Milena Traikovich joins us to discuss the seismic shifts in consumer behavior as Gen Z prepares to redefine the digital landscape leading into 2026. As an expert in demand generation and performance optimization, she provides a deep dive into how the traditional marketing funnel is being dismantled by a generation that views social media not just as a tool for connection, but as a primary engine for discovery, research, and commerce. Throughout our conversation, we explore the decentralization of search, the psychological weight of creator-led trust, and the merging of entertainment with the shopping experience. We examine the transition from massive reach to niche community building and why authenticity has become the non-negotiable currency for brands hoping to tap into a global spending power projected to hit $12 trillion by 2030.
Nearly 40% of young consumers now use social platforms instead of traditional search engines for daily needs. How does this shift redefine the traditional marketing funnel, and what does it mean for brand visibility?
This shift effectively collapses the top and middle of the traditional marketing funnel into a single, fluid experience. When 41% of Gen Z consumers start their journey by typing a query into TikTok or Instagram instead of Google, they aren’t just looking for a link; they are looking for a visual demonstration or a peer-vetted recommendation. We have to realize that for these 69 million Gen Zers in the United States, the “front door” of the internet has moved. Visibility is no longer about winning a text-based bidding war on a search engine results page; it’s about appearing in the algorithmic recommendations of platforms where users are already spending hours of their day. If a brand isn’t optimized for social SEO—using the right hashtags, keywords in captions, and engaging video descriptions—they are essentially invisible to a generation that values the immediate, sensory feedback of a video over a static website.
Short-form video has seen a staggering 71% growth year-over-year. Why do you believe this specific format has become the dominant language for Gen Z, and how should brands adapt their creative storytelling?
The dominance of short-form video is a direct response to the “Fear of Missing Out” that drives 65% of Gen Z to feel a constant pressure to keep up with digital trends. This format delivers information with a density and speed that text simply cannot match, allowing a consumer to see a product in action, hear a review, and gauge a creator’s personality all within sixty seconds. It’s a sensory-heavy experience that matches the fast-paced, impulsive nature of modern social consumption. Brands need to move away from the “commercial” feel and toward “content” that feels native to the feed, especially considering that YouTube Shorts alone now reaches over 2 billion logged-in users every month. To win here, you have to prioritize the first three seconds of the video to hook the viewer emotionally, using real people and unpolished settings rather than the sterile, high-production environments of the past.
With creator-led content often outperforming brand accounts, what is the underlying psychological reason that 61% of consumers trust influencer recommendations over traditional advertising?
The trust gap exists because Gen Z has been submerged in traditional advertising since birth, making them incredibly savvy at filtering out corporate noise. A creator represents a singular, accountable human voice, whereas a brand account often feels like an anonymous committee. When 50% of Gen Z says they trust an influencer’s recommendation more than a traditional celebrity’s, it’s because they’ve built a parasocial relationship with that creator through daily interactions and shared niche interests. There is a tactile, human element to a creator demonstrating a product in their own living room that feels like a FaceTime call with a friend. If a brand tries to fake this, they risk immediate backlash, as 90% of Gen Z will unfollow creators or ignore brands that feel inauthentic or overly promotional.
Product discovery is increasingly happening on social media first, with 83% of TikTok Shop users discovering products directly on the platform. How should marketers adjust their attribution models to account for this non-linear journey?
The journey is no longer a straight line; it’s a web of interactions across multiple ecosystems that often bypass traditional tracking. A typical purchase might begin with a discovery on TikTok, move to a deep-dive review on YouTube, involve a quick check for community validation on Reddit, and finally conclude with an Instagram ad click or a direct purchase through a social commerce feature. Because 43% of Gen Z has purchased something directly through social media in just the last three months, marketers can no longer rely on last-click attribution to tell the whole story. We have to look at the holistic “halo effect” of being present on discovery engines. You might see a spike in direct traffic or branded search that was actually ignited by a creator’s short-form video two weeks prior, and failing to credit that top-of-funnel discovery means you’ll likely under-invest in the very channels driving your growth.
We are seeing a move toward community over reach, with platforms like Discord and Reddit becoming central to the research phase. How can a brand participate in these “private” spaces without invading the user experience?
Success in these spaces requires a total shift in mindset from “broadcasting” to “participating.” Gen Z values belonging and shared interests, and they are much more likely—44% more likely, in fact—to feel connected to brands that actively join relevant online conversations rather than just pushing ads. In a Discord server or a niche subreddit, the brand has to act as a community member that provides value, whether that’s through exclusive information, problem-solving, or genuine entertainment. It’s about building a relationship where the recommendations come from peers or trusted ambassadors within the group. If you enter these high-trust environments with a “sales-first” attitude, the community will reject you instantly; however, if you foster an environment where consumers can interact with each other and the brand, you build a level of advocacy that paid reach could never buy.
Authenticity is a major theme for 2026, with 82% of consumers stating it’s a key factor in their brand support. How do you define “authentic” in a world where even user-generated content can be staged?
Authenticity isn’t about the technical quality of the camera; it’s about the honesty of the message and the transparency of the brand’s values. Gen Z can smell a manufactured “authentic” moment from a mile away, and they have the tools to call it out publicly. To be truly authentic, brands should lean into user-generated content, which 79% of consumers say has a much stronger impact on their purchasing decisions than professional photography. This means showing the “behind-the-scenes” reality, admitting to mistakes, and taking clear stands on social causes that align with their audience’s worldview. It’s the difference between a scripted testimonial and a raw, unboxing video where the creator genuinely geeks out over a feature; the latter provides the sensory and emotional proof that younger consumers crave before they part with their money.
Podcasting is evolving into a video-led medium, with 71% of Gen Z listeners actively watching while they listen. What does this transition tell us about the future of multi-sensory brand experiences?
It tells us that Gen Z wants to see the person behind the voice to better understand context, tone, and personality. With 84% of monthly Gen Z podcast listeners consuming video components, it’s clear that audio-only is no longer enough to maintain full engagement. This trend is why platforms like Spotify for Creators are seeing such massive growth, with over 430,000 shows now uploading video content to reach the 350 million people streaming video podcasts. For a brand, this is an incredible opportunity to build deeper connections; you aren’t just a voice in someone’s ear while they drive, you are a face on their screen while they eat or relax. This multi-sensory approach—combining the intimacy of audio with the visual proof of video—creates a much stronger memory in the consumer’s mind and helps bridge the gap between entertainment and product consideration.
As the line between entertainment and shopping continues to blur, how do you see the role of the traditional eCommerce website changing?
The traditional eCommerce site is becoming more of a fulfillment center while the social platform becomes the virtual storefront. When discovery, research, and the actual transaction can all happen within a single app, the friction of leaving that app to visit a separate website becomes a major barrier to conversion. We are moving toward a world where the “content is the store.” Every video, every creator post, and every community thread is a potential point of sale. Brands that perform best in this environment are those that integrate their products so naturally into the entertainment experience that the consumer doesn’t feel like they are being sold to until they are already at the checkout screen. The website will still exist for those who want a deep-dive or a specific support experience, but the high-velocity, impulsive buying habits of Gen Z will increasingly be satisfied within the social ecosystems they live in.
What is your forecast for the future of social commerce?
I predict that social commerce will move from being an “experimental” channel to becoming the primary revenue driver for consumer brands within the next three years. As the spending power of Gen Z climbs toward that $12 trillion mark, the platforms will continue to refine their “one-click” shopping experiences to make purchasing as effortless as liking a photo. We will see a massive rise in “live” shopping and interactive video where the boundary between the creator’s life and the products they use disappears entirely. Brands that fail to optimize for this integrated reality—clinging instead to a world where “marketing” and “sales” are separate departments—will find themselves disconnected from the most influential consumer group in history. The future belongs to those who can master the art of being “socially shoppable” in a way that feels like an extension of the community, not an interruption of it.
