WeRGenZ was born out of the disregard and void of understanding of an entire generation. Yes Millennials transformed the marketplace and many brands continue to struggle with understanding, engaging, employing and monetizing them. But at WeRGenZ, we prefer to focus on what next. And what’s NEXT is Generation Z.
Built from the ground up, WeRGenZ amassed a collection of acutely aware, savvy, talented and opinionated teens and young adults who evolved into vital members of both our WeRGenZ Teen Think Tank and What’s Hot, What’s Not panel of experts on teen culture.
The scope and depth of our Teen Think Tank provides brands, media, researchers, educators and others, authentic and candid insight into meaningful issues (large and small) that shape the world today. The What’s Hot, What’s Not Panel of pop culture experts can help brands anticipate and decipher trends in the making and those that have begun to fade, enabling greater accuracy and authenticity behind brand strategies, tactics and campaigns.
WeRGenZ original research surveys over 1000 teens six to eight times annually, delving into such topics as youth spending habits, robotics, humanity and the future of work, where teens get their news and information, and how sports and entertainment pervade their lives. We explore controversial issues like data privacy and immigration, whether a brand’s social cause will drive teen loyalty, and practically speaking, the best channels to communicate and how to engage them.
In the Beginning. WeRGenZ started polling a dozen students from the magnate school, Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, NC. We quickly expanded to include educational pathways in eight very diverse district high schools. During the 2017-18 school year WeRGenZ was officially incorporated into the CTE (Career Technical Education) marketing pathway and now 16 high schools. Other teens wanted in prompting WeRGenZ to further include a web of teen hubs across Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia and Illinois and speckles of teens around the globe. We continue to grow our depth and reach every day.
The Word Spread. Awareness and growth of our initiative was initially spurred by mentoring and internships opportunities provided through partnerships with key brands like Adobe and the Carolina Panthers. Exciting student projects were a huge draw including student development of a digital comic book “Journeys to Hope: A GenZ Adventure” and a new age style focus group to help the Carolina Panthers NFL team better understand how to engage young fans. Major media including Forbes.com and Business Insider then shone a light on WeRGenZ tapping members of our Teen Think Tank and GenZ influencers to weigh in on relevant issues in the news.
