If you’re still relying on polished ads and scripted endorsements to reach Gen Z, you’ve already lost them. They don’t trust your campaigns. But they trust Pubity.
While legacy brands pour millions into influencer deals and paid social, Pubity reaches 1.9 billion people a month without spending a cent on ads. What started as two teenagers running Instagram pages from their bedrooms has grown into one of the most influential digital media brands today—a trust machine for Gen Z.
Meanwhile, traditional brands are struggling. Even Diageo—one of the world’s biggest spirits companies—has had mixed success with Gen Z. While Guinness is booming among younger consumers in the UK, the company has warned of slowing sales in other areas due to shifting consumer habits.
Pubity, on the other hand, has cracked the code—integrating into culture instead of interrupting it.
So what can brands learn? Pubity co-founders Kit Chilvers and Iyrah Williams share what Gen Z actually wants, how they built a 150M+ following, and the one mistake brands keep making.
Authenticity in the Age of Clickbait and Chaos
How do you balance authenticity with digital trends that evolve by the minute?
Kit – "Trends change every second, but not every trend is worth chasing. The challenge is knowing which ones will actually stick. If it fits our brand, we jump in. If not, we let it go. Simple."
Iyrah – "A lot of brands make the mistake of hopping on every viral moment just to stay relevant. But if it doesn’t align with your brand, it shows. At Pubity, we curate viral moments that stay true to our mission: wholesome, engaging content that makes people smile."
If It’s Not Real, We’re Not Buying It
What’s one big misconception about Gen Z that legacy brands still don’t understand?
Kit – "Traditional marketers assume younger audiences want things pushed in their faces. That’s a huge misstep. Gen Z doesn’t want to be force-fed; they want to discover."
Iyrah – "They also don’t want everything to feel scripted. The best brand integrations feel organic. We’ve had brands ask us, ‘What kind of content will earn a Pubity headline?’ But it has to make sense. The Gymshark stunt for their Regent Street launch was a perfect example—celebrity look-alikes creating internet buzz without a single paid ad."
AI—Where Brands Get It Wrong
How do you implement AI without losing authenticity?
Kit – "AI is a great tool, but it should never replace creativity. We use it to enhance ideas, not generate entire outputs. Some of our team members use AI for subtitling or brainstorming, but we never rely on it for storytelling."
Iyrah – "Audiences can tell when something is overproduced or lacks a human touch. The best results come when AI supports human creativity, not the other way around. If you’re using AI to replace originality, you’ve already lost the game."
The Gen Z Attention Span—Myth?
Are Gen Z audiences really incapable of deep engagement?
Kit – "The ‘Gen Z has no attention span’ take is overblown. Sure, attention spans have decreased, but quality still wins."
Iyrah – "If your content is bad, people scroll. But if it’s good? They binge it for hours. Brands assume they need to dumb things down, but the reality is—platforms like TikTok and Instagram demand different approaches. Understanding that is the real unlock."
Community First, Product Second
What’s Pubity’s secret sauce for engagement?
Kit – "We built a real community, not just a following. We spend hours reading comments, actually listening, and adjusting based on what people want. Brands need to do the same."
Iyrah – "Forget about product. Build a community first. Too many brands jump straight into selling before they’ve even earned an audience’s trust. Your content should add value before asking for anything in return. That’s how you create loyalty."
What Fuels the Minds Behind Pubity
Where should someone go in Manchester for the full experience?
Kit – "Morning coffee in the Northern Quarter—there’s a new spot I like called Gran T’s Café. Solid coffee, cool vibe."
Iyrah – "For lunch, Mackie Mayor. Great food, great atmosphere."
Kit – "Evening? Old Trafford to watch Manchester United—and, let’s be honest, probably watch them lose."
Brands That Speak to Them
Iyrah – "I’m big on street culture and innovation—you’ll usually see me in Fortnite, Clints, and OnCloud."
Kit – "I lean toward a mix of high fashion and performance wear—I’m into Represent, Burberry, and Gymshark."
Soundtracks
Kit – "Kendrick Lamar, Gunna, and Nemzzz. That’s the rotation right now."
Iyrah – "For me, it’s The Weeknd and Fred Again. Good energy for working and thinking."
Travel
Kit – "Japan and Colombia."
Iyrah – "Italy and Morocco."
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