When Zohran Mamdani won the 2025 New York City mayoral election, political observers took note of how he did it. His campaign leaned directly into the issues facing young voters including affordability, economic fairness and housing while engaging Gen Z on the platforms and in language they actually use. The result was a decisive demonstration of what happens when a candidate, or an institution, takes this generation seriously. Harvard Kennedy School researchers Erica Chenoweth and Matthew Cebul have been tracking this pattern globally, describing what they call a “global political awakening” among young people who have shown, repeatedly, that they are willing to act on their beliefs. Their research found that protest movements with extensive youth participation are more than twice as likely to succeed than those without. What is becoming increasingly clear is that the same energy—digitally amplified and increasingly effective—is not confined to politics, but it is showing up in the marketplace. Gen Z, the first generation to grow up largely in the age of social media, corporate accountability campaigns and near-instant information, has developed a sharp radar for authenticity. According to APCO’s latest U.S. public opinion study, “Corporate Action in the Survival Economy,” what they are picking up on is not just what companies say, but what companies don’t say.
Silence is a Statement
When a major political or social moment occurs and a company stays quiet, Gen Z doesn’t shrug it off. Just over a quarter (27%) of Gen Z interpret that silence as a signal the company may quietly agree with what is happening while another 30% see it as fear that a company is too afraid to take a position that might cost them business. Only 30% give companies the benefit of the doubt by viewing silence as appropriately staying focused on business. Comparing that to Millennials, where 40% read silence as a company simply staying in its lane, a generational difference on taking a neutral stance becomes more evident.
Inaction has real consequences with nearly half of Gen Z respondents (49%) saying they would be somewhat or very likely to stop purchasing from a company that stays silent on an issue they feel strongly requires a response.
They Will Walk Away and Bring Others with Them
Gen Z’s response to corporate behavior that conflicts with their values is not passive, and a majority in our study report that they would take some sort of action against companies through organized boycotts (34%), influencing family and friends to stop purchasing (37%) or posting negatively on social media (26%). Just one in five say they would take no action at all (19%), significantly lower than any of the other generations surveyed.
This generation understands collective action intuitively. They grew up watching social media campaigns move markets, topple executives and force policy reversals. They know their voice, particularly when amplified through digital networks, can carry weight, and they are willing to use it. Chenoweth and Cebul note that Gen Z movements tend to be decentralized and digitally organized—a pattern reinforced in our study where 26% say they would post negatively about a company on social media when its actions conflict with their values. This makes them quicker to mobilize and harder to predict and control. Many Gen Z movements globally have rallied not around abstract ideals, but around concrete grievances like corruption, economic instability and systems that protect elites at the expense of ordinary people. That same orientation shapes how they evaluate the brands in their lives and applies in consumer contexts. A brand misstep can travel fast, and Gen Z has both the motivation and the platforms to make it matter.
But It’s Not All Pressure
When asked to rate the importance of company actions, Gen Z ranked protecting employee health and safety (62% very important), keeping prices affordable (58%), ensuring equal opportunity (58%), maintaining U.S.-based jobs (58%) and protecting data privacy (57%) among its top priorities. These are personal values for a generation in the midst of entering the workforce, renting their first apartment or buying their first home and navigating an economy that rarely feels like it was built with them in mind. Chenoweth and Cebul found that many Gen Z protest movements globally center on precisely these themes—socioeconomic inequality, institutions that fail young people and leaders who thrive while ordinary people struggle. The priorities showing up in boardrooms and marketing strategies are the same ones showing up in the streets.
The Window Is Open, But Not Forever
Though it may seem easy to write Gen Z off due to their youth, the evidence is mounting that doing so is a mistake. Gen Z’s role in driving Mamdani’s win is not an isolated moment; it signals a younger generation that is showing up, flexing their collective power and shaping outcomes in ways that can no longer be ignored.
That same energy is present in the marketplace. The relationships Gen Z consumers are forming with companies right now during early adulthood are the ones they are likely to carry for decades. Gen Z is at exactly that inflection point, the window to earn their respect is open, but it will not stay open indefinitely.
The old playbook prompting brands to stay quiet, wait for the news cycle to turn or issue a carefully worded statement only when absolutely necessary carries more risk with this audience. Gen Z is looking for consistency, honesty and follow-through from companies. Companies that communicate openly about the pressures they face, act in alignment with their stated values and resist the temptation to reverse course under political or economic pressure will find in Gen Z not just consumers, but advocates. Companies that hedge, go silent or walk back commitments will find the opposite, and they’ll feel it quickly and publicly.
Gen Z came of age in a world where information travels instantly, and reputations are shaped, for better or for worse, publicly. They are not sitting back and waiting for brands to make an impression; they are already watching, judging and deciding.
