WHAT GEN Z WANTS: BRANDS, SOCIAL IMPACT Part 1: METHODOLOGY

Survey Design

In mid-October to late October 2023, DoSomething Strategic conducted a study targeting individuals aged 13-25. The primary goal of this research was to identify if and where young people felt brands should enhance their commitment to social impact and employee engagement. To achieve this, the survey focused on uncovering cause areas that young people wished to see brands take a stance on.

DoSomething Strategic (DSS) made a concerted effort to encompass a wide range of cause areas and issues that are important to young people. The survey questions were meticulously crafted, offering clear definitions for each answer. This approach aimed to ensure that respondents shared a consistent baseline understanding of each topic. For instance, Climate Justice & Environmental Sustainability was defined as "addressing climate justice, conserving natural resources, and promoting sustainability."

The study delved into Gen Z's beliefs regarding the role brands should play in addressing social causes and engaging employees. The exploration encompassed both their perspectives as consumers and as employees. The data collection phase included not only responses to the main questions but also the gathering of demographic data. Information on age, race, ethnicity, and political affiliations of respondents was collected to provide a comprehensive understanding of the participant pool.

Participants

The survey included 1,308 participants — 1,173 of which were qualified and considered in the data due to being within our age range (13-25). Participants were randomly selected for $50 gift card giveaways as a thank you for their responses. 

Gender distribution showed a predominant representation of girls or women at 67%, boys or men at 21%, and the remaining 12% identifying as non-binary, transgender, or choosing not to disclose. In terms of race and ethnicity, the distribution was as follows: 40% White or Caucasian, 16% Hispanic or Latiné, 16% Black or African American, 15% Asian or Pacific Islander, 1% Native American or Alaskan Native, and the remaining 12% identifying as biracial or preferring not to answer. Regarding age demographics, 49% fell within the 13-17 range, 40% were aged 18-21, and 11% were between 22-25.

Analysis

Data was analyzed by the DoSomething Discovery Lab. Exploratory and descriptive analysis of quantitative data was conducted with Jamovi, an open statistical software platform. Means and percentages are presented for quantitative responses. Additionally, one-way ANOVAs were conducted to explore between group differences based on age, gender identity and racial/ethnic identity with a significance threshold of p ≤ 0.01. Individuals who did not provide responses to age, gender, or race/ethnicity questions were excluded from between group analyses. Chat GPT 4 was used to identify salient quotes and to categorize 579 responses to the qualitative item “Imagine you are in the boardroom with the executives at these companies, what would you say to them about social impact or engaging the next generation of employees?”.