Did Gen Z hand consumer brands a blueprint to beat the giants?

Did Gen Z hand consumer brands a blueprint to beat the giants?

From Two by Two (Private) by The Ken

March 5, 2026 · 59 min · Episode 79

About this episode

The episode explores how Gen Z influences brand loyalty and market strategies, featuring insights from industry experts.

"They are not disloyal. They are unforgiving." Sector by sector, a new generation of brands is doing the same thing by ignoring millennials entirely and going straight for Gen Z. Zepto did it to Blinkit. Snabbit is doing it to Urban Company. The thesis is simple: Gen Z has no loyalty to the old guard, so steal them first and use them as a wedge to crack the rest of the market open. But is that actually true? And if you do win them, can you hold them? Our guest Adarsh Menon has put Fireside Ventures' money behind this question. His portfolio includes brands that have read this generation inside out. On the other hand Ajay Thandi built Sleepy Owl without a single marketer on the founding team and ended up with a brand Gen Z and millennials claim as their own. The most interesting thing they land on isn't about Gen Z at all. It's about aspiration and how it stopped pointing upward. This generation doesn't want to be the person above them. They want to be the person next to them. That one shift changes everything about how you build a brand. Turns out the most fickle generation might be the most loyal one you've ever had. If you deserve it. Further reading - Fireside Ventures — The…

People in this episode

Guest: Adarsh Menon

Topics covered

  • Gen Z consumer behavior
  • brand loyalty
  • market disruption
  • aspiration
  • business strategy

Keywords

  • Gen Z
  • consumer brands
  • loyalty
  • Fireside Ventures
  • Sleepy Owl
  • market strategy
  • aspiration

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Fireside Ventures, Sleepy Owl, Urban Company, Blinkit, Zepto

Places: India

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