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Events are typically held the third Thursday of each month. Members and students receive discounted pricing. Have a suggestion for a topic or speaker? We'd love to hear it — reach out at info@prsaaustin.org.

PRSA Austin Lunch & Learn Live | Bridging the Gen Z Divide | March 25, 2026

If you missed last month's Lunch and Learn Live, here's what attendees were talking about on the way out.

Elizabeth Birdsong and Olivia Tompkins from Edelman's Gen Z Lab walked PRSA Austin members through their special report on how Gen Z is evolving — and why communicators can't treat this generation as a single, predictable audience anymore.

The central argument: there are effectively two Gen Zs. Gen Z 1.0 (ages 23–29) came of age during progressive movements and still believes brands and institutions can do good — they're trusting until proven wrong. Gen Z 2.0 (ages 13–22) grew up in a pandemic, content overload, and political chaos — and they're skeptical until proven credible. Same generation on paper. Very different audiences in practice.

A few numbers that landed: 79% of Gen Z trust brands to do the right thing — significantly more than they trust media (56%) or government (19%). That's an opportunity, but also a responsibility. The same research found that 70% will fact-check what brands say, and 65% have boycotted a brand over silence on a societal issue.

The session also touched on what Gen Z actually wants from brands — not new platforms or flashy campaigns, but presence in the spaces they already occupy, experiences that feel personal rather than performative, and a sense of community. That last one — 58% say they want brands to provide it — felt particularly relevant for a room full of people who run member organizations for a living.

Thanks to the Gen Z Lab for a great session. If you'd like to dig into the full report, reach out to info@prsaaustin.org and we will share the slides.