Youth Marketing Strategy

Doors open at 8:15am for coffee, breakfast and networking. This is your chance to map out your not-to-be-missed sessions, the delegates you must connect with and the exhibitors who could help enhance your killer youth marketing strategy.

With HFSS regulations tightening, food and drink brands face a fresh challenge: how to market to young people authentically without losing impact? At this interactive roundtable, we'll discuss how to turn compliance into a creative advantage - showing how brands can harness the power of storytelling to craft meaningful stories that resonate, build cultural relevance and drive engagement.

Step into the future with the PION100 — a spotlight on the brands capturing the hearts, minds, and wallets of Gen Zalpha. This isn't just a list; it's a deep dive into the 100 most influential brands shaping youth culture today. Backed by fresh insights from Pion's latest PION100 study, this session reveals what young people say they love versus what they actually spend on.

Real student voices, in the room, on demand. We're giving YMS attendees exclusive access to live, in-person research sessions. Sign up for a private 30-minute session and soundboard smarter products, campaigns, and brand strategies, straight from the people you're trying to reach.

Overtime's apparel business has exploded. We're joined by Dan Porter, Overtime's CEO for a fireside chat hosted by Colin Daniels, on the strategy behind expanding a media brand into one of the most successful sports ecommerce businesses. From content and community to TikTok Shop, merch drops and brand partnerships.

Gen Z's digital expectations demand more than traditional marketing. This session reveals how strategic tech partnerships – going beyond basic influencer deals – unlock explosive growth with this influential generation. Discover how Awin empowers brands with cutting-edge tech solutions like the AI-driven Help Me Choose to personalize the customer journey.

Gen Z and Gen Alpha are rewriting how influence, discovery, and creativity work. They don't just consume — they shape the narrative, the algorithm, and the marketplace. This conversation brings together Soy Kim and LaTecia Johnson to explore how platforms, creators, and brands can meaningfully engage the next generation of consumers.

Our panel hosted by Pion discuss how brands are addressing the changing online shopping habits of Gen Zalpha. This is your not to miss session on all things loyalty, optimisation and the challenges and opportunities for retail and ecomm marketers.

Markets evolve, industries transform, and technologies disrupt, but the college experience remains strikingly consistent. Alex Kronman, founder and CEO of College Inc., explores why the college experience is a living "prediction market" for brands and how student behavior predicts broader consumer and cultural trends.

Grab a coffee, chat to fellow delegates and meet the industry in our exhibition hall.

Join Breena Cocco and Allie Cohen from GoodPower to discuss the novel strategy of using Gen Z comedy content creators to educate audiences on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. They'll touch on how they have used for-profit organic and paid marketing tactics at their nonprofit to break down complex topics and policies around clean energy and run high-reach Get Out The Vote campaigns.

Join Brendon Shabani and Rawan Eewshah for a fireside chat into engaging the next generation of sports fans. They will delve into how understanding platforms, trends and culture have helped drive the growth of soccer in the US and turn MLS from a league into a cultural phenomenon.

What does it mean to be the first generation growing up alongside AI? The Sound takes a provocative look through what might come next - everything from peak humanity, digital twins and reGens, and AI agents - exploring what this means for brands looking to connect with whatever is that comes next.

Carrie Rose, CEO & Founder at Rise at Seven, breaks down how brands can stop hiding in plain sight and become category leaders in 2026. With examples like Ninja leading the category for airfryer, Revolution Beauty in the beauty dupe space or RedBull attacking the energy drink category, Carrie Rose will share her Demand & Discovery™ framework.

Hear from our panel of marketing chiefs tackling this competitive landscape head on. They will share insights into understanding Gen Zalpha consumers and preparing marketing teams for a new generation of youth audiences. Topics include: the changing shape of the marketing function, maintaining brand relevance in today's culture, bridging the generational gap, and how AI is changing the way teams work.

Hear from the masterminds behind social strategy at Lyft, The Washington Post's WP Creative Group and Sesame Workshop, who will delve into what it's really like to be a unique voice on social media and how they navigate tone of voice, audience engagement, superfans, real-time interactions, and social listening.

It's time for lunch!

Share findings from TeenVoice's national "Teens as Consumers" study and delve into how Gen Alpha's values, preferences, and behaviors influence how they discover brands, make purchasing decisions, and influence household buying. Attendees will leave with actionable insights and data-backed trends.

Kelsey Blodget at DoorDash and Finola Austin at Linqia will share how brands can keep pace with culture through creators. They'll dive into playbooks and real-world examples for connecting with Gen Z, preparing for Gen Alpha, and spotting the right trends to activate.

In this panel, leading marketers and real-world parents explore how brands can build trust, relevance, and value in the lives of Gen Alpha families. Topics include: how brands are evolving messaging for Gen Alpha, the real purchasing power of Alpha kids, and key challenges and opportunities shaping Gen Alpha.

Adam Grant, CEO of Campus Commandos, reveals how his team turned "cringe" into cool, helping some of the most un-relatable brands capture the attention of college students. Learn how creative campaigns on shoestring budgets made financial institutions feel fresh, relevant, and even fun.

Groove Jones and Revolution Marketing reveal how AI, personalization, and social influence came together in a major Coachella activation to create thousands of unique, shareable experiences. Gain insights on tailoring interactions from customized photo and video content to influencer-driven amplification.

Josh McCoy sits down with Brett Estrella at Cash App, Nidhi R. Mehta at Samsung and Content Creator Elie Haoui to explore why community management is essential to brand recognition on TikTok and how creator partnerships can amplify those efforts.

Take 15 minutes to grab a coffee and stretch your legs before our blockbuster final two sessions.

Lenovo's Jessica Tomlinson will share how creator campaigns have helped the eComm side of the brand forge real connections with different consumer segments - from students to gamers and everyone in between. She will discuss student and gamer influencer programs, live shopping events and getting creative with creator campaigns.

Holly Pound has led U.S. marketing at Depop for the last 3 years and founded Peer Community, helping young people break into the industry. Holly will share how community is the new loyalty.

Unified Modern Minds (UMM Digital) explores the profound transformation reshaping marketing today, driven by AI and personalized customer experiences. This keynote examines how traditional digital marketing is being challenged by AI-powered customer experience strategies and how brands can integrate AI CX to enhance personalization.

A not to be missed interactive session with a panel of candid young individuals from Gen Zalpha. This live session offers a unique opportunity to seek the unfiltered opinions of young people on a wide range of topics including technology, social media, education, and their hopes and fears for the future.

Experts at the intersection of influencer marketing and sports discuss the power of sports partnerships, how athletes are moving from performers to creators and how your brand can tap in. Deep diving into what you can learn from the creator-athlete marketing space.

The conversations don't stop when the main event wraps up - join Pion for happy hour in the venue.