Hello! My name is Amanda Perelli, and I’ll be taking over the newsletter for the next few months while Avi is away on paternity leave. Some of you may already know me (hi!) from my work reporting on the creator economy –– to those who don’t, I live in L.A. with my mini dachshund and I’m deeply passionate about the creator industry.

Inside United Talent Agency’s entertainment marketing division lies a team of young professionals guiding the firm in all things Gen Z.

Last year, UTA’s marketing division grew after acquiring JUV Consulting, a firm focused on marketing, research, and social impact with an emphasis on Gen Z consumers.

JUV was rooted in understanding and uplifting Gen Z stories – which makes sense, because it was founded in 2016 by Ziad Ahmed and Shaina Zafar when they were teenagers in high school. After the acquisition, Ahmed and Zafar took on executive roles at UTA Marketing’s Next Gen Practice. 

From Gen Z to Gen Alpha, the decision behind hiring young people to lead a division is rooted in a need for understanding trends and remaining relevant. 

Beyond agency and consulting work, the team puts on a conference series, called ZCON, enabling diverse conversations with young leaders.  

I attended ZCON for the first time last week. Over the years, I’ve attended just about every major creator industry conference there is. I found that this event stood out in a new way. 

In his opening statement, Ahmed called the event a “Gen Z, state of the state.”

The speakers tapped for the event were all young professionals who’ve made a big impact. They shared real opinions on what it means to successfully connect with new generations — which was refreshing. 

It was hopeful to hear from younger voices who were so driven by change – especially at an event geared toward marketing.

AP: What does it mean to be a young executive?

SZ: I’m incredibly grateful to be in a privileged position where I get to learn not only from my peer group but also from people who have years of experience across the entertainment and marketing industry.

You become cognizant of all the ways you get to understand the importance of your unique POV — from the TikTok algorithm to what Gen Z wants for remote work — I get to "translate" between my broader team and my Gen Z counterparts. Young, diverse employees are the ones that continuously shift and create culture.

AP: What message would you tell companies that are hesitant to promote young talent?

SZ: That power of insights and translation is what young people provide that cannot be replaced and is what should be a reminder to executive teams to leverage us for everything we know that they may not and build with us to reach us. 

AP: What advice would you give a marketing agency looking to tap younger generations?

SZ: Niche is the new mainstream so lean into the micro-communities and micro-trends that are building real affinity with Gen Z. We've seen the creator economy bubble pop in the past five years and the things that actually shift culture are the brands that enter our group chats. Be a brand that gets invited to the group chat.

AP: What advice would you give an up-and-coming creator who is looking to expand their business?

SZ: Always build a team that complements you on the values that you care about. You can always replace skills and experiences but never the values or ethos of what you are choosing to build. Your team should share your vision in that.

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Automation tool Manychat just launched a new feature to enhance creator to follower engagement.

The feature, which is Meta-approved, automatically sends a DM to someone after they follow you on Instagram. 

Why does this matter? The tool works even when you’re offline, and it turns a simple follow into a more meaningful connection. 

Creators can customize the message so that it sounds like them. The message can be used to guide new followers to your latest content or product. 

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