How to reach the Gen Z in 2026

Every new generation pushes businesses to adjust. But Gen Z is not just another shift in consumer behaviour. As they gain influence at work, and in the economy, they are changing the rules in ways that are already visible. Many of the approaches that brands have relied on to build engagement and loyalty simply don’t work the same way anymore. The need to adapt is happening now, not later.

We saw something similar when millennials entered the workforce and reshaped ideas around purpose, flexibility, and digital experiences. Gen Z builds on that change, but with even deeper comfort using technology, more scattered media habits, and a stronger desire to balance digital life with real human connection. To better understand this generation, Epsilon recently conducted a Pulse Survey on ‘How to Reach Gen Z in 2026’, analysing how they use technology, consume media, engage on social platforms, shop, travel, and form brand loyalty.

Gen Z is starting careers earlier, launching businesses faster, and playing a growing role in household purchasing decisions. For brands, the question is no longer whether Gen Z matters. It’s whether current ways of understanding customers are good enough to truly know them. Looking at the behaviour through a generational lens helps move beyond simple transaction data. It brings context to why people behave the way they do, what motivates them, and how they choose where to engage, insights that traditional segmentation often misses.

One of the clear signals from Gen Z is their relationship with artificial intelligence. They’ve grown up alongside rapid technological change, so using AI tools often feels natural. Many already rely on them for everyday needs like searching, navigating, or generating ideas, and use at work is steadily increasing. At the same time, ease of use doesn’t mean blind trust. Concerns about privacy, misuse of data, and job security are very real. For brands, this makes transparency matter more than ever. How data is used, and how clearly that use is explained, plays a growing role in trust and long-term loyalty.

Media habits tell a similarly layered story. Gen Z doesn’t watch content in a straight line or stick closely to one platform. They move easily between streaming services, ad-supported platforms, and traditional formats, choosing whatever fits the moment or the content. Watching while doing something else is common, not unusual. This challenges old assumptions about attention and exposure making it harder to rely on single-channel views of performance.

Social media adds another layer of complexity. Gen Z spends time across many platforms, but behaviour changes depending on the space. Long-form and short-form content serve different purposes, and discovery often happens within social feeds rather than through traditional search. Importantly, Gen Z tends to consume much more content than they create. They engage actively, but they don’t necessarily post often. That means engagement is better understood through signals like watching, saving, or sharing, not just how frequently someone publishes.

Despite being seen as a digital-first generation, Gen Z consistently shows a strong pull toward real-world experiences. This is especially clear when it comes to shopping. Online and mobile dominate, but physical stores still matter, particularly when they offer something immediate, social, or experiential. For many in this generation, shopping is something to do together, not

just a task to complete. Understanding that full journey requires connecting online and offline signals, rather than viewing them separately.

From a travel standpoint, Gen Z travels often and plans trips with a digital-first mindset. Reviews, peer recommendations, and comparison tools heavily influence decisions. At the same time, affordability and flexibility tend to outweigh traditional brand loyalty. Experiences matter, but so does value. This makes peer content, sentiment, and real behaviour just as important as brand messaging when trying to understand travel choices.

Taken together, these patterns point to a simple truth: Gen Z can’t be understood using old metrics alone. Their behaviour is layered, fast-moving, and shaped by context. Measurement approaches need to be more flexible, more respectful of privacy, and better at capturing how people move across platforms and experiences. Engagement needs to be defined more broadly, and personalisation needs to focus on relevance rather than volume.

Above all, data should support human connection and not replace it. Gen Z is highly sensitive to intent. They notice when technology makes life easier and when it gets in the way. Brands that succeed will be those that use insight to make better decisions, not just more automated ones. They are not waiting for organisations to catch up. They’re already shaping how we work, travel, shop, and connect. The opportunity for brands is not to control this shift, but to understand it with empathy and clarity. Done well, this generation offers a chance to build smarter, more human strategies that will last well beyond the next cycle of change.

(The author is SVP – Analytics, Epsilon India. Views are personal.)