TikTok may be best known for its viral challenges and surreal skits, but the social media app is evolving into much more than a platform for comedy. How are Gen Zers using this digital channel to educate and inspire their peers? And how are their online communities impacting their offline lives?

TikTok users celebrate it for being free from overt advertising, but with its widespread reach, the app can be the ultimate marketing tool – if used correctly. To drum up hype around his single 'Yummy', Justin Bieber has joined TikTok, indicating the power of promotion that’s seen as authentic.

After capturing the cultural imagination of young Americans on TikTok, 'Old Town Road', a viral song by artist Lil Nas X, has broken a record on the US singles chart. This unprecedented success is a clear nod to the growing power of viral social trends in the music industry.

Gen Zers are a tricky yet intriguing generation to grasp – they’re offline-shopping, eco-conscious, genre-defying, values-defending mavericks. As they grow into adolescence and adulthood, what do Gen Zers actually think is cool and how can brands appeal to this cohort’s unique mindset?