Originally published by Meio & Mensagem. Read the full article here.
Kidscorp, in partnership with GoAd Media, released a study showing that Gen Z and Gen Alpha are no longer just media consumers. They are building their own entertainment ecosystem around games, YouTube, and online communities.
According to the "From Gen Z to Gen AI" study, one in three internet users in Brazil is under 18, meaning more than 50 million underage digital users. Worldwide, Gen Alpha already totals around 2 billion people and drives $28 billion a year in spending in the US alone.
The study argues that brands need to understand the cultural codes that move this audience before they can connect with it in a meaningful way. That logic, described as a "belonging economy," rests on three pillars: culture, community, and trust.
Building on those pillars, the research points to three macro trends shaping how younger generations behave: games as spaces for connection, identity, and creation; YouTube as a platform for learning and participation; and communities as spaces of belonging and co-creation, where fans take an increasingly active role in their relationship with brands.
What brands need to consider when talking to new generations
Based on that diagnosis, Kidscorp put together five principles to guide brands and agencies toward building relevant, responsible relationships with this audience:
Infrastructure: track how artificial intelligence is reshaping the media ecosystem and the way this audience experiences it.
Ubiquity: weave technology naturally into the experience instead of making it the center of the communication.
Culture: understand the cultural codes that drive these generations' behavior, beyond age alone.
Authorship: give communities an active role in creation, with real space to shape the brand.
Participation: earn attention continuously, prioritizing relevance and relationship over one-off activations.
The study also flags a regulatory point worth watching: Brazil's ECA Digital doesn't ban advertising aimed at people under 18, but it does limit practices like behavioral tracking and excessive data collection. Against that backdrop, Kidscorp advocates for strategies built on contextual segmentation, privacy-by-design, and inventory suited to each age group.