LONDON — Dazed Studio, the creative consultancy arm of Dazed Media, the publisher of Dazed, AnOther and Nowness, on Tuesday released the first two chapters of its latest and biggest report: “Ctrl Shift: The Future of Youth Culture.”
Isobel Farmiloe, author of the 286-page report and brand strategy director at Dazed Studio, touted it as “an expansive guide for brands and media to gauge Gen Z’s cultural coordinates and unique approach to a changing world.”
The findings are based on a survey of more than 2,500 people ages 18 to 34 from around the world, and with a committee of experts working across the creative industries, exploring timely and pressing topics such as the impact of AI, shifting trend cycles, job instability and changes in influence and power.
“It shows how in a time of political and economic instability, youth are finding themselves more conflicted and polarized than ever, and are looking for answers in entirely new places,” Farmiloe said.
Notable experts cited in the report include fashion designers Martine Rose and Marine Serre, IMG president Ivan Bart, Alexandria Williams, creative strategy director of TikTok Beauty, and Matt Klein, head of global foresight at Reddit.
In the first two chapters, the report questioned the definitions of self and media in the social-media era. For example, the survey showed that young people spend the most time on TikTok and Instagram, yet they find TikTok to be less of a true representation of people’s lives than Instagram. Some 32 percent of surveyed 16- and 17-year-olds prefer their life online, more than any other age group.
Farmiloe believes the findings serve as “a reference document to support brand strategy and understand the values of youth,” and to help brands to “stay close to a culture that is moving at a faster pace than ever before.”
One unexpected conclusion Farmiloe drew from the data is that the control on influencing opinions has shifted away from celebrities and influencers and that young person’s friends are now the most influential people in their lives. It appeared that celebrities and influencers with 100,000-plus followers ranked lowest for influencing youth’s purchasing decisions.
The remaining parts will be released two per week from Aug 1. Each chapter retails at 500 pounds, and the whole report is priced at 2,000 pounds.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Dazed Media has become a pioneer in diversifying its revenue stream. On top of producing branded content and paid-for reports under Dazed Studio, the publisher introduced Dazed Club, a membership offering.
It hosted its first event outside of London in Manchester in May. Following Manchester, Dazed Club will head for Glasgow and Liverpool. A new dedicated events space and an app for its community will be revealed later this year as well.
