Hot sauce—and truffles for that matter—are having an especially big moment right now. Thanks in part to the popularity of internet hits like Complex Media and First We Feast’s “Hot Ones,” the condiment has gained popularity in fashion, music and streetwear communities alike. Nick Ajluni and Nick Guillen, co-founders of TRUFF, took note of this and determined that the category was ripe for disruption. Having built a community surrounding the Instagram page @sauce, Ajluni and Guillen decided to launch a hot sauce as a testament to the page, that sauce was TRUFF. Today, TRUFF announces its expansion into a new category. Find out more about their approach to this new product, the story behind the brand, and what other CPG brands can learn from media companies.

It’s certainly a strange time to be discussing the luxury market. With record unemployment, economic contractions and a worldwide pandemic on our hands, it’s hard to imagine many consumers using their disposable income on luxury products. However, Generation Z (who are predicted to be 10-15% of total luxury consumers by 2025 according to Bain and Co.) is using this time to exert their influence on what exactly it means to be a luxury brand. In this episode, I sit down with Liz Toney and Larry Milstein, co-founders of Gen Z consultancy PRZM to discuss how Gen Z is reshaping the luxury market, what it really means to be a luxury brand, and how Gen Z’s interest in luxury goods has created a booming secondhand market.

Tiffany Zhong first became the "Gen Z Whisperer" in 2017 when she founded Zebra IQ, an intelligence platform focused on helping brands better understand and connect with Generation Z through real-time insights. Seeing a gap between creators and the monetization tools at their disposal, Tiffany pivoted her platform earlier this year to focus more on community, content and commerce in a way that can help creators supercharge their audience and of course, revenue. In this episode, we discuss Zebra IQ's newly-released annual State of Gen Z report that covers all things from up-and-coming platforms you may not have heard of but should get to know, how the influencer landscape has evolved and the role of fashion and sports today.

Jeff Levin is an entrepreneur, entertainment executive and talent manager with over 10 years of experience in the entertainment industry. He previously helped launch the Gen Z focused entertainment network AwesomenessTV (acquired by DreamWorks), serving as their Head of Talent. He currently manages entertainers like Logan Paul and That Girl Lay Lay.

On this episode, we discuss the current and future Gen Z content and entertainment landscape, managing and monetizing social influence, and the things that networks and brands are currently getting wrong about Gen Z.

In times of crisis, Gen Z consumers are especially discerning regarding a brand’s messaging and actions in response. Maxine Marcus, founder and CEO of The Ambassadors Company, surveyed more than 100 trendsetting and thought-leading Gen Z’ers to find out what exactly they want to see from brands right now and going forward. In this episode, we cover segmenting, messaging, perceived authenticity, brand loyalty and more.

At just 21 years old, Jacob Pace is the VP of Business Development at Create Music Group and the CEO of Flighthouse, the largest music curation profile on TikTok with more than 20 million followers, generating over one billion views per month. In this episode, we discuss Gen Z taking control of their own content, how brands can stay authentic on TikTok and the future of short-form content.

For the latest from the series, visit adweek.com/genzeos.

Jorge Richardson credits most of his life to 'pure dumb luck.' But after talking to him, it's clear that while happenstance played a role in linking him up with Closca's founder Carlos Ferrando, he has both the skills and the passion to drive societal change. Closca is a sustainability design company that builds products focused on the UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) with products like The Closca helmet and water bottle, both International Red Dot Design Award winners. But looking beyond the sleek, modern design, Jorge wants the products like the water bottle to be known for much more. At Cannes Lions this year, for example, Closca partnered with the festival, giving their water bottles to attendees with the goal of eliminating 150,000 plastic bottles during the event. On this episode, we'll hear Jorge's journey (which involves almost dying in an earthquake and meditating in Nepal) to a mission of sustainability. We'll also talk about designing for good, how to stand out in a crowded category and how to successfully collaborate with other brands.

At the age of just 14, Ziad Ahmed founded Redefy, an organization aimed at making schools and communities more inclusive. Three years later, JUV Consulting was born and Ziad has been on a mission to ensure Gen Z is not just talked about, but actually talked to when it comes to marketing. He's spoken at VidCon, TED, Duke, Stanford, and Columbia Universities, and has even been personally recognized by Barack Obama. On this episode, we talk about the importance of activism for Gen Z, Gen Z values, and how brands can authentically take on and support social causes.

Claire Coder started her first business, a promotional products company, at age 16 while still in high school. And after one year at the Ohio State University, she dropped out to pursue Aunt Flow, a full solution provider that stocks businesses and school bathrooms with organic tampons and pads. Aunt Flow recently closed a $1.5 million funding round and is stocked in hundreds of schools and businesses, including Google, Twitter and Princeton University. On this episode, we chat about mission-driven companies, B2B marketing, customer acquisition and Claire's experience as an entrepreneur.

For highlights from this episode and the latest from the series, visit adweek.com/genzeos.

At just 19 years old, Drake Rehfeld was part of the research engineering team at Snapchat. In 2017, Drake co-founded influencer ecommerce platform Demeanor, which is now a part of NTWRK, specializing in "shoppable shows" with influencers and celebrities. On this episode, we discuss why product drops work for Gen Z, trends with influencer monetization and much more.

For highlights from this episode and the latest from the series, visit adweek.com/genzeos.