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Gen Z? A dead-end street or potential future avenue?

Yes, they are on TikTok, but what about the deeper needs, motivations, and cultural experiences of Gen Z’ers? Last week we shared our insights about Gen Z and media at DPG Media IT. It was inspiring to discuss how to ‘human-proof’ the future of an industry that is at the core of our digital lives. Understanding the human context surrounding the future of media is crucial for strategy due to the following shifts:

  • The tension between the desire for more screens and the aversion to excessive ads

  • The emergence of visual culture and how to assess factors like share of voice in this new visual dialect

  • The relationship between mass media and niche communities

Together with an impressive assembly of 120 media professionals from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark, we explored the evolving technological landscape that shapes the future of media and advertising.

In an ever-changing industry that challenges every player to innovate, sharing TrendsActive trends with Disney, Discovery, NPO, and now DPG Media has underscored the importance of staying ahead of the curve.

Curious how we can support your business? Always feel free to reach out: aljan@trendsactive.com

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Kim Pillen

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Kim Pillen

Consultant

Before Kim Pillen started as a trend consultant at TrendsActive, she worked for four years as a creative strategist at Dept. For brands such as Philips, bol.com, Beiersdorf, JBL, and the Consumers’ Association, she built (online) campaign, brand, and social media strategies. After four years, she decided that she wanted to better understand people and society in order to advise brands more effectively. That’s how she ended up at TrendsActive. Here, she can do what she loves most: digging into people’s needs and then working with brands to see how and where they can be relevant and meaningful.

Kim

Douwe Knijff

Researcher

Douwe is fascinated by how people work. With a background in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences (Bachelor) and Psychology (Master) and an analytical mind he tries figure out how societal shifts manifest themselves through social culture and human behaviour.

Douwe

Aljan De Boer

Keynote speaker

Aljan has been widely recognized as an inspiring professional speaker on the critical trends that will shape society in the decades to come. He works as the Head of Inspiration at TrendsActive, a trend consultancy from the Netherlands using social science to human-proof business decision for brands like

  • Disney
  • Vodafone
  • Hugo Boss
  • ASR
  • Rabobank

Next to his role at TrendsActive he is the Community Director at the Institute for Real Growth where he inspires and connects a global community of +400 CMOs.  

He has been on the board of the Dutch Platform of Innovative Marketing for almost a decade. Regular speaker and moderator for the Dutch Marketing Awards and 3 times winner of the best of MIE. 

Aljan

Kees Elands

Founder & Strategist

Kees his purpose is to help ambitious leaders and brands to human-proof their business. In 2003 he founded TrendsActive, a trend consultancy enabling brands to become more human centric.

Kees consults global brands like

  • Disney
  • The Coca-Cola Company
  • Asics
  • Discovery Channel
  • Swiss Life
  • Vodafone

and many more.

Next to being the founder of TrendsActive, he is also initiator of the first academic trend master for executives at the University of Utrecht and is initiator of various trend studies and white papers on subjects like trust, meaning, visual culture & generations.

Kees
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Kees Elands

Founder & Strategist

Kees Elands

Founder & Strategist