Why Gen Zalpha is Not Responding to Your Retargeting (and 5 Ways to Make Them Click)

Pion has partnered with Blue to get their insights on retargeting. Blue will also be at YMS next week.

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Born in the attention economy and raised inside algorithms, Generation Zalpha is fluent in culture and expects emotional intelligence from brands. They know when something’s made for them and when it’s not. 

Retargeting them without understanding how they respond online is ineffective. Savvy performance marketers need to evolve or risk becoming irrelevant.

For retargeting to click, it must be smart, emotional, and culturally aware. At Blue, we see it perform best when it evolves to meet real human behaviour.

Here’s how.

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1. Shift from recency to relevance

Traditional retargeting follows last-click logic. But Gen Zalpha’s behaviour is fragmented and non-linear, browsing a product one day, engaging with your brand’s mission the next.

Take IKEA as an example. Instead of just pushing product views, they retarget based on lifestyle themes such as eco-living or small space design. This creates deeper cultural alignment with their audience.

Tip: Don’t just chase abandoned baskets. Build retargeting strategies based on content and value engagement.

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2. Don’t retarget products, retarget identity

Gen Zalpha doesn’t just buy things. They buy into aesthetics, values, and communities. A generic product ad is forgettable. But that same item shown within a subculture they identify with resonates.

Converse does this well by using user-generated content from alternative fashion and creative communities. It helps the audience see themselves in the brand.

Tip: Build retargeting around identity such as fashion tribes, causes, and creators to drive meaning, not just reminder clicks.

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3. Retarget the journey, not just the checkout

Retargeting isn’t just for closing. It’s also for guiding. When someone engages with your campaign or content, follow up with a clear next step that keeps them moving towards conversion.

During Spotify Wrapped season, brands invited users to remix campaigns or join exclusives. This turned engagement into deeper participation and future conversion.

Tip: Retargeting should still drive conversions, but it works best when it’s part of a journey. Use it to prompt actions like join, remix, submit, not just buy now.

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4. Emotional > Transactional

Gen Zalpha responds more to values than vouchers. But emotional storytelling builds long-term loyalty.

Patagonia retargets with mission-first messages, such as promoting repair culture, instead of pushing discount codes. It’s not about urgency. It’s about trust.

Tip: Prioritise storytelling with real stories, humour, and values instead of relying on pure promotion.

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5. Lazy retargeting gets ignored

This generation is ad-literate. They know how algorithms work and scroll past generic messages without a second thought. Brands that lean into transparency, humour, or self-awareness stand out.

One brand tested: “Still thinking about it? We are too. Here’s your second chance.” Its performance increased.

Tip: Be human. Smart creative cuts through the noise.

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For Gen Zalpha, retargeting isn’t about pressure

It’s about recognition. Brands that use retargeting and get this don’t just convert. They connect.

At Blue, we believe that performance improves when it understands people.

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Blue is the first retargeting platform developed in Brazil and focused on conversion and transparency. With offices in Brazil, Spain and Argentina, they are making a difference across more than 1000+ e-commerces in the last 3 years.