Goodbye 2020, we will not miss you. Hello, 2021!

To start off 2021, we’re giving you 3 Gen Z brands to watch this month. Each of these brands has a major opportunity to step up their Gen Z relevance this month (measured by the GenZ Score), so let’s take a quick look at what to watch for in January.

3. Target

This has the potential to be a big month for Target among Gen Zers. As we head back to school, not only will we need school supplies and dorm room ✨decorations ✨, but we will also look for an outlet to get out of the house/dorm room and enjoy what we can with friends. Additionally, Target should be setting a good example of how brands discuss Martin Luther King Jr. Day following their involvement in this past year’s racial injustice and police brutality. Here’s where Target stands heading into January:

Overall GenZ Score: 86

Impression GenZ Sub-Score: 80

Interaction GenZ Sub-Score: 88

Influence GenZ Sub-Score: 87

2. Headspace

New year new you huh? This year we expect Headspace to take off with Gen Zers, considering most of us need to find a way to move on from the-year-that-must-not-be-named. In bigger news, Headspace was just added as a title on Netflix. A big Netflix and Headspace partnership seems like the right way to kick off 2021 for a brand trying to gain ground among a younger audience. And we’re already seeing user-generated content pop up on different platforms reviewing the “show”. Here’s a look at how Headspace scores coming into January 2021:

Overall GenZ Score: 76

Impression GenZ Sub-Score: 71

Interaction GenZ Sub-Score: 66

Influence GenZ Sub-Score: 88

1. National Football League (NFL)

What would 2020 have been without sports? Boring for one. As we head into January, 14 NFL teams head to Wild Card Weekend for a thrilling start to the new year. We’ve got playoff births from some new teams like the Cleveland Browns, and even a sub-500 team in the NFC East. One of the biggest hits on TikTok in 2020 has been the NFL account, followed by all of the players and teams joining in on the fun. Heading into 2021, expect youth viewership to be up for the playoffs. And while most older Gen Z’ers probably are not watching, it’s possible some young Gen Z’ers and Gen Alpha’s will be watching Nickelodeon for some very special wild card content. Take a look at how the NFL stands right now as we begin 2021:

Overall GenZ Score: 87

Impression GenZ Sub-Score: 84

Interaction GenZ Sub-Score: 82

Influence GenZ Sub-Score: 94

What is the GenZ Score?

Glad you asked :) The GenZ Score is a research-backed algorithm that shows you exactly where a brand stands with Generation Z from 0-100. It is what we use at GenZ Designs to keep an eye on relevant brands, see who is improving or declining (it is a dynamic score that changes by the month), and to measure the success of our own work with our clients.

It is divided into what we call the 3 I’s - Impression, Interaction, and Influence. These are stages of Gen Z behavior, and how we determine areas of strength, weakness, and/or opportunity for a brand.

Want to get a GenZ Score for your brand? Fill out the form below!