Behind Pacsun's strategy for keeping a pulse on the changing tastes of Gen Z

"It's really a convergence of community, commerce and creativity. It was launched in response to social listening and understanding where the pain points were: for consumers to build their own brands, to be a part of an overall ecosystem of a brand and to have long-term, sustainable opportunities to create value. The app feeds into other ecosystems that our users"

"In September, it formed its first Youth Advisory Council, a group of actors and creators who meet regularly with Pacsun executives to chime in on "creative aspects and strategy.""

"There, shoppers can curate and buy products, while earning money through commissions - something fans of the brand were looking to do."

Pacsun increased social listening and built new channels to capture Gen Z preferences, then adjusted products, marketing, and technology accordingly. The company formed a Youth Advisory Council of actors and creators to provide input on "creative aspects and strategy." Pacsun released an inaugural Youth Report based on responses from 6,000 Gen Z and Gen Alpha respondents covering topics from mental health to social commerce. The brand combined council input and survey findings to develop PS Community Hub, a shoppable app where users can curate and buy products and earn commissions. Pacsun used these insights to inform collaborations and store expansion decisions.

Read at Digiday