By Sora Hwang, Director, Social and Influencer Strategy, 360PR+

Recently I attended the Ad Age NextGen Marketing Summit in New York City, which brought together marketing experts and Gen Z influencers for an immersive three-day experience covering the evolution of marketing strategies to reach Gen Z.

The three days covered topics such as the latest Gen Z values and  secrets behind successful brand partnerships, including a look behind the curtain at McDonald’s social strategy and how Nutter Butter’s iconic – and “unhinged” – TikTok came to be.

Here are four takeaways from this year’s summit that any brand can use to better reach the coveted Gen Z consumer.

Connection is built on active participation.

Gen Z sees brand relationships as any healthy relationship should be: reciprocal, with two-way conversations. To resonate, speak fan-to-fan, not brand-to-fan, giving Gen Z consumers ways to participate. Nutter Butter has effectively fostered two-way engagement with Gen Z through a distinctive and unconventional social media strategy. Embracing its “nuttiness” the brand took uber-fan Aidan Maloney, a Temple University graduate, who consistently commented his name on its social media posts and went all in on the joke to the point that Aidan now works for the brand’s agency.

For Gen Z, nostalgia isn’t about remembering — it’s about discovering.

While they may not have lived through Y2K, Gen Z is drawn to the vibe of the past. Nostalgia works not by tapping into personal memories, but by reimagining retro aesthetics and stories in fresh, culturally relevant ways. As 7-Eleven’s Alex Crawford and JanSport’s Alexandra Reveles shared with attendees, the key is to make the old feel new — crafting emotional resonance through storytelling that helps Gen Z create their own connections to the past.

Social listening isn’t just helpful — it’s foundational.

Marketers divulged that the root of their most successful activations started from real-time consumer insights via social listening. For instance, Bojangles’ Tom Boland shared how the food chain first learned of customers ordering a Bo Berry Biscuit and sausage combo from social media, which quickly evolved into a secret menu item, and then a real menu item.

Amanda Mulligan from McDonald’s revealed that everything her social team executes begins with a universal fan truth, often discovered through social listening. She mentioned Twitch as a platform of particular interest because of gaming fans’ inclusion of McDonald’s in their everyday conversations.

Where Was TikTok?: The Silent Elephant in the Room

Notably missing from the summit discussion? Mention of TikTok’s second looming ban deadline. Marketers seemed unconcerned about the massive Gen Z platform’s uncertain future.

With regulators reportedly working with various bidders to find an acceptable U.S. partner for the app, and extensions in play to stave off another shut-down, we’re still seeing more creators diversify onto other video sharing sites like YouTube Shorts and, at 360, we’re helping clients put in place contingency plans.

At the end of the day, platforms will evolve and may even go away, but creators and Gen Z will set up at other digital spaces.