Gen Z Broke the Marketing Funnel—Here’s How Gaming Brands Keep Up

Imagine launching a new game and expecting players to follow a step-by-step journey: See the ad, visit the website, buy the game. That’s not how it works anymore. Just look at how Riot Games built hype for Valorant.

Instead of traditional ads, they gave exclusive beta access to Twitch streamers, letting the community create excitement organically. Players weren’t following a funnel—they were jumping in at different points, watching streams, discussing strategies, and engaging with the brand before ever playing the game.

This is how Gen Z interacts with brands. The traditional marketing funnel? It doesn’t exist for them. Instead of moving step-by-step from awareness to purchase, they jump in wherever they feel inspired, do their own research, and make decisions based on trust and shared values.

If your marketing still follows a straight-line funnel, you’re missing out. Here’s how to rethink your strategy:

Make Research Easy

Gen Z doesn’t take your word for it—they verify. Make sure your brand has authentic customer reviews, engaging content, and transparent messaging across platforms. This generates the base for trust. Therefore, a proper marketing strategy with consistent messaging throughout all channels is a must.

Sell the Lifestyle, Not Just the Product

They don’t just want to buy something—they want to be part of something. Show how your brand fits into their world with storytelling that feels aspirational yet attainable. That’s what all the gurus go about: Sell the transformation, the fun, the improvement you bring with your product or service.

Build a Community, Not Just a Customer Base

This generation values belonging. Engage with them directly through comments, discussions, and interactive content that makes them feel like they’re part of the journey. You need to take the time, to answer all relevant questions. Even giving likes to their comments helps here… and again: this is why so many brands have or start building own communities, when they have grown bigger.

They now have the resources for it. And somewhat exclusive communities are a great harbor for additional binding to your brand and products.

Takeaways

The old marketing funnel is dead. To connect with Gen Z, you need to inspire, engage, and earn trust at every touchpoint. The brands that get this right won’t just win sales—they’ll build lifelong fans.

This Gen Z stuff is of course painted too black and white. Not only Gen Z behaves like this. Many people who navigate todays digital world do these things in order to get to know a product or brand. It is up to you to deliver enough touch points, carefully orchestrated to deliver a consistent and trustful digital picture.

Want to make your brand Gen Z-friendly? Reply to this email and tell me your biggest marketing challenge. I’ll share one actionable tip tailored just for you.