Show Notes
Understanding Gen Z might feel like navigating uncharted territory, but what if your brand's success depends on it? In this episode, Dave Yovanno sits down with Ben Harms, Chief Growth Officer at Archrival, a creative agency built to help brands truly connect with Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Ben shares what it takes to meet these audiences where they are, from understanding their behaviors and mindset to embracing community-led storytelling, active social listening, and bold, culture-driven risks. Drawing from his experience at Tommy Hilfiger, and working with brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and Adidas, Ben explains why traditional tactics no longer cut it, and how legacy brands can pivot, if they’re willing to evolve. He and Dave cover everything from Gen Z’s distrust of institutions and the power of peer-driven content to finding the right creators and letting go of control. This episode is a masterclass in building trust with the next generation and why it just might be time to rethink the old playbook.
Check out Archrival’s latest thought leadership pieces here: Gen Z broke the marketing funnel State of Community
Loving this show? Explore impact.com's other podcasts packed with insights: The Publisher's Playbook The Advocacy Channel
More from The Partnership Economy
For the brands that dominate, partnerships aren't just a creator strategy; they're a full-blown operating system. But how do you actually build that out?
Search is changing. Data is disappearing. Attribution is harder than ever. So what's a marketer actually supposed to control?
A People.com feature drives $10,000+ in 24 hours on a $6 product… A moment that sparked a career pivot, a new discipline, and a fresh way of thinking about how brands earn attention and revenue simultaneously.
Authentic. Lo-fi. And at scale. Today's algorithms demand it all from your ad creatives—so, how do you keep up without burning your team out?
The lines between creators, affiliates, influencers, and advocates are blurring fast. But for modern brands, that’s not a challenge — it’s an opportunity to build a smarter growth engine.