In an attention economy, brands must constantly compete to keep shoppers engaged.

But attention isn’t just about reaching new audiences. Longstanding customers are just as likely to fade away if brands don’t hold their attention and keep them engaged. Lose your audience’s interest and you risk losing their loyalty.

Nowhere is this more true than among young consumers. According to our latest survey, nearly half (46%) of Gen Z consumers have grown bored of some of their favourite brands. That’s a serious generational shift, with only 29% of older consumers leaving brands because they grew bored of them.

When targeting Gen Z, marketers must ask themselves the question: how do I maintain my brand’s appeal over time?

The answer is a fresh approach that goes beyond traditional loyalty strategies, using the latest tech to build more exciting and memorable experiences.

Engaging Gen Z with memorable experiences

Loyalty isn’t just about rewards and discounts. It’s about emotional engagement and dynamic, genuinely personal, interactions that keep customers coming back for more.

Rather than seeing the changing expectations of Gen Z as a challenge, marketers need to see it as an opportunity. Our research shows that Gen Z actively seek out brands that are creative and innovative, with 30% saying they have tried a new brand solely because of its creative marketing — more than any other demographic.

What does that look like in practice? Consider the success stories of brands like Liquid Death (bottled water with a heavy metal twist) or Asda’s ‘Brat Summer’ campaign. Liquid Death’s edgy branding and viral campaigns turned bottled water into a lifestyle statement, while Asda’s campaign blended nostalgia with creativity, helping it tap into Gen Z’s desire for bold and memorable brand moments.

These companies transformed everyday products — bottled water and grocery shopping — into something much more interesting, something that’s far from boring. Such campaigns set a benchmark for what it means to stay top-of-mind for younger audiences.

But turning that initial spark into long-term loyalty requires more than just clever ads and eye-catching content. It demands a continuous commitment to understanding your audience on a deeper level, crafting experiences that reflect their interests and values.

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Unlocking audience insights and personalisation with AI

Clearly, Gen Z doesn’t want boring, cookie-cutter marketing. This generation expects brands to deliver personalized, creative content that speaks to their values. And that’s where AI is proving so powerful.

AI can help marketers identify the audience segments they didn’t even know existed. It sifts through a mountain of data that marketers might miss and turns it into the foundations for highly-targeted campaigns — campaigns that reach potentially neglected customers, through the channels that suit them best.

According to the latest data, Generative AI saves marketers around 2.3 hours per campaign. That’s time better spent doing what matters most: getting creative, staying relevant, and keeping up with a generation that’s constantly moving.

But AI isn’t just about efficiency — although the CFO will love that part. It’s about making sure your brand isn’t left behind in the battle for Gen Z’s loyalty.

AI helps brands personalise every touchpoint, ensuring that interactions are not only timely but also contextually relevant. AI-driven customer segmentation can identify when a consumer is most likely to engage with a particular product or service, allowing brands to send tailored content and offers that align with their unique journey.

Don’t just use AI… embrace it

As we move into 2025, AI’s role in customer engagement will only grow. According to the latest data, two-thirds of marketers believe that AI is ‘essential’ for boosting customer engagement while half have already seen an increase in engagement since implementing AI-powered personalisation.

AI is no longer a “nice-to-have” for marketers — it’s a necessity. For brands seeking to stand out and remain compelling, no other technology can combine the speed and precision needed to deliver the real-time personalisation and seamless omnichannel experiences that are so important for today’s marketer.

But remember, AI alone isn’t a silver bullet. Real success comes from blending AI’s capabilities with the creativity and strategic insights of marketing teams. The brands that see the most success will be those that treat AI not as a substitute for the human mind but as a tool to enhance it.

At the same time, the adoption of AI isn’t just about keeping up. With Gen Z redefining consumer expectations for authenticity and dynamic engagement, it’s about future-proofing your brand. The brands that fully embrace the potential of AI and empower their marketers to make the most of it, are best placed to turn passing interest into enduring loyalty.

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