By Lydia Martin, Strategy Director as originally featured in The Media Leader
Brands must earn Gen Alpha’s attention through genuine value, not just intrusion. That means choosing empathy over ego and purpose over performance.
Perhaps it’s because I’ve been in a Gen Alpha research bubble for the past few months that I’m drawn to stories about troubled teens, but the news agenda in recent weeks has been rife with examples of the spiralling crisis facing boys and young men in our society.
The surge in misogynistic, sexist and downright toxic content online — pedalled by a small but powerful group of men in the Andrew Tate mould— has been widely discussed in certain corners of the internet for some time, largely driven by worried parents, psychologists and educators witnessing its real-world impact.
But now the issue is finally breaking into mainstream headlines on a daily basis — whether it’s The Guardian’s deep dive into the manosphere or Sir Gareth Southgate’s rousing Richard Dimbleby Lecture condemning “callous, manipulative and toxic influencers” who “willingly trick young men into believing that success is measured by money or dominance… and that the world, including women, is against them.”
Like any ideology-driven movement, this one has been quietly building for years — largely unchecked — until the size of its fanbase, fuelled by the parallel rise of far-right politics, made it impossible to ignore. And now, here we are, trying to cram the genie back into the bottle.
Advertising’s cultural power
The genie isn’t going back quietly (if at all) but this moment presents an opportunity. Those of us who work in media, advertising and content creation hold a rare kind of cultural power: the ability to help tip the balance back toward something more constructive.
Earlier this year, we partnered with Source Nine on a major study into Gen Alpha — today’s 10-15-year-olds — and it highlighted just how much potential brands have to become a positive force in young people’s lives. But traditional advertising isn’t the answer.
Consider this: YouTube and streaming services already command 46% of Gen Alpha’s media time, yet 64% of 12-15-year-olds say they “like technology that allows me to skip ads” — a figure that’s growing year on year, and even outpaces Gen Z.
The takeaway? Visibility alone won’t cut it. Brands must earn attention through genuine value, not just intrusion.
Young people are hungry for content but not just for TikTok memes or YouTube shorts. As Amazon’s Beast Games or FootAsylum’s LockedIn show, they’re embracing longer-form, creator-led entertainment with high production value and strong community engagement. LockedIn, now five seasons deep, has notched up nearly 900m views and 2.9m subscribers, showing what’s possible when brands think beyond the traditional media buy.
Lego offers another masterclass in content-led connection, with a vast library of entertainment formats and brand partnerships spanning everything from Minecraft to Fortnite — racking up 24bn YouTube views in the process. This is brand building through relevance, not interruption.
Navigating fandoms
Fandoms, too, are fertile ground for brand influence. 56% of kids globally engage with fandoms daily, and 55% of Gen Alpha say their top fandom has an “enormous influence on their everyday life”. These subcultures offer a powerful emotional shortcut for brands looking to connect — if they approach them with authenticity, not opportunism.
So how should brands navigate this terrain? Our research, anchored in a model called The Empathy Framework, suggests the answer lies in emotional alignment, not just media placement. This framework identifies the core emotional needs Gen Alpha is striving to fulfil — chief among them autonomy, connection, meaning and purpose, play and peace.
If a teen feels their life lacks direction or significance, a brand that aligns with meaningful causes and invites them to be part of something bigger will resonate deeply. If they’re overwhelmed by pressure and noise, a brand that creates calm, supportive digital spaces will become a trusted ally.
And when we look at what’s most unmet for this generation — autonomy, play and peace — we see exactly where brands have the biggest opportunity to offer value. Whether it’s Nike empowering self-expression through customisation, or Headspace for Kids helping to manage stress through mindfulness, brands that tap into these needs create far more than just affinity — they build emotional loyalty.
Let’s be honest: most of us reading this are Gen Z or older. And we all know what it feels like to be overwhelmed by the digital noise our phones throw at us. Now imagine experiencing all that with the still-developing brain of a vulnerable teenager who’s just trying to work out who they are and where they fit in.
We can’t beat the algorithms. We can’t stop the vitriol. But we can change the way brands show up in these spaces by choosing empathy over ego, purpose over performance, and connection over conversion.
If we want to pull these boys (and girls) back from the brink, we need to show them that the world isn’t against them — it’s just waiting for them to belong.
Explore our consumer report here, delving into the emotional drivers that define Generation Alpha.