making the future human #8 - august 2024
edition #8 tl;dr - innovate or die, Monday 4-days, & family
welcome to the 208 new members since July! this is our monthly recap where we give you a look inside the happenings of dcdx. enjoy!
innovating in the wilderness 🌲
As we head into the final quarter, I cannot help but recognize that 2024 has felt like a different type of year. It appears to be no secret the industry has had its fair share of challenges, as consumer uncertainty seemingly impacts budgets across all types of organizations.
The addition of AI to the marketing/strategy equation has also shifted the typical ebb and flow of project workflows. If not a direct effect, the unpredictability of AI’s future has also seemingly contributed to this brewing cauldron of uncertainty, further affecting organizational spending.
What we have observed on our end has been both puzzling and inspiring. While some organizations seem to be coping with this environment by shying away from spending, others are identifying this moment as one of separation, not just survival.
In this past year, we have seen more projects focused on innovation than ever before. More and more of our work with partners focuses on not what is now, but what is next.
In what is as applicable to our organization as it is to the established Fortune 500s we work with, the famous dictum holds true:
Innovate or die.
The memberships we launched last month have had some great initial traction, and you’ll hear from us soon about our 2025 Gen Z Strategy & Innovation Planning Workshops.
Our 7th and final value in our culture deck is called “into the wilderness”.
In it, we outline what it means to invite discomfort.
“discomfort is what leads to growth. move towards it, hunt it down, seek it out. when our people feel that discomfort creep in, we run towards it.”
And into the wilderness we run.
recent press features 🗞️
We continue to stir the press with our work, with coverage from several more outlets in the past month. Most notably, The New York Post ran an exclusive on our Monday 4-day workweek experiment, which you can read about below:
Want Monday off every week? This firm has been doing just that. (NY Post)
He also felt “uncomfortable pressure” at first. Roth said, “Slowing down while the world around you keeps going is a scary feeling as a CEO. But in today’s fast-paced world and culture, I’m realizing more and more that the moments of slow, particularly when others are moving fast, are the ones that help you see clearly.”
The Screen Time You Shouldn’t Feel Bad About (WSJ)
“When you pick up your phone to text someone, you’re probably only using the device for a minute, according to dcdx data. But each “quick” TikTok check is really about 13 minutes, he says."
How Gen Z became so nihilistic about money (BBC)
“With all the gamification [of finance], the true importance of personal finance gets lost," says Roth, hinting that the dissociative discourse around savings and success is a bit of a front. "What some perceive as laziness or nihilism might actually be more of a paralysis because there are so many options," he says.”
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According to consulting firm dcdx, Starbucks ranked as number seven among Gen Z's most magnetic brands of 2023. And this past summer Starbucks added boba, or bubble tea, which is a clear appeal to Gen Z. Is that popularity enough, though, to help Starbucks turn it around?
Someone must have read our “Is all UGC good UGC?” piece on Starbucks and Chipotle.
Gen Z Is Not Lovin’ Fast Food Anymore (Spoon University)
Ironically, just in 2023, Gen Z was lovin’ McDonald’s when it came to marketing efforts. The chain’s purple Grimace shake took off on TikTok in a hilarious and horrifying way. The Food Institute shared data from consulting and research firm dcdx that showed McDonald’s being a top Gen Z favorite only a mere year ago.
Here’s a sneak peek of some photos and quotes from the NY Post exclusive:
“I feel super rested and clear-headed on Tuesdays from focusing on restoring my well of energy,” Stolzenbach said.
“Julia Ramirez, 24, a Cultural Strategist for dcdx in Prospect Heights, cherished her purposeful Monday downtime.”
our research in August 🧪
August research was themed around UGC, and resulted in some of our most popular 24/Z pieces to date. Noted.
The Risk of Being Relevant (Aug 21)
9 in 10 Gen Z'ers think brands saying "bestie" is cringe. And shoutout to our friend Nikita for sharing this in her newsletter All Caught Up.
Is all UGC good UGC? (Aug 16)
What Starbucks can learn from Chipotle's negativity, and all user-generated content is good user-generated content
Influencer Fatigue and Gen Z’s Declining Beauty Habits (Aug 9)
This week we explore the emerging narrative on influencer fatigue, "underconsumption core" and if Gen Z walks the social talk.
The Shareholder Value of User-Generated Content (Aug 2)
New data measuring the shareholder value of user-generated content (UGC).
Mini reflection on August 2024
I’m writing this newsletter from Santa Fe, New Mexico, as I wrap up a week-long vacation with the family. I’m incredibly grateful to my team for stepping up this past week and not just allowing, but encouraging me to disconnect and recharge.
As a solo founder at 25, it often can feel like a lonely journey. And yet it is family that has always, and will always have my back. I’m particularly grateful and appreciative for them today.
Onwards to September!
-AR