GEN Z AF

There’s a $12 trillion shift coming for the global economy. Its name is Gen Z. Now moving into their 20s and early 30s, Gen Z is changing how people shop, watch, and choose brands. Born between 1997 and 2012, this is America’s most diverse, most digital, and most pragmatic generation. They influence what becomes relevant, what gets rejected, and what younger and older generations adopt next.

In Gen Z AF, industry insiders Jacqueline Hernández and Adriana Waterston draw on original research, brand case studies, perspectives from top-tier marketers, and unfiltered interviews with Gen Zers from across the United States. Each chapter closes with Marketer’s Takeaways—an action plan for what brands need to do next.

GENERATION MOST:

Most Diverse. 

Most Digital. 

Most Pragmatic.

In the book’s eleven chapters, the authors bring you up to speed on how this generation navigates the complexities of a world that moves at the speed of light (fiber optics) and is switched on 24/7. Having grown up with smartphones and a globally connected gaming culture, they switch seamlessly between an interconnected virtual world and events unfolding in the places and roles they occupy every day IRL. You will learn about the culture and many subcultures that shape their identity. You will also learn how this generation makes, saves, and spends their money and  what they expect from brands, companies, and government institutions. 

In addition to exploring the generation’s connection to the gaming world (globally, mobile games alone generated $113 billion in 2025), the book provides numerous insights into how Gen Z engages with media and entertainment.

In other chapters, the book introduces readers to Gen Zeta, described as 200-percenters—100 percent American, and 100-percent Latino; and to Gen Alpha their younger counterparts, who have already begun taking the Gen Z experience to its next level. 

With it’s extensive interactive notes section; a glossary of acronyms, terms, people, and activities that are featured in the book, and a thorough index, this book is a reference that belongs on every market researcher’s reading shelf. 

(244 pages, paperback, ISBN: 978-1-941688-93-9; 2027)