If you’re still running one-off influencer campaigns hoping to win over Gen Z, it’s time to rethink your strategy. For real.

Gen Z consumers are some of the most marketing-savvy, socially aware audiences we’ve ever seen. They scroll fast, spot fakes faster, and won’t hesitate to click away if something feels even slightly off. According to a McKinsey report, 70% of Gen Z say they try to purchase from brands they consider ethical, and they’re quick to hold brands accountable for performative or inauthentic behavior. So what’s the problem with single-shot influencer posts? Simple: Gen Z doesn’t just want a pitch, they want proof.

According to Later’s Gen Z consumer insights, 49% of Gen Z relies on influencers to discover new products, and 58% follow them for entertainment. But those influencers aren’t just selling, they’re seen as virtual friends, trendsetters, and trusted voices. In a generation built on connection, a one-time ad just won’t cut it.

Let’s break down why these short-term campaigns are falling flat and what marketers can do instead.

Why One-Off Campaigns Aren’t Effective

Lack of Consistency = Lack of Trust

Gen Z can smell a transactional endorsement a mile away. If they see an influencer promoting a product just once and never again, it raises questions. They need to see consistent usage and long-term engagement before they consider buying in.

Inauthenticity Feels Loud

Forced collabs? Scripted lines? Gen Z will scroll past. They want storytelling, not sales pitches. Influencers who post candid, unfiltered content about their real experiences are far more likely to spark interest and trust.

It’s About Community, Not Clout

A huge following isn’t enough–Gen Z prefers creators who have meaningful engagement with their audience: ones who answer DMs, start conversations, and act like people, not billboards. That’s why micro and mid-tier influencers often perform better than macro ones in this space.

Culture > Product

Product-first posts feel out of place in a generation that values shared experiences. Gen Z connects with brands that embed themselves in their lifestyle, values, and humor—not ones that interrupt it.

Enter: The Age of “Deinfluencing”

The rise of deinfluencing proves that Gen Z is increasingly critical of overconsumption. They reward brands that promote sustainability, transparency, and responsibility, not hype.

What Smart Marketers Do Instead

1. Build Real Relationships with the Right Influencers

Winning brands don’t just collaborate, they commit. Long-term partnerships with creators who align with your values allow for more natural, recurring content that feels real, not rehearsed. It’s what Gymshark does by working with fitness influencers who genuinely use their products, and it’s how Spotify turned their Wrapped KOL campaign into a cultural moment.

Start by partnering with influencers who already reflect your audience’s values and lifestyle. Then stick around. Gen Z needs to see consistency before they buy in.

2. Prioritize Authenticity

Forget polish—focus on personality. Gen Z craves storytelling that feels spontaneous, not staged. Let influencers speak in their own voice, share real experiences, and even show imperfections. That’s where trust builds.

And if your brand aligns with Gen Z’s bigger interests (like mental health, sustainability, humor, or activism), don’t just nod to it—embed it into the content. This kind of cultural fluency is key to standing out.

3. Focus on Engagement, Not Just Exposure

It’s not about how many followers  they have, it’s about how many care. Partner with KOLs who are talking with their audience, not just talking at them. Prioritize those who start conversations, share comments, or co-create content with followers.

Gen Z also responds well to campaigns that invite participation. Think TikTok challenges, comment-led prompts, even gamified or AR experiences. Interactive campaigns create shared experiences—something one-time posts rarely do.

Key Takeaway

Gen Z isn’t buying into one-time influencer posts—they’re looking for proof, patterns, and people they can believe in. Winning their loyalty takes time, intention, and a strategy that puts real connection first. That means fewer quick hits, and more long-term partnerships rooted in trust, culture, and creativity.

Want to learn more on how to make marketing campaigns that actually resonate with Gen Zs? Download Near’s Social Media Trends Guide here.

Here’s a blast from the past: remember the days when our social media feeds displayed content chronologically?

These days, whether you’re scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, you will see a feed curated according to your interests and preferences. Personalization is the name of the social media game, and it has brought about a shift in the influencer space. We are seeing an increasingly even playing field for content creators, in which micro-influencers (10,000 to 99,000 followers) are growing in prominence.

But while we’ve established that micro-influencers have great potential in promoting brands this year, you may be wondering how to approach this shift for your 2025 campaigns. Well, Near’s got you.

3 tips for finding the right micro-influencers

1. Take notes from your audience.

No marketing campaign can be successful without an understanding of the audience you’re marketing to.

If you want to find the right micro-influencers, you can start with your audience. Who are they following? Whose content do they interact with? What kind of content do these creators have? Finding the answers to these questions will already give you an idea of the right micro-influencers to tap because the answers will tell you about their interests, their pain points, and the niches they belong in.

Tapping a micro-influencer your audience already follows is a simple way to ensure that your campaign is a match.

2. Gauge the influencer’s authenticity.

There are simple ways to check if a micro-influencer will be a reliable partner for your campaign even before you contact them.

Just go on their social media profile and take a look at the following:

• Content quality: Look at their posts. See if the content they create is well-made and executed, from the hooks and scripts to their filming and editing styles. They don’t need to have high production value, but they do need to be creative and offer something substantial to the viewer.

• Previous posts: Branded or otherwise, their posts will tell you more about their interests and the kinds of products they gravitate towards. This will also give you an idea of what their audiences care about. Their existing posts are a good way to gauge if your product is something that could resonate with their audience or address a pain point they are experiencing.

• Follower engagements: Micro-influencers tend to have more opportunities to interact with followers due to their smaller community and specific niche. You can tell if a micro-influencer has an engaged following if they respond to followers’ comments on their posts or if the followers themselves have discussions in the comments.

3. Make use of influencer discovery tools.

There is a wealth of influencer marketing platforms that can point you to different content creators in the Philippines. At Near Creative, in addition to our wide influencer database, we use these tools to enrich our influencer recommendations, as they are able to provide in-depth insights such as content niches, posting consistency and performance, average engagement rates, and even influencers in the same category. This way, we are able to refine our recommendations to ensure a brand fit for our campaigns.

These tools simplify and speed up the vetting process, while also ensuring the quality of content for the future.

Making memorable content with micro-influencers

Choosing the best micro-influencers is half the battle, but the other half is developing high-quality content that your target audience will watch.

• Collaborate. An influencer is a partner; not simply a doer. This means that the final output must be the result of collaboration with them; you can guide them on the brand’s identity, while they direct on what content works best for their platforms.

• Communicate. Be clear about what you need, when you need it, and how you need it. When everyone is on the same page, it will be a seamless experience from when you onboard an influencer to when they finally upload the content.

• Cultivate. Build and nurture a relationship with your influencer partners. Getting to know them leads you to understand them better, which will help you create even better content for your future collabs!

So remember, in 2025, micro-influencers are key to social media success! Understand your audience, get to know your influencers, and employ appropriate tools to find the best recommendations. From there, three Cs: collaborate and communicate with your micro-influencer partners, then cultivate a relationship with them to ensure you create more great content and campaigns together.

Want to build an influencer strategy that works? Sign up for our webinar today!

Marketing is an industry that requires constant adjustment and innovation, which makes it an endlessly exciting but occasionally confuzzling space to navigate. When you’re stuck, sometimes all you need is a helping hand. Sometimes, you can get it from the best people in the biz – like today!

Near is introducing our very own Convos with the Pros, an exciting series where we speak with the most sought-after marketing leaders in the Philippines. For our first episode, we had a conversation with Wanda Pascua, head of marketing at Tonik Digital Bank. She oversees the digital bank’s marketing campaigns, but it’s apparent that to get to her level of expertise, the work entails much more.

Can you tell us more about what you do at Tonik?

“At Tonik, marketing is not just limited to branding. We are taught to look at things holistically, meaning: how our campaigns will directly drive business growth. I oversee the marketing campaigns of the bank, but more than brand communication, I am also in charge of customer acquisition costs across our different products and the customer experience. I work across different functions, such as product, customer care, and IT, to understand customer issues and have clear plans around them.

“Digital banking is a new challenger industry, so I’ve been busy cracking different campaigns, learning new product and customer insights, and acquiring customers at a cost complementing the rest of the business numbers – all that to build Tonik as a brand that Filipinos will love, at its core.”

You’ve had broad experience in marketing from agency work to brands. What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing? How has your approach evolved over the years?

“For the past 15 years, I’ve loved building brands. I’ve always enjoyed helping my clients tell stories to sell their products during my ad agency days. I loved the energy in advertising – all the creativity and openness to ideas! When I was faced with an opportunity to cross over to the client side and marketing, I jumped on it right away. Being on this side enabled me to understand the business more and to see things end to end.

“My approach has changed throughout the years. From once being so focused on storytelling and communication, I now look at things from an end-to-end business perspective. By this, I don’t just mean sales. It entails really looking at the product, customer experience, and other business metrics. I am grateful that my boss closely guides and pushes me to understand these and reminds me that my role goes far beyond brand communication. It’s definitely outside my comfort zone, but it’s made me a better marketer.”

In your experience, what are the key elements that make a marketing campaign truly stand out in today’s competitive/short-attention-span landscape?

“A strong consumer insight hinged on a clear product insight + a unique creative execution = a standout campaign.

“I do not doubt this formula. Most of the time we just need to keep things simple in terms of insights. There’s so much competition out there, so the way to cut through the clutter is to hit on the consumer with no frills.”

How do you see the role of influencer marketing changing, and what strategies do you recommend for brands looking to leverage it effectively?

“Consumers are smarter now when dealing with influencers. They can tell right away if the content is genuine or too hard-sell. Transparency is always key – as simple as, if the content is sponsored, tagging it as sponsored content is a must. Influencers are there to help brands tell their stories. They must have a genuine interest in what the brand does and how it can help them on a personal level.

“Brands, be open to how the influencers attack the brief. Your role should end with fact-checking. All room for creativity must be left with the influencers.”

With the rapid rise of platforms like TikTok, how should marketers adapt their content strategies to engage younger audiences, particularly Gen Z?

“Always learn the trends. Know which trends are out there and filter which ones your brand can use. The best strategy is to make sure you resonate with your audience – Gen Z in this case. The best way to do this is to immerse yourself in what they are up to.”

What advice would you give to marketing professionals who want to stay ahead of the curve and continuously improve their skills?

“Never stop being curious. There is no excuse not to learn new things because there are so many places where you can learn, whether it’s from different teams in your company, social media, visiting stores, talking to customers, or even conferences and webinars. Constantly challenge what you have.

“Also, ask for feedback. My boss always tells me, ‘Keep asking questions!’ Don’t even pretend you understand things when you really don’t.”

2024 is ending soon. Looking ahead to 2025, what marketing trends are you most excited about, and how are you planning to leverage them more?

“Generative AI. There’s so much already out there, but I cannot wait to see how brands will crack this to get sales from their creative campaigns.”

Brands and fellow marketers, let’s take it from the pros. For your campaign to make an impact, you must understand your brand from all sides, have a unique creative execution hinged on solid consumer and product insights, and be well-versed in today’s trends!

Contact Near Creative today to kickstart your brand’s marketing campaign!

Convos with the Pros, Episode 1: Wanda Pascua of Tonik Digital Bank talks marketing trends, influencers, and the formula for a winning campaign

Marketing is an industry that requires constant adjustment and innovation, which makes it an endlessly exciting but occasionally confuzzling space to navigate. When you’re stuck, sometimes all you need is a helping hand. Sometimes, you can get it from the best people in the biz – like today!

Near is introducing our very own Convos with the Pros, an exciting series where we speak with the most sought-after marketing leaders in the Philippines. For our first episode, we had a conversation with Wanda Pascua, head of marketing at Tonik Digital Bank. She oversees the digital bank’s marketing campaigns, but it’s apparent that to get to her level of expertise, the work entails much more.

Can you tell us more about what you do at Tonik?

“At Tonik, marketing is not just limited to branding. We are taught to look at things holistically, meaning: how our campaigns will directly drive business growth. I oversee the marketing campaigns of the bank, but more than brand communication, I am also in charge of customer acquisition costs across our different products and the customer experience. I work across different functions, such as product, customer care, and IT, to understand customer issues and have clear plans around them.

“Digital banking is a new challenger industry, so I’ve been busy cracking different campaigns, learning new product and customer insights, and acquiring customers at a cost complementing the rest of the business numbers – all that to build Tonik as a brand that Filipinos will love, at its core.”

You’ve had broad experience in marketing from agency work to brands. What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing? How has your approach evolved over the years?

“For the past 15 years, I’ve loved building brands. I’ve always enjoyed helping my clients tell stories to sell their products during my ad agency days. I loved the energy in advertising – all the creativity and openness to ideas! When I was faced with an opportunity to cross over to the client side and marketing, I jumped on it right away. Being on this side enabled me to understand the business more and to see things end to end.

“My approach has changed throughout the years. From once being so focused on storytelling and communication, I now look at things from an end-to-end business perspective. By this, I don’t just mean sales. It entails really looking at the product, customer experience, and other business metrics. I am grateful that my boss closely guides and pushes me to understand these and reminds me that my role goes far beyond brand communication. It’s definitely outside my comfort zone, but it’s made me a better marketer.”

In your experience, what are the key elements that make a marketing campaign truly stand out in today’s competitive/short-attention-span landscape?

“A strong consumer insight hinged on a clear product insight + a unique creative execution = a standout campaign.

“I do not doubt this formula. Most of the time we just need to keep things simple in terms of insights. There’s so much competition out there, so the way to cut through the clutter is to hit on the consumer with no frills.”

How do you see the role of influencer marketing changing, and what strategies do you recommend for brands looking to leverage it effectively?

“Consumers are smarter now when dealing with influencers. They can tell right away if the content is genuine or too hard-sell. Transparency is always key – as simple as, if the content is sponsored, tagging it as sponsored content is a must. Influencers are there to help brands tell their stories. They must have a genuine interest in what the brand does and how it can help them on a personal level.

“Brands, be open to how the influencers attack the brief. Your role should end with fact-checking. All room for creativity must be left with the influencers.”

With the rapid rise of platforms like TikTok, how should marketers adapt their content strategies to engage younger audiences, particularly Gen Z?

“Always learn the trends. Know which trends are out there and filter which ones your brand can use. The best strategy is to make sure you resonate with your audience – Gen Z in this case. The best way to do this is to immerse yourself in what they are up to.”

What advice would you give to marketing professionals who want to stay ahead of the curve and continuously improve their skills?

“Never stop being curious. There is no excuse not to learn new things because there are so many places where you can learn, whether it’s from different teams in your company, social media, visiting stores, talking to customers, or even conferences and webinars. Constantly challenge what you have.

“Also, ask for feedback. My boss always tells me, ‘Keep asking questions!’ Don’t even pretend you understand things when you really don’t.”

2024 is ending soon. Looking ahead to 2025, what marketing trends are you most excited about, and how are you planning to leverage them more?

“Generative AI. There’s so much already out there, but I cannot wait to see how brands will crack this to get sales from their creative campaigns.”

Brands and fellow marketers, let’s take it from the pros. For your campaign to make an impact, you must understand your brand from all sides, have a unique creative execution hinged on solid consumer and product insights, and be well-versed in today’s trends!

Contact Near Creative today to kickstart your brand’s marketing campaign!