Q2 • 2021


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demographic means marketing teamswill have to start adding engineers, developers, data scientists, and, of course, Gen Zers. Burger King, a Gen Z favorite that’s also


owned by RBI, discovered the power of technology in December 2018. The fast-food chainwanted more people to download its mobile app. “But wewere late to the party,” says Fernando Machado, RBI’s global CMO. They needed a big idea. Working with advertising agency FCB New York, they came up with one, but it required geofencing not only their own 7,000-plus US restaurants but


Creating interactive fun for this tech-savvy demographic means marketing teams will have to start adding engineers, developers, data scientists, and, of course, Gen Zers.


also all the 13,500-plus McDonald’s locations across the country. Burger King decided to go for it and run the wild promotion called Whopper Detour. During the promotion, you could get a Whopper for a penny, but you had to order it (on the app, of course) from within 600 feet of a McDonald’s. Yes, they sent people to their giant archrival. “It was kind of funny. A bit crazy,” says Machado. “But we know that our fans love being part of a good joke.” Apparently, he was right. In just nine days, more than 1.5 million people downloaded the app, a 37.5 percent increase from before, which the company estimated would translate to customers spending an additional $15 million a year. And the geofencing continues to provide intelligence. “We know when people are going to a McDonald’s, and we know when they’re going to a Burger King,” says Machado. “Sometimes doing technology moon shots can help you develop capabilities that you haven’t even thought about.”


AUTHENTICITY IS GOLD All kinds of statistics show that this generation loves a brand that takes a stand. But Sid Lee’s Jung, who is almost a Zoomer


herself, having been born in 1995, warns that if a stand is just for show, “Gen Z is like, ‘Bye.’” WP Engine’s Jones agrees. “This


generation, more than any other,” he says, “has been surrounded by fake”—Photoshop, people merchandising themselves on social media, fake news, etc. “So their nose for that is pretty high. And almost as a course correction, authenticity really matters.” Gen Z is also the generation most likely to


report poor mental health, having grown up with factors such as the tragedies of school shootings and the climate crisis, according to research by the American Psychological Association. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic and anxiety-provoking 2020 elections. In general, Jung urges marketers to not think about a demographic but rather ask themselves, “Who is this human being we’re trying to speak to?” It’s a difficult time for everyone, she says. “But Gen Z, unfortunately, has been dealt with not the best cards. They have a very complicated future ahead. Marketers should ask, ‘How can our brand be an ally, a friend, a supporter to help this young human being tackle the problems they’re facing?’ That’s where a great campaign for any brand starts.” 


the agency to Minecraft, which had become more popular than ever because of COVID-19, and to a campaign that was fun and interactive and tapped into an already-thriving community. Allard and his team built a


game experience in Minecraft that took players through voter


registration and eventually to a voting booth, where they decided on issues such as criminal justice reform and climate change (no candidates were mentioned). “We created special rooms, hidden rooms, a whole forest with animals, and more,” says Allard. “Because, yes, the main goal is about voting, but we had to make sure it was fun.” They also created Minecraft personas around young influencers, whom they asked to


share the project however they wanted on their social media to drive others to sign up. The campaign generated 362


million impressions and had an 85 percent conversion rate. “That means players were going from the beginning to the end,” says Allard, “which showed us the tool worked. Now, we’re working with Minecraft and Microsoft to make it a free platform for every teacher in the United States.”


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