Welcome back to GenZtea's Newsletter, where I break down trends, industries, and tech with a Gen Z lens. I'm Natalie Neptune, and I'm so happy you're here.

I was recently invited to LinkedIn HQ in NYC as a creator 2x!

I see brilliant people being overlooked because they are too scared to put themself out there. Meanwhile, people with mediocre skills are landing deals, partnerships, and clients because they show up while other are still” perfecting” their approach.

This goes to show that posting consistently on LinkedIn is worth it & you are sleeping on it if you are not.

Before I get into it, I wanted to share some events GenZtea is hosting (some getting media & press coverage 👀 ).

Upcoming GenZtea IRL Events

Past Events This Month

Open to collaborate. Email [email protected]

This week I'm diving into the shifting landscape for Gen Z marketing & engagement. After talking with dozens of corporate leaders struggling with diminishing ROI on traditional channels, I'm seeing three MAJOR trends you need to know about:

1. Community-Based Marketing is outperforming traditional advertising (and it's not even close!)

2. Platform Evolution has LinkedIn surprisingly emerging as a Gen Z creativity hub

3. Socio-Political Divergence between Gen Z men and women is creating wild new market dynamics

Let me break this all down for your next strategy meeting... ⬇️

The Biggest Predicted Shifts (that your competitors haven't figured out yet!)

The Decline of Traditional Marketing (it's worse than you think!)

Okay, I need to be honest with you all... traditional marketing is in SERIOUS trouble. Ad prices keep going up while effectiveness plummets. PR and SEO? Not delivering like they used to. And even content marketing (my former obsession) is drowning in GenAI-produced fluff that nobody actually reads.

So what's working? Community marketing! I've been obsessed with this lately because:

• It's WAY more cost-effective (earned vs. paid)

• It builds actual trust (not just awareness)

• When done right, your customers literally become your marketing team!

  

The most forward-thinking players in this space:

• Series (raised $3.1 M) - The First AI Social Network For Students

• Ditto - Your life in lists

• Phia- find the best price in one click

This isn't just a trend - it's a fundamental shift in how Gen Z expects to interact with brands.

Case Study: SULT™ (I'm literally obsessed!)

Have you seen what SULT™ is doing?? This electrolyte brand had me (and half the internet) completely obsessed before they even launched a product.

Founders Henry and Milly shared EVERYTHING:

• Failed taste tests

• Packaging disasters

• Chaotic behind-the-scenes moments

It wasn't polished. It wasn't corporate. It was REAL. And that's exactly why it worked!

You weren't watching a product launch — you were emotionally invested in two scrappy founders figuring it out in real-time. The lesson? Stop trying to look perfect and start building authentic connections.

Hinge + Substack = Marketing Magic

Hinge is absolutely CRUSHING it right now, and I finally figured out why. They're tapping into two core Gen Z values:

1. Our desperate hunger for deeper, more authentic relationships

2. Our need to express ourselves creatively and showcase individuality

Here's what's brilliant: They've partnered with emerging Substack creators (the new hotbed of Gen Z creativity) to co-create stories about what "ordinary love" looks like for young people. These pieces are even being printed as hardcover books for IRL book clubs!

The key insight? 🔑 BUILD WITH, NOT FOR.

This is why for the AAPI Gen Z Founder + Creator Pop-up, all of my co-hosts are GenZtea attendees & are collaborating to drive sign-ups.

As the Creator/Gig Economy explodes (like seriously, what Gen Z-er doesn't have a side hustle?), these creators are gaining massive trust from their peers. When you partner with them authentically, you're not just buying audience access - you're earning genuine credibility.

LinkedIn Is Having Its Gen Z Moment (No, Really!)

A completely unexpected shift is happening: Gen Z solopreneurs are flocking to LinkedIn!

These young creators blend creative skills, entrepreneurial thinking, and personal brand-building to navigate an insanely uncertain career landscape. They're often part-time corporate and part-time creator, and they're transforming LinkedIn from stuffy corporate network to vibrant creativity hub.

⏳ WHY NOW?

• Gen Z is LinkedIn's fastest-growing demographic (something even LinkedIn seems surprised by!)

• Half of us will be part of the gig economy by 2027

  

• We need both Instagram's creative expression AND LinkedIn's professional opportunities

The startups capitalizing on this trend:

• Creator Match - Connects brands with LinkedIn creators

• Limelight - Scale go-to-market via content partnerships with verified B2B creators and thought leaders.

• Boardy- AI Super Connector

I've been using Creator Match to get brand deals for LinkedIn with B2B brands without me having to pitch myself.

What this means for your brand? You're not just competing with other companies - you're competing with MILLIONS of emerging personal brands for attention & trust.

The Ideological Dating Divide (it's getting wild)

I've been tracking this fascinating trend that NOBODY in corporate America seems to be discussing: Gen Z men and women are moving in completely opposite ideological directions!

Look at these numbers:

• 25% of Gen Z men born around 2000 attend church weekly (higher than their female peers!)

• Nearly 50% of Gen Z women identify as liberal (vs. just 28% of Gen Z men)

• Only 34% of Gen Z women are actively looking for relationships (compared to 54% of men)

The startups/ businesses attempting to address this gap:

• Muzz (raised $11.7M total) - aimed at helping single Muslims find marriage partners while adhering to Islamic values

• Bridged (backed by Contrary Capital and Human Ventures) - Dating app using interactive scenarios to test compatibility across value differences

• First Round’s On Me- NYC’s 1st dating cafe and social club

• 222- building third spaces

  

I just had lunch with someone who expressed difficulty finding other Gen Z men who were compatible as high-income earners. This seems to be a common feeling as Gen Z women are significantly outpacing men in educational attainment and early career earnings in major metro areas.

The data is striking:

• Women now make up 59.5% of college students nationwide

• In NYC specifically, women under 30 earn 102% of what their male peers make (compared to 82% for all age groups)

• 78% of Gen Z women in a recent Morning Consult survey ranked "ambition/career focus" as a "very important" trait in potential partners

This isn't just social commentary - it's creating MASSIVE tension in dating culture. Young adults aren't just delaying marriage... many can't find partners who share enough of their worldview to even start relationships!

The SportTech Goldmine (seriously, why is no one here yet?!)

Okay, this one has me SHOOK. The youth sports market is absolutely MASSIVE yet most corporate brands completely ignore it:

• Global youth sports market: $37.5 BILLION in 2022

• Expected growth: $69.4 BILLION by 2030

• Average family spend: $600-$3,000 per sport, per season

The startups capitalizing on this opportunity:

• Squadz (just closed $12M Series A led by Sequoia) - Platform connecting youth athletes with local training opportunities

• TeamSnap ($110M+ in funding, latest round from Insight Partners) - Suite of team management tools with 25M+ active users

• EliteForm ($5.8M seed from Ulu Ventures) - AI-powered training tools for youth athletes

I was approached by a youth sports brand, which made me look more into this, and the opportunity is mind-blowing. Instead of competing in overcrowded digital spaces, brands can integrate directly into youth sports experiences through these platforms.

INSIDER TRENDS YOU WON'T FIND ELSEWHERE (seriously, this is the 0.01% stuff)

The "Anti-Algorithm" Movement

I've been tracking this fascinating counter-trend among Gen Z that not everyone has caught onto yet. There's a growing subset actively rejecting algorithm-driven content across platforms!

Instead of chasing the dopamine hit of viral TikToks, they're creating invitation-only content rings with strict rules:

The startups leading this movement are fascinating:

• Fide- invite-only career app

  

• TYB- rewards from the brands you are obsessed with

  

• Partiful- irl events for friends

• Shelf- recommendations from friends

  

• Claim- social shopping platform to help brands acquire & retain loyal customers

For me, it is building GenZtea, with a focus on IRL connection that is boosted with the help of social media.

The corporate opportunity? Creating micro-community spaces that feel protected from the algorithm-driven internet. The brands that understand this desire for intentional, slower consumption will have a MASSIVE advantage in building genuine loyalty.

"Skill Bartering" Networks

The traditional networking event is DEAD for Gen Z (RIP awkward cocktail hours). Instead, I'm seeing the explosive growth of skill bartering networks across major cities.

How they work:

• Everyone commits to both teaching and learning

• No money changes hands - it's all value exchange

The startups, platforms, and communities capitalizing on this trend:

• Lectures on Tap- professors and experts giving lectures in bars

• Nomad Home- creating a global family of entrepreneurs, creatives & remote workers

• The Residency- hacker homes for builders around the world

• SkillSwap (raised $8.3M Series A led by Lightspeed) - Platform connecting people for in-person skill exchanges in 12 major cities

• Knowhow (Y Combinator W23 batch, $3.2M seed) - Mobile app facilitating neighborhood-based skill trading networks

• Guild (backed by USV's opportunity fund) - Enterprise solution bringing skill bartering inside major corporations

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO TOMORROW (seriously, don't wait!)

1. Audit Your Community Strategy - Are you still treating community as a marketing channel rather than your business foundation? This needs to change ASAP.

2. Create a LinkedIn Gen Z Strategy - LinkedIn isn't just for job listings anymore! If you don't have a dedicated strategy for the platform's evolution, you're already falling behind.

3. Explore the SportTech Ecosystem - I can't emphasize this enough - youth sports is THE most overlooked Gen Z engagement opportunity right now. Start with a small activation at a local tournament before your competitors catch on.

4. Consider the Relationship Market - The growing ideological divide between young men and women creates massive challenges AND opportunities. How can your brand facilitate meaningful connection?

5. Investigate Anti-Algorithm Spaces - Start by creating small, closed-loop content experiences that feel protected from the broader internet. I'm seeing 7-8x higher engagement rates in these spaces compared to traditional social channels.

That's all for this week! As always, I'm here to answer questions and chat all things Gen Z strategy. Just hit reply - I read everything personally.

Until next time!

This newsletter is curated specifically for senior corporate leaders, founders, creators, and investors navigating Gen Z trends. For custom research or event invitations, reply directly to this email.