When global brands like Nike or Abercrombie & Fitch want to promote a new product, they reach out to a select community of influential content creators, recruit them as brand ambassadors, and incentivize them to post about their products on social media.
These conglomerates understand that old marketing paradigms are no longer relevant for Gen Z. Instead of manufactured and overly produced campaigns, young people prefer authenticity and personal storytelling.
American Gen Z is passionate about content that adds value to their lives. They love DIY videos, makeup tutorials, food recipes, fashion tips, self-care advice, and more.
However, selling an idea to American teens can be tricky. Their aversion to highly manufactured and inauthentic content makes it extremely difficult to push an idea merely by presenting the facts in an overly produced way.
They believe in narratives that come from real people with real stories. That’s why they are more likely to purchase a product endorsed by someone they trust online and to advocate for a cause they believe helps real people.
It follows that if we want to change perspectives among young Americans about Israel, we must implement these new marketing strategies and leave old paradigms behind.
We can’t continue responding to anti-Israel content with neatly produced, one-dimensional Hasbara videos. Instead, we must put real, relatable faces on Israel’s marketing team.
That’s exactly what TalkIsrael, a U.S. and Israel-based nonprofit, is doing. Established in early 2023, our mission is to positively change the conversation about Israel on social media among young Americans.
We do this by empowering young content creators who are passionate about Israel to produce excellent content and share their stories with their American peers.
We’ve created and run hundreds of free workshops and programs for aspiring creators, teaching them not only how to effectively talk about Israel on social media in a way that resonates with American teens and young adults, but also how to cultivate their brand presence, grow their audience, and find their niche.
We are also partnering with other like-minded organizations to expand our reach and provide free 101 social media training to those visiting Israel, whether for long or short periods, helping them elevate their voice on social media and communicate their unique experiences with their peers around the world.
TalkIsrael has built an impressive network of over 150 passionate creators who love Israel. We work with them to produce original content, reaching millions of views globally. We give our creators the freedom to create non-political content that represents them and the platform to reach audiences they never thought they could reach.
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Influencers like Montana Tucker can sway Gen Z opinions better than any produced campaign
(Photo: Hertzl Yosef)
We’ve also created a unique video podcast called “Creator’s Take,” where our program alumni have the chance to interview influencers like Montana Tucker, Nas Daily, Kosha Dillz, and others, whose combined reach on social media is over 100 million people. These influencers openly discuss their Israel-related stories and share professional insights.
After October 7, TalkIsrael found itself at a crossroads. We weren’t sure how to continue posting and talking about positive things when so many people were hurting.
But to our surprise, many young people—Israelis, Americans, and from all across the world—became eager to share their personal stories and experiences with others during these difficult times.
So, we doubled down on our work, training more and more potential creators on how to speak the truth about Israel and authentically communicate their personal experiences in a way that will add value and interest young Americans.
Elena YacovPhoto: Bar CohenOur network of creators continues to grow and produce great non-political content that provides a positive, multidimensional perspective about Israel and bridges cultural divides.
We invite anyone who is passionate about changing the narrative about Israel on social media and wants to be part of a movement that fosters understanding and connection, to join us at TalkIsrael.
Elena Yacov is the Executive Director in the TalkIsrael Foundation. Reach out to us at [email protected] and be a part of the conversation today.
First published: 15:57, 08.09.24