Gen Z's code: cracking the authenticity formula in influencer-driven social media advertising

This chapter explores Gen Z's authenticity code regarding influencer-driven social media advertising. In a context where social media is cluttered with sponsored content, Gen Z seeks for authenticity, contributing to an influencer marketing landscape where brands must crack a unique formula to engage this tech-savvy and socially conscious generation. By analyzing the data gathered from an online survey with a non-probabilistic sample of 105 Gen Z members, this research reveals details regarding transparency, influencer partnerships, and the delicate balance between creativity and authenticity. Our findings show that Gen Z prefers real content instead of amazing but hollow messages, values simplicity instead of megalomaniac advertising productions, prefers the truth over spectacularity, prefers to understand the logic and involvement of influencers with products or services instead of advertisements with scripts read sounding fake, and values unique, original and creative ideas to showcase the products, that inform the audience at the same time as it also entertain and engage them.