Even before the new considerations brought about by a global pandemic, brands have been exploring ways to engage and entertain consumers who are flooded with content and choices every day.

To stand out from the crowd, organizations must understand who their audiences are and what drives their interests.

With steadfast points of view, high expectations and an innate ability to understand and shape technology applications, the newest generation of consumers defines the way content around the world is created and shared.

Driving Significant Conversations

In the fall of 2020, a Snap Inc. study about young millennials and Gen Z — what the company affectionately calls the Snapchat Generation — showed that 82% of U.S.-based Snap users believe that they have a personal responsibility to create the change they want to see in the world.

“[This generation] is different in a lot of really important ways when it comes to how they think about their role in society, how they think about fairness, how they think about activism, how they think about culture and engagement and equality,” said Kenny Mitchell, CMO of Snap Inc., in a CES 2021 C Space session. “I think brands will need to be mindful of how they engage with [the Snapchat Generation], knowing some of their behaviors and some of their beliefs.”

There is an appetite for brands to address vital topics, from voting to social justice to racial equality, as they create engagement and content opportunities. Mitchell highlighted some examples of how Snapchat has done this, including launching a program to help more than 1.3 million people register to vote through the platform and highlighting the unique experiences of Black Americans.

“We’ve created content for this generation that wants to improve the world, and we’ve given them tools right in the app,” he said.

Democratizing Entertainment

Platforms such as TikTok have created a space for audiences to be in the driver’s seat and become the creators; this experience offers consumers the unique opportunity to create content that is interesting to themselves, engages diverse perspectives and talent, and keeps up in real time with trends and current events.

The almost-immediate insights that the platforms capture also enable content creators to make on-demand changes and new content, too.

“A traditional celebrity didn’t use to be able to get that kind of feedback,” said Nick Tran, global head of marketing at TikTok, during a CES® 2021 session.

TikTok star and actress Addison Rae added, “The ability to get real-time input is very helpful as someone that is on a platform catering to people that are watching.. It’s interesting to be able to see that [data] so quickly and efficiently.”

The TikTok platform, Rae emphasized, is an opportunity for creators from anywhere to bring their authentic selves.

Discovering New Avenues

The expectations and interests of consumers also drive companies to innovate and develop disruptive solutions to meet consumers’ needs.

“If we’re doing our job well, hopefully we’re ahead of the curve and [are] able to anticipate where their needs are,” said Minjae Ormes, CMO of Visible, the first all-digital wireless carrier in the U.S.

This has only been accelerated by the pandemic and the need for sudden business changes.

“I’m not a sports person, but it feels sometimes like surfing, to try to get your balance but be able to roll with the punches a little bit,” Ormes said.

Rick Webb, COO of photo collection app Timehop, calls it “radical improvisation as opposed to experimentation in a controlled way.”

As companies explore new tech solutions, like augmented and virtual reality experiences, they’re finding ways to enhance the consumer experience and engage this new generation of audiences.


On-demand programming from the all-digital CES 2021 is now available for all to view. The industry-changing insights and announcements shared by tech visionaries at CES 2021 are key to the continued growth and advancement of your business and our tech ecosystem. With that in mind, we’ve opened the CES sessions to everyone.