Gen Z Reveals Emotional Intelligence in Classroom Positioning Assignment

By Ellie Victor, CEO

ZOOM bestie, Rob Meinhardt and ZOOM co-CEO, Ellie Victor team up to teach brand positioning at Pinewood School.

Our future is in good hands if Los Altos’ Pinewood High School students are any indication. Teacher Michelle Gannon created a social entrepreneurship course at Pinewood where students create real-life projects they’re passionate about. Serial entrepreneur and ZOOM Marketing client Rob Meinhardt and I were invited to teach a workshop on brand positioning where the students were challenged to find the best words to tell their stories. 

The results reveal how today’s kids think about what our world needs now. The Class of 2023 is clear-eyed about problems they can solve with new ideas, a succinct definition of the “hill” they’re defining, what sets them apart and supporting proof points. These steps are the fundamentals of positioning that form the cornerstone of a compelling brand story. Here’s a copy of the worksheet that powers breakthrough stories for students and C-suites alike. 

Gen Z understands the challenges that lie ahead

YPulse, a youth research organization, annually polls American youth to identify their worries. The ideas from the Pinewood students mirror what YPulse reports. The ideas focused on healthcare, education, inclusion, seniors, and more. All the ideas include an aspect of social disconnection, using resources effectively, and making a difference in people’s lives. 

Here’s a look at some of their terrific ideas by category: 

Healthcare

• Hill: Kits for hospitalized children
  Many children hospitalized or staying in hospital homes are homesick and lonely due to reduced interaction. Providing personalized products for hospitalized children will reduce homesickness.

• Hill: Design thinking and the medical field
  Solving health inequity issues through design. Create sustainable solutions using design to lessen the barrier between the ultra-rich and poverty-stricken.

• Hill: Medical equipment loaning and donations
  Address the lack of access to and waste of home health equipment. Reusing medical equipment for the disenfranchised that otherwise would end up in a landfill.

Inclusion & Education

• Hill: Curriculum that includes all students from all backgrounds
  The inability to provide a diverse curriculum leaves out a massive portion of the student body in schools across the nation. Lift-up minority students and create a flexible curriculum that fits everyone. 

• Hill: Education for the food insecure
  Food banks don’t give customers information on how to use food in recipes. Our company provides recipes for the food insecure to make their lives easier and waste less food. 

• Hill: Kids activities and clubs
  Kids in low-income families cannot use the valuable time for enrichment and fun when their parents run errands. Provide home and educational services for kids who must wait in laundromats.

• Hill: Cookbook that highlights Pinewood’s diversity
  Pinewood’s community is failing to acknowledge the diversity and community across campuses. The Flavors of Pinewood highlights the stories of Pinewood families through food in a creative, compelling way.

• Hill: Biracial identity celebrations
  There is a lack of a Japanese American biracial community. Ensure Japanese Americans in the Bay Area community feel seen and secure in their identity.

Seniors

• Hill: Senior citizen financial abuse
  Senior citizens are being taken advantage of financially through a variety of scams and fraud. Our organization focuses on teaching seniors how to identify and respond to scams.

• Hill: Pen-pals for the elderly
  Many pen-pal organizations for the elderly don’t meaningfully connect the elderly and young people. More than just being pen-pals, younger people can visit their “pal” and talk to them through digital means, enabling greater convenience and connection.

Other Ideas

• Hill: No charge freelance grant writing services
  The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the nonprofit industry into a state of financial crisis. Our organization provides free grant writing, so there’s no financial burden upon the nonprofits it serves.

• Hill: Dog adoption advocate group
  Too many people purchase dogs when many homeless dogs go unadopted every year. We congregate dog lovers into communities that are passionate about dog adoption.

Want to learn more about how our data-driven positioning works? Let us know. We’re happy to show you how this technique delivers value, aligns teams, and inspires customers.