What Matters to Gen Z and Why it Matters to Your Brand

 

 

This product screams Gen Z. Level of processing is irrelevant. This is why defining ultra-processed food will likely have no impact on Gen Z. Social media matters more.  

 

Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Ziggi’s Coffee collaborated to reimagine the morning routine with a creamy new beverage. The Philadelphia Everything Bagel Latte combines Ziggi’s fan-favorite iced latte with Philadelphia cream cheese cold foam and everything bagel seasoning for a bold new take on a beloved breakfast pairing. The limited-time beverage is available at participating Ziggi’s Coffee locations nationwide from Aug. 11 to 17, while supplies last.

“As food and beverage marketers build their 2027 plans, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: the old playbook for influencing Gen Z is losing effectiveness,” according to my friend Eric Davis, vice president of food and beverage, MorganMyers, a G&S Agency.

The Summer 2026 MorganMyers Food Pulse found that social media remains one of the most powerful drivers of food and beverage discovery, but trust is shifting away from celebrity influencers and toward authentic creators, experts and everyday consumers.

The implication for food brands is significant. Success in 2027 will not come from simply showing up in feeds. It will come from earning recommendations from people Gen Z consumers already trust.
But first, I digress. Let’s explore how we got here. 

Millennials were raised on Starbucks--served just the way they liked it--by their Boomer parents. Millennials got what they wanted, the way they wanted it, and this continues to fuel their food choices. They are the generation backing Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) and the ones who want ultra-processed foods defined. And rightfully so, as many Millennials grew up in a health environment shaped by decades of misinformation and Happy Meals, when the only beverage option was a soft drink. Milk was not offered! We’ve come a long way.  

“This legacy left them with confusion, guilt and poor health outcomes, especially among women. The MAHA movement’s focus on ultra-processed foods, environmental toxins, over-medicalization and sedentary lifestyles resonates deeply with Millennials’ lived experience,” according to Wellbeing Magazine. These women are moms now and want answers and direction. 

Their predecessors are Gen X. That’s me. We drank water out of a hose lying on the ground. We were the “latch-key” generation that started cooking as teenagers as soon as their home was equipped with a microwave. With both parents often working, family dinners were simple and easy to prepare, using pantry staples like canned soups, boxed mixes and frozen foods. Ultra-processed foods were a necessity. They also were something we grew out of when “eatertainment” emerged.  

Gen X believes there’s a time and a place for ultra-processed foods. It’s junk food—empty calories—that the TAB generation tries to avoid. 

Let’s move on to Gen Z, who today range in age from 14 to 29 years old. These teens, young adults and low-on-the-totem pole professionals, pride themselves on being foodies.

The first Chipotle opened its doors in 1993, four years before Gen Z entered this world. Fresh, customized, quick-service foods played a bigger role than Happy Meals at a young age for Gen Z. Many have never had a Twinkie. Their Gen X parents taught them about junk food and empty calories. Their sippy cups had water, not juice. 

Gen Z has a taste-first mindset, according to Tastewise, with flavor influencing food choices more than health, with bold, unique and indulgent flavors scaling rapidly. If these foods are ultra-processed, so be it. Defining ultra-processed food will likely have no impact on Gen Z.  

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Gen Z consumers say they have repeatedly purchased a food or beverage product they first discovered on social media, according to Summer 2026 MorganMyers Food Pulse. Yet when it comes to what actually influences purchase decisions, personal recommendations consistently outrank influencer endorsements. The brands best positioned for growth will build strategies that combine social visibility with credibility, product quality and shareable consumer experiences.

The research points to a critical distinction for marketers: social media can create the first purchase, but taste, value and quality determine whether there is a second.

When asked what most determines whether they purchase a food or beverage product, respondents ranked price and value first at 27%, narrowly ahead of taste at 26%. Recommendations from someone they trust followed at 17%, while health and nutrition benefits ranked at 13%. 

After the first purchase, product fundamentals matter even more. Sixty-eight percent identify taste as one of the leading reasons they buy a product again, followed by price and value at 61% and quality at 44%. Social media buzz ranked at just 3%.

Explore more results from the Summer 2026 MorganMyers Food Pulse survey by linking HERE.