the electronics brand, has built a cult following among Gen Z with phones and headphones that are minimalist, functional and refreshingly free of the hype and technobabble that dominates consumer tech.None of these brands are chasing Gen Z with a script. They are simply being unmistakably, consistently themselves, and letting the generation find them.
Key Takeaways
Action Items
"Be open to giving over control of the brand to influencers and conversations, and let the go of the command-and-control brand marketing mentality"
David Ketchum Current Asia
