by by Fern Peva
You may have noticed a shift over the past couple of years in how brands are communicating with their followers on social media. In the past, brands took a clean, professional, and polished tone to their brand voice, but this has shifted. Brands such as Ryanair and Wendy’s are opting for a more humorous, casual, and even chaotic voice on social media.
Unsurprisingly, you can thank Generation Z for new way of brands communicating online, according to Hootsuite CEO Irina Novoselsky, “For companies, it’s time to rethink how you show off your products– ditch the demos and build intuitive platforms that let Gen Z buyers find the value themselves, at their own pace,” Generation Z is not showing an interest in brands that are not being authentic with their social media presence.
Take, for example, budget airline Ryanair. Boasting over 1.7 million Instagram followers and 2.4 million TikTok followers, Ryanair is making a splash on socials with its straightforward, comedic videos that often make fun of its own reputation. According to the former head of social at Ryanair, Michael Corcoran, who started Ryanair’s chaotic social media presence, “We didn’t want to sound like a brand. We wanted to sound like the people using the platforms.”
Whereas some critics may see this chaotic brand voice as an attention grab, interestingly enough, Ryanair does not feel like its social media presence is inauthentic or for show, and was not actually a change in tone for the company that Corcoran described as having a history of “disruptive, provocative marketing, whether people liked it or not.”
Although this brand voice is different from what we have seen in the past, it is what people are gravitating toward and want to see from their favorite brands. According to a 2025 survey done by Sprout Social, “49% of consumers say the originality of content makes their favorite brands stand out on social media.”
Ryanair is far from the only company that has changed its brand’s voice in order to put out more relatable, entertaining content. According to a 2025 survey done by Hootsuite, “in the last year, 43% of organizations tried out a new tone or personality on social, with some of them bold enough to diverge significantly from their standard brand voice.” Brands from Chili’s to The Paralympics are using their platforms to connect with audiences in a playful and authentic way, taking a page out of Ryanair’s book.
In the upcoming years, we will continue to see this shift in brands’ voices on social media. As a consumer, I am left to wonder if this unfiltered and often chaotic marketing strategy will strengthen consumer brand relationships or if it will be a social media marketing trend.
I really like how you explained the shift from polished brand voices to the more chaotic, humorous style we’re seeing today. I think it shows how much Gen Z has influenced modern marketing. Your example of Ryanair makes it clear why this approach works, since their honesty and self-awareness make them feel more relatable than traditional brands. I’m also curious, like you, whether this trend will lead to stronger long-term connections or if it’s just a phase in social media.
Hi Fern!
I really enjoyed reading your post. I have definitely noticed and appreciated how brands have started running their social media accounts. I have also seen Ryanair posts in my feed, and I think they are pretty funny. I thought your point about Gen Z driving this change was spot-on, as authenticity has been more important to younger audiences recently. That said, I’m curious about the same thing you mentioned at the end: is this sustainable long-term, or will it become oversaturated once every brand tries to be the “funny, relatable” one? I often think about this. I feel like some brands try, this but miss the mark in some way, and I think brands’ social media voices and presence will definitely change over time. Overall, great post!