Millennial Brands Are At Risk

Author

Ausra Prasauskaite
August 18, 2025

Do what noone else is doing to have what noone else is having

Manychat is hosting a huge online Instagram Summit.
Two full days packed with the latest insights on Instagram growth — straight from top creators, social media experts, and the people actually making serious money on the platform.

I’ll be attending virtually. At $29 for two days of insider knowledge, it would be silly not to. I particularly love that they will offer an opportunity to network with other creators who are on the same journey. I am actively looking for people to collaborate with to grow my accounts faster - this is a truly forgotten way to grow everything faster.

You can get your ticket here (price increasing on the 1st of October).

And just in case you don’t know what Manychat is: it’s the platform every successful creator is using. You know when you comment a keyword under a post and instantly get a DM with a link or freebie? That’s Manychat running in the background.

If you want to know more about how it can help your own account, I broke it down here: How to Use Manychat to Boost Conversions & Get Ahead of the Competition.

TLDR: This post is about how the social media algorithm has changed. But if you decide to skip it, check out the very end - I share a good resource on how you can get free media coverage.

I’ve been watching the way algorithms are shifting, and here’s what’s becoming clear: the era of the perfectly curated feed is ending.

Millennial brands - those slick, polished, “Instagram-perfect” feeds that ruled pre-2020 - are starting to feel outdated.

Why? People are tired of perfect. They want authenticity. Raw energy. Real moments.

As Gen Z becomes the dominant audience and AI-generated content floods our feeds, it’s the brands staying human, unpredictable, and even a little messy that are already winning attention.

Meanwhile, those still chasing the “perfect aesthetic” are quietly losing ground. The algorithm has already pivoted - and it will again.

This shift is also why I’ve been warning AGAINST hiring cheap social media managers. Perfection in brand feeds usually isn’t a sign of someone “faking a lifestyle.” It’s just easy. It shows a lack of creativity, thought, and real effort. And that’s what you get when you decide not to invest in social media.

I get it - everyone is busy. But ignoring the single most powerful driver of leads and sales for your brand? That’s just bad business. Right now is the time to go all-in on growth. Not comfortable, not convenient. But necessary.

How to lean into this (without sacrificing quality)

1. Blend quality with real-time fun

  • Show behind-the-scenes. Messy desk, last-minute packing, stove-top coffee.

  • Keep visuals decent, but let them feel live, not staged.

2. Think like @Semrush
They know their target audience is marketers, so they create funny content about everyday struggles in that niche. It’s specific and actually funny.

3. Think like @Loewe (check out their TikTok for most unhinged content, I like it much more but am not able to share a post here in the feed)
High-fashion, yes. But their visuals are unexpected. Curated chaos: pretty, strange, scroll-stopping, even a little weird. They lean into “not for everyone” - and that’s exactly their audience.

4. Think like NZ Cheap Cars
Yes, really. A used car dealer dancing on TikTok. Not slick ads, just joyful, silly, high-energy content that went viral and got copied everywhere. It doesn’t make “perfect sense” for their brand - and that’s why it works.

Why this matters for your brand

The algorithm rewards what’s engaging, not what’s pretty. If your feed looks polished but feels lifeless, you’ll be skipped.

Instead:

  • Be unpredictable. Show fun, failure, or a spontaneous moment.

  • Be real. AI-fake can’t compete with human imperfection.

  • Don’t compromise your aesthetic. Let authenticity live beside it.

P.S. Want free media coverage? Sign up at HARO (Help a Reporter Out). Twice a day you’ll get journalist requests from outlets like Forbes, Wall Street Journal, and many smaller ones. It’s free. You respond with your expert comment. There’s no guarantee, but if you answer enough requests with thoughtful, specific insights (not generic AI fluff), your chances of being featured go way up. Requests are coming in for every industry!

And in case you haven’t seen my latest posts…

Good luck, see you next Monday!

Ausra