Gen Z Marketing: Strategy That Actually Converts | ExperiMENTAL Ep. 5

Gen Z Marketing Strategy That Actually ConvertsIn this episode of ExperiMENTAL, Sundar sits down with Claudia from Howbout, the fast-growing social calendar app that's cracked the Gen Z code. With a mix of irreverent humor and sharp strategy, Claudia reveals how Howbout builds product and marketing with Gen Z in mind, why authenticity trumps polish, and why TikTok is more than just a channel. It’s a feedback loop. They unpack how Gen Z thinks, what makes them convert, and why influencer marketing might not be the golden ticket people think it is.KEY TAKEAWAYS• Gen Z users are digital natives who expect authenticity, not polish• Traditional ad tactics like logos and slogans don’t resonate• Message testing on TikTok helped validate product features before launch• Shares and comment tags are leading indicators of campaign success• Gen Z can detect ads instantly and tune them out• Brands must act like peers, not authorities• Being transparent about the team behind a product builds trust• Feature adoption improves when messaging reflects user language• Gen Z leaves apps fast if the product doesn’t fit their social behavior• Virality comes from resonance, not production valueBEST MOMENTS00:00:02. “Friends can be themselves, but they're choosing not to. They're choosing to be something different.”00:00:16. “From what we've seen of Gen Z, they will leave your app as quickly as they join.”00:01:25. “You know, one of the biggest reasons of your success is your ability to build product and and build marketing to generation Z.”00:03:11. “They kind of just want to figure out the story themselves, and they want to believe it.”00:05:05. “We're a social calendar app that makes it easier for you to keep up with your friends.”00:07:14. “It got like 14 million views, like hundreds of thousands of comments of people tagging their friends.”00:08:48. “We posted kind of a few videos with different features and trying to kind of see if anything resonated.”00:14:33. “The most interesting one is kind of on our organic socials.”00:26:11. “If I feel that way, Gen Z feels like that times a million.”00:30:25. “I would have a whole pre campaign set up where we're kind of teeing up something really ridiculous for our followers.”🎧 ExperiMENTAL is hosted by Sundar Swaminathan, Head of Data Science at Bounce and former Uber leader. This show is your behind-the-scenes look at how top marketers and data scientists make smarter decisions. 🧠 Expect unfiltered conversations, mental models, and case studies that help you cut waste, build conviction, and grow your B2C business. 📬 Subscribe to the ExperiMENTAL newsletter for deep dives and frameworks: https://experimental.beehiiv.com/This podcast has been brought to you by APodcastGeek. https://www.apodcastgeek.com

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