Lugano, 24 May 2024 – This year’s GUESS GEN Z LAB featured an international lineup of students from renowned institutions, including LIUC, POLIMI Graduate School of Management, University of Padua and Istituto Marangoni in Italy, as well as the French International Fashion Academy (IFA), IED Madrid, SUPSI, and USI in Switzerland. The initiative aims to strengthen GUESS’s connection with Generation Z consumers through direct engagement and exchange of ideas while equipping students with valuable tools for success in the fashion marketing industry.
Generation Z, also known as the iGeneration or iGen, is the first generation of true digital natives and the largest generation on the planet. With an estimated spending power of 44 billion dollars (currency?), they account for approximately 32% of the Earth’s population, making them a significant target audience for fashion brands.
The fifth edition of the GUESS GEN Z LAB explored the dynamic realm of social media, a cornerstone of Gen Z’s daily existence. Respected content creators from top platforms such as Meta and TikTok graced the event, offering a treasure trove of expertise and guidance. Their presence provided invaluable training sessions, giving students strategic insights and practical content creation techniques tailored specifically to their respective platforms.
In the months leading up to the workshop, participants embarked on an immersive journey into the world of GUESS. Through engaging activities such as store visits, meticulous website analysis, and extensive exploration of the brand’s social media presence, students cultivated a deep understanding of the brand ethos. This prelude set the stage for a collaborative and enriching experience, fostering a symbiotic relationship between theory and practice.
Following a similar format to the previous four workshops, each team of students was given a specific range of GUESS clothing and tasked with creating a photoshoot, with the final feedback being used by the various teams to draft their own social media communication plans. This comprehensive process allowed them to work with students from other countries while learning about crucial aspects of the fashion business, including channel management, product ideation and development, marketing, and communication.
“Through our ongoing exploration with the GEN Z LABS, we were able to delve deep into the psyche of today’s digitally savvy generation, enabling us to collaboratively shape products and services that resonate authentically,” said Carlos Alberini, CEO and Director of GUESS?, Inc. “By expanding our reach to universities worldwide, we were thrilled to welcome students from diverse backgrounds. This initiative not only enriched our understanding of generational desires, but also provided invaluable cross-cultural insights into the aspirations of youth globally.”
End-to-end campaign research
The GUESS GEN Z LAB served as a platform for GUESS marketing, sales, and e-commerce managers to test ideas and receive qualitative feedback directly from Gen Z participants regarding the brand’s campaigns, product launches, and initiatives. In return, students gained hands-on experience in the fashion industry, analyzing real-life case studies, social media posts, message ideation, and campaign messages.
Through this collaborative effort, GUESS and the Lifestyle-Tech Competence Center continued to foster innovation, creativity, and a deeper understanding of the ever-evolving fashion landscape, ensuring that the brand remains at the forefront of the industry while nurturing the next generation of fashion professionals.
“GUESS Lugano welcomed us with high expectations that will surely be met by the educational experience ahead. Guess has provided us with all the tools to start this adventure in the best possible way. It will surely be a short but intense experience that will allow us to get to know and interact with students from other parts of Europe” said Gaia Puliatti, Master Fashion & Luxury Brand Management – Istituto Marangoni Firenze.
“For us students, having such a fantastic opportunity to broaden our knowledge and experience was an amazing opportunity for us to grow both professionally and personally. GUESS provided us with a new perspective, allowing us to see the behind-the-scenes of a renowned brand while focusing on creating social media content for it. Working alongside industry professionals and collaborating with students from diverse backgrounds and cultures, each bringing different points of view. It was a very enriching experience” said Regina Garza Farías, Fashion Business Diploma – IED Madrid.
About GUESS?, Inc
Guess?, Inc. designs, markets, distributes and licenses a lifestyle collection of contemporary apparel, denim, handbags, watches, eyewear, footwear and other related consumer products. Guess? products are distributed through branded Guess? stores as well as better department and specialty stores around the world. As of October 28, 2023, the Company directly operated 1,015 retail stores in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The Company’s partners and distributors operated 544 additional retail stores worldwide. As of October 28, 2023, the Company and its partners and distributors operated in approximately 100 countries worldwide. For more information about the Company, please visit www.guess.com
About Lifestyle Tech Competence Center
The Lifestyle Tech Competence Center, one of the three competence centers officially recognized by Switzerland Innovation Park Ticino and connected to the existing one in Zurich, is a Swiss association dedicated to supporting innovative companies engaged in research and development within the Lifestyle Tech sector. This includes areas such as FoodTech, FashionTech, BeautyTech, TravelTech, DesignTech, and Smart Living, among others. The Association’s primary goal is to facilitate collaboration between academic institutes and companies, fostering the exchange of technology and knowledge.
The members of the Lifestyle Tech Competence Center Association include Accenture, Antares Vision Group, Assos of Switzerland, Bally, Barilla, BertO Salotti, Città di Lugano, Dagorà Lifestyle Innovation Hub, Guess, Hyphen Group, Lavazza, Loomish, Microsoft, Moresi.com, SUPSI, UBS, USI and VF Corporation. Find out more at https://lifestyletechcompetencecenter.com/
