Webboh

There’s no such thing as a single Generation Z. From a survey conducted by Webboh Lab, the first permanent digital observatory completely dedicated to Gen Z and created by Webboh and the Istituto di Ricerca Sylla, on 24,000 12- to 20-year-olds studied for 48 hours, it turns out that Gen Z is not a monolith, but is composed of 5 clusters of young people who experience and perceive interaction with social media in different ways: Meme Maestro (40%), Creative Explorer (18%), Like Lover (17%), Social Soul (14%), and Digital Dreamer (11%).

More specifically, each profile exhibits a different way of using social media:

• Meme Maestro is the most interesting profile. About 40% of young users who responded to the instant social media survey sees the platforms as a form of entertainment, like memes and viral videos. This profile shares aspects of their lives and interests and connects with their peers to get inspiration for trendy products.
• Creative Explorer is the profile that uses social media as a platform to express their creativity through photos, writing, and art. They account for 18% of respondents and are young people who like to explore and deepen their interests, but also discover new topics and share information, promoting social causes and seeking help and support.
• Like Lover is the social media enthusiast profile, who seeks gratification through positive feedback, such as likes and comments. 17% of the total respondents use them as an escape from their daily routine, following and contacting their favourite idols and creators to feel part of another world.
• Social Soul is the profile for the young social media enthusiast who primarily uses the platforms to start relationships and meet new people, as well as to get advice and discover new passions. 14% percent of respondents fall into this category.
• Digital Dreamer is the profile that encompasses the aspects of all the previous profiles and represents those young people (11%) who use social media as a platform to explore and live out an online identity that’s different from their own in reality.

The results of the instant survey also debunked the belief that teenagers feel lonely without social media: on a scale from 1 (“not at all”) to 10 (“maximum”), the average score given to “fear of loneliness” was only 4.3 and is one of the lowest markers in importance among those considered. In fact, the highest scores went to “I would be bored” and “I would do more sports”.

Another interesting finding from the survey is that without social media, Gen Z would mainly miss WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, but they wouldn’t suffer without Facebook, which came last behind Twitch, Discord, and X, reflecting the strong need to stay in touch with their friends.

Through their collaboration with the Istituto di Ricerca Sylla, the Observatory gave a genuine picture of Gen Z by direct contact with the youngest generation and getting to know and examine their thoughts, opinions, expectations and interests in real time, through surveys conducted on and with the help of social media.

For all survey results, see Gen Zs: The Many Faces of Generation Z – https://webbohlab.it/

Webboh is the media hub for GEN Z. Created in April 2019, it has been part of Mondadori Media since February 2023. It currently has a fanbase of 3 million followers across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, 70% of which are under 24. The website receives 2.5 million unique monthly users (source: Audiweb Media Month 2023). It is in the top ten most influential Italian media companies on social media, as well as the first of the Generation Z generation targeting engagement and video views (source: Italian Top Media Rankings of First Communication made by Sensemakers). The topicality, authenticity and interest generated by the content is guaranteed by the bottom-up editorial model: the community is involved in every part of the creative process.

Sylla is the research institute in charge of managing the lab, research activities, membership and awards. Established in 2016 after 25 years of experience in the field by the current management team, it specialises in strategic market research, web surveys, qualitative surveys and monitoring surveys. It collaborates with the Universities of Bologna, Turin, Cattolica and Bicocca in Milan and counts foundations, institutions and some of the largest communication agencies among its clients. Its scientific director is Professor Furio Camillo, Professor of Business Statistics at the Department of Statistical Sciences at the University of Bologna, who is in an ongoing collaboration with the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts (CNAM) in Paris and the University of Tennessee. He has authored more than 60 scientific publications, participated in more than 300 projects with Data Analyis activities applied to economic or social problems

Mondadori Media, the leading Italian multimedia publisher on social media and in the digital world involving Gen Z, was the protagonist with the stage “ReGENERATION from Z to Alpha” in the Vision Arena of the IAB Forum 2023, the main event in Italy dedicated to digital innovation, which was held in Milan on November 8 and 9. Building on its experience of social and new generation issues, Mondadori Media took advantage of the valuable setting provided by IAB Forum to announce two great new products dedicated to Gen Z: Webboh Lab and Z Power.

Webboh Labis the first permanent digital observatory of Gen Z, which gives back to the world the authentic photograph of this new generation: a privileged vantage point to know up close and in real time the thoughts, opinions, expectations and interests of young people, thanks to the centrality of Webboh, the first Italian community dedicated to Gen Z, and the authority of the Istituto di Ricerca Sylla.

In less than 48 hours, 24,000 teens between the ages of 12 and 20 responded to the first instant survey launched in community stories on Instagram. The results showed – as professor Furio Camillo, Professor of Business Statistics at the University of Bologna and Sylla’s Scientific Director, had the opportunity to illustrate – that Generation Z is not a monolith, but is made up of five profiles of social media users: Meme Maestro, comprising 40% of young people surveyed, Creative Explorer (18%), Like Lover (17%), Social Soul (14%), and Digital Dreamer (11%).

The “Meme Master” uses social media through entertainment and virality, while the other four clusters use the platforms for more value-based purposes, such as exploring interests, promoting social causes, obtaining support and sharing their creativity. Another piece of evidence that emerged debunks  the belief that young people without social media are  lonely: when asked to imagine a world without social media, the fear of loneliness scored 4.3 – on a scale where 1 equals “not at all” and 10 equals “maximum” – and is one of the last most important markers (the highest marks were obtained by “I would be bored” and “I would do more sport”). A further interesting result shows that, in a world without social media, the younger generation would miss WhatsApp and Instagram, followed by TikTok and YouTube, while they would not miss Facebook, in the last position behind Twitch, Discord, and X. To learn more about all the results of the survey and the survey possibilities offered by Webboh Lab, visit webbohlab.it.

There are also important news about Power Talent Agency. Z Power is the new agency’s spin-off dedicated to young talents who relate to Gen Z and with whom they share values and themes. A roster of ordinary young creators who speak about what they believe in, including ACapoDelGlobo (aka Giulia Berettini), Ella’s Book, Webboh talents as Claudia Mariani, Arianna Madonna and Christian Candela, and so many others. Z Power aims to create a bond between creators and brands that want to connect with their audiences, creating an ecosystem of mutual collaboration and growth. Its launch enriches Mondadori Media’s proposal for communicating the world of the younger generation, thanks in part to synergies with the Webboh publishing brand.

The IAB Forum 2023 hosted, among others, the plenary panel titled “Generazioni e Rigenerazioni,” an inspirational moment held by IAB Italia President Carlo Noseda and Andrea Santagata, Managing Director of Mondadori Media Area Digital and Polo MarTec. The panel was focused not only on digital evolution in the last 20 years but also on future and its applications, starting with AI.

On the same stage Benedetta De Luca, Disability Advocacy, Gender & Inclusion Editor for The Wom and creator of Power Talent Agency, attended too. She addressed the theme of inclusion within the world of communication together with Martina Fuga, Communications Manager of CoorDown, and Nicola Acampora founder of PizzAut.

Mondadori Media enlivened the Vision Arena with a rich schedule and many guests with the moderation of Giampaolo Colletti, journalist contributor to Il Sole24Ore and StartupItalia Director: 25 professionals in this sector, 65% of them women, delved into topics related to the new generations, such as communication strategies (thanks to the intervention of media and advertising agencies Open Influence, Ogilvy, Omnicom Media Group and Dentsu Creative) and the evolution of trends, thanks to the intervention of the main social platforms such as Meta, TikTok and YouTube. The values and creativity that characterize Gen Z with panels by The Wom and Webboh were outlined too.

During the two intense days of IAB Forum 2023, there were many workshops signed by Mondadori Media: in the first one, “The Social Big Opportunity,” Andrea Santagata presented Mondadori Media’s development strategy and, in the second one, Edoardo Rettori, Sales Account Manager of AdKaora, and Betty Lasjuilliarias, Digital & Omni-Channel Manager of Alcon, illustrated the successful case study for the Alcon brand thanks to the new Impact Video format of AdKaora.

You can view the full program at this link.

Mondadori Media is Italy’s leading multimedia publisher, with a distinctive positioning and audience on the editorial market. Through its brands, the Mondadori Group’s social multimedia company caters for the passions of the Italians – food, beauty, fashion, health and wellness, science and tech – and reaches more than 26 million unique users every month (source: Audiweb Jan-Aug 2023) and a total fanbase of 100 million (source: Comscore Shareablee + Pinterest insight October 2023).

Webboh is the flagship media of Gen-Z. Founded in April 2019, it has been part of Mondadori Media since February 2023. It currently has a fanbase between TikTok, Instagram and YouTube of 3 million users of which 70% are under the age of 24, a website of 2.5 million monthly unique users (source: Audiweb Average Month 2023) . It is in the top ten most influential Italian media on social, as well as the first in target generation Z for engagement and video views (source: Top Italian Media Rankings of Prima Comunicazione made by Sensemakers). The topicality, authenticity and interest aroused by the content is guaranteed by the bottom-up editorial model: the community is involved in every part of the creative process.

Power Talent Agency is Mondadori Media’s agency that manages a roster of talents with different artistic paths. The variety of profiles makes Power a unique reality in the Italian digital world, in which the talent of influencers and creators is transformed into value for brands, reaching over 30 million video views per month.The projects developed can also benefit from integration opportunities with Mondadori Media brands, from The Wom to Mypersonaltrainer to Webboh, for the creation of content with a strong impact in message, language and style. The goal is to create authentic stories for all target segments, especially for the genZ and young millennialZ public.

Who do GenZ idolise? Webboh, the reference point website for Generation Z, asked its community for the fourth edition of “Webboh Awards“. The awards – created by Webboh – have recorded growing success in recent years, crediting themselves as the “Oscars” of the best Italian creators.

The voting – which took place from February 20 until March 5 – celebrated the talent and qualities of many tiktokers, youtubers and influencers who have distinguished themselves in the last year on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Twitch.

In the competition were more than 150 candidates, divided into 16 categories which the Webboh community gave their opinions on, achieving incredible results with almost 5 million votes on the site.

The awards

Best TikTok creator e Best comedy creator

Winner of two categories is Mattia Stanga, in first place both as Best TikTok Creator of the year and as Best Creator Comedy. 25 years old, born in the province of Brescia, he is undoubtedly one of the pillars of the new wave of creators on TikTok, thanks to the success of his “POV” videos (acronym for “point of view”).

Top creator

The Italian digital par excellence entrepreneur could not fail to triumph. Chiara Ferragni – with over 35 million followers on Instagram and TikTok – debuted in 2009 with the blog “The Blonde Salad”, strengthening her brand year after year and becoming an international style icon and among the most influential women in the world.

Best youtuber

With a podcast and YouTube channel with 800,000 subscribers, Elisa True Crime – stage name of Elisa De Marco – is among the rising phenomena of the network.

Best fashion creator

Elisa Maino won the iconic Webboh statuette as Best Fashion Creator. With almost 6 million followers on TikTok, Elisa has gained great popularity thanks to her style and her ability to launch trends.

Best teen idol – female

With more than 2 million followers on social media, the award goes to Nicky Passarella. Half Italian and half Dutch, 22-year-old Nicky with her unmistakable freckles and bright smile, has conquered the web in a very short period of time.

Best teen idole – male

After making himself known on TV, Davide Vavalà has gained great popularity on social media that he uses to talk about his daily life and his passions.

Best beauty creator

Arianna Stella, otherwise known as Arienne MakeUp, is among the revelations of the Italian beauty community. She’s a make-up artist with over 3 million followers who talks about makeup and beauty, giving curious tutorials and showing extravagant looks.

Best food creator

Cooker Girl, also known as Aurora Cavallo, is among the top creators of Giallozafferano and co-founder of the talent agency Zenzero. On her journey on social media she intertwines her passion for traditional Italian cuisine with the innovation of modern techniques.

Revelation of the year

Leo Bonni, “Bonni Nazionale”, is among the latest discoveries of the comedy world of TikTok. Born in 2006, he began making videos at the age of 13, gaining over 1.2 million followers with the ironic story of his life as a teenager.

Best value

For the first time at the Webboh Awards, Best Value Award celebrates the talents that spread value messages on social media aimed at GenZ.  In 1st place is Pietro Morello: a 24-year-old from Turin, he uses social media to convey messages of humanity, solidarity and brotherhood, also thanks to the magic of music, his first passion.

Out of drama

Winning the category Out of Drama – and standing out without looking for hype with drama or dissing – is Ace, tiktoker and youtuber with over 4 million followers: he is 19 years old and stands out on social media for his supportive content and for reflecting, with contests and challenges, on the value of money and saving.

Best meme

The meme par excellence of recent times? The expression of doubt of Ivano Monzani, category winner of Best Meme: he has been made a celebrity by his reactions to the songs of Italian rappers.

Drama legend

Class of 2001, Lady Giorgia has been able to attract the attention of the network with her TV series adventures. Always blunt, Lady Giorgia has been able to dominate drama with her frank and sincere manner.

Best streamer

Ten years after landing on social media, Riccardo Dose, 28 years old from Pordenone, shows no sign of giving way. “Si nasce, si cresce, si Dose” is the motto of the creator, on hand at all times and ready to innovate on every platform.

Couple of the year

On social media they are the Space Family, in real life Valentino Bisegna and Sara Di Sturco. Martino’s parents, expecting their second child, the two creators talk about family life on both their personal and couple socials, always in the name of good humour.

L’evento

The award ceremony of the fourth edition of the Webboh Awards, which took place for the first time live, was hosted by Jody Cecchetto and Alessia Lanza, who were joined by more than 350 guests.

In addition to the participants there were also three special “presenters”: the “chocolate king” Ernst Knam, who crowned Cooker Girl as winner of the category Best Food Creator; the TV presenter Barbara d’Urso, always at the side of young talents, who presented the award to Leo Bonni, winner of the category Revelation of the year; Benedetta De Luca – recently celebrated as one of the five most influential Italian women of 2022 – who captured attention with a speech focused on the values of diversity and inclusion, rewarding Pietro Morello with the recognition of Best Value.

An extra surprise on the Webboh stage was an appearance by Rosa Chemical, who during the evening performed the song “Made in Italy” which he sang for the first time during the 73^rd edition of the Sanremo Festival

The event was broadcast live on the Webboh, Instagram and TikTok social platforms. The live, the Stories, the posts and the short videos of the brand and the creators present have achieved really important results in terms of reach: in total the contents related to the “Webboh Awards” have reached 35 million people.

I partner

The “Webboh Awards 2023” project has been embraced by important Italian brands, who actively participated in the event: the awardfor the Best Comedy Creator category was offered – also thanks to the commercial support of Mediamond – by Crodino, who also set up the open bar for the evening guests where a social pre-show was set with the 3 TikTok faces of Webboh. Phobia Archive, a project of Vision of Super, in collaboration with Webboh and 3 creators will create a series of video interviews for the launch of the new streetwear collection and for the occasion has created a celebratory sweatshirt in co-branding with Webboh for the winners of the awards. Finally, Pink Sugar presented the preview of the Lollipink fragrance through a branded flower wall, bringing to life the experience of the new gourmand fruity floral fragrance.

The participation of brand partners in the Awards confirmed Webboh as a reference point for communication to the under 25s, thanks to its ability to “translate” the native language of the target audience, enhancing and influencing the consumption trends of youngsters, allowing customers and investors to convey the message directly, naturally and without artificiality not only on social platforms but also through the live experience during the event.

The complete ranking of the Webboh Awards 2023

1. Top Creator: 1^st place Chiara Ferragni; 2^nd place Elisa True Crime; 3^rd place Mattia Stanga
2. Best TikTok Creator: 1^st place Mattia Stanga; 2^nd place Federica Scagnetti; 3^rd place Alessia Lanza
3. Best YouTuber: 1^st place Elisa True Crime; 2^nd place Gianmarco Zagato; 3^rd place Space Family
4. Best Streamer: 1^st place Riccardo Dose; 2^nd place Il Masseo; 3^rd place Jody Cecchetto
5. Best Creator Comedy: 1^st place Mattia Stanga; 2^nd place Dany Cabras; 3^rd place Chaimaa Cherbal
6. Best Fashion Creator: 1^st place Elisa Maino; 2^nd place Federica Scagnetti; 3^rd place Greta Santarelli
7. Best Teen Idol – Male: 1^st place Davide Vavalà; 2^nd place Matteo Robert; 3^rd place Valerio Mazzei
8. Best Teen Idol – Female: 1^st place Nicky Passarella; 2^nd place Gaia Bianchi; 3^rd place Valeria Vedovatti
9. Best Beauty Creator: 1^st place Arienne MakeUp; 2^nd place Salacca; 3^rd place Beatrice Gherardini
10. Best Food Creator: 1^st place Cooker Girl; 2^nd place Diletta Secco; 3^rd place Benedetta Rossi
11. Revelation Of The Year: 1^st place Leo Bonni; 2^nd place Sasy Cacciatore; 3^rd place Camilla De Pandis
12. Best Value: 1^st place Pietro Morello; 2^nd place Carlotta Fiasella; 3^rd place Momo and Raissa
13. Drama Legend: 1^st place Lady Giorgia; 2^nd place Very and Sasy; 3^rd place Gaia Bianchi
14. Out Of Drama: 1^st place Ace; 2^nd place Vincenzo Schettini; 3^rd place Giovanni Arena
15. Couple Of The Year: 1^st place Space Family; 2^nd place Sofia Crisafulli and Agostino Catanzariti; 3^rd place MamboLosco and Giulia Ottorini
16. Best Meme: 1^st place Ivano Monzani; 2^nd place “Un aperitif” by Elena Giordano and Elvira; 3^rd place “Cosa indossa Ludovica” by Monelli Kids