dcdx

What dcdx does

dcdx is a privately held Gen Z research and strategy firm founded in March 2020 by Andrew Roth, operating under GenZ Designs LLC (Ohio, USA), that helps consumer brands and advertising agencies develop strategies to attract Generation Z consumers. The company's core product is a combination of proprietary qualitative research methodology and the Brand Magnetism® Index, a quantitative framework measuring organic brand conversation across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Underpinning the offering is the Futurehuman Network, a community of more than 300,000 Gen Z'ers accessed through Instagram micro-communities, where hundreds of paid Gen Z partners participate in polls (at $1 per poll post plus $0.07-$0.32 per response), interviews, focus groups, and sounding boards to surface unfiltered consumer insights.

dcdx monetizes through professional services engagements structured around three primary offerings: the Brand Magnetism Accelerator (a 90-day cohort program with category-exclusive brand partnerships), Custom Research & Audience Insights (bespoke studies such as the 1,000-respondent Hinge dating journey research and the 2,000-respondent Eventbrite Fourth Spaces category creation work), and ongoing Gen Z Sounding Boards via Instagram group chat. The firm publishes annual thought leadership franchises including the Magnetic 100 industry rankings (Top 50 Overall, Restaurants, Beauty), the Gen Z Screen Time Report, and the Gen Z Wrapped music report, all distributed through the 24/Z Substack newsletter and case study library as top-of-funnel demand generation.

The company operates as a bootstrapped, founder-owned entity with 11-50 employees, serving enterprise clients that include Hinge, Chipotle, Spotify, Urban Decay, Eventbrite, Crocs, Feeld, Simon Malls, and Sequoia Capital, alongside advertising agency relationships with Johannes Leonardo, Havas, Arnold, and EssenceMediacom. Demonstrable client outcomes include a 252% UGC increase for Urban Decay in Q3 2024, the Naked palette selling five months of stock in 3.5 weeks, and a WildAid climate campaign generating 2 billion impressions and $25MM in pro bono media. dcdx has also launched Offline as a wholly-owned subsidiary providing talent representation for Gen Z creators.

Name

dcdx

Legal name

GenZ Designs LLC

Website

https://dcdx.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

dcdx is a Gen Z-founded research and strategy firm that helps consumer brands and advertising agencies attract Generation Z through proprietary access to a 300,000+-member Futurehuman Network, the Brand Magnetism® Index for measuring organic social conversation, custom qualitative research, and 90-day Brand Magnetism Accelerator cohorts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer Experience (CX) & Digital Experience (BPAHAEAC)

Keywords

• Consumer research services
• Brand strategy consulting
• Market research
• Gen Z insights
• Social listening analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Custom Research & Audience Insights: Bespoke research services for specific business questions, built around identified objectives and RFPs. Includes ongoing custom audience panels and recurring reporting for brands and agencies.
2. Brand Magnetism Accelerator: 90-day sprint program for brands to identify what makes them magnetic to Gen Z. Limited cohorts with category-exclusive partnerships, including competitive analysis, strategic roadmap development, and implementation support.
3. Futurehuman Partner Community: Network of Gen Z partners paid for participating in research opportunities including polls, interviews, focus groups, and DM conversations. Partners earn $1 per poll post plus per-response fees ($0.07 multiple choice, $0.32 open-ended).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

dcdx is a Gen Z research and strategy firm that operates a proprietary network of 300,000+ Gen Z'ers (the Futurehuman Network) accessed through Instagram micro-communities. The firm sells custom Gen Z research, audience insight panels, and the 90-day Brand Magnetism Accelerator sprint program to enterprise brands and agencies seeking to understand, engage, and grow with Gen Z consumers.

Product overview

dcdx is a Gen Z research and strategy firm that operates a network-plus-services model. The company combines a proprietary network of 300,000+ Gen Z'ers (Futurehuman Network) with research services including the Brand Magnetism® Accelerator (90-day strategic sprint), Custom Research & Audience Insights, and Gen Z Sounding Boards (always-on Instagram panel). Their core methodology is the Brand Magnetism® Index, which measures how brands attract organic conversation. They publish periodic Magnetic 100 reports ranking top brands in beauty, restaurants, and overall, plus annual research reports on Gen Z screen time, music, and workplace trends. All offerings are distributed through their 24/Z newsletter and case study publications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Offline: A talent agency for Gen Z creators, introduced as a dcdx company.
• FutureHuman Network
• Brand Magnetism Accelerator

Products and services

• Brand Magnetism Accelerator A 90-day cohort sprint that identifies what makes a brand magnetic to Gen Z, benchmarks against competitors, and produces a strategic roadmap to increase the brand's magnetic pull with Gen Z consumers. Includes Gen Z competitive analysis, immersive research, strategic roadmap development, and implementation support. Sold to enterprise brands via application-based limited cohorts (e.g., Restaurants, Beauty, Wild Card).
• Custom Research & Audience Insights Bespoke Gen Z research service addressing specific business questions, built around client objectives and RFPs. Includes ongoing custom audience panels, recurring reporting, and Gen Z/Gen Alpha focused research deliverables for brands and agencies.
• Gen Z Sounding Boards Always-on, custom audience panels conducted via Instagram group chat, providing ongoing Gen Z feedback on creative assets, products, and strategic decisions for client brands and agencies.
• Futurehuman Network A community of Gen Z'ers and Zillennials who participate in paid research opportunities including Instagram polls, interviews, focus groups, sounding boards, and DM conversations. Partners earn per-activity compensation (e.g., $1 per poll post plus $0.07–$0.32 per response) and form the data collection backbone for dcdx's research services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Urban Decay UGC increased 252% in Q3 2024; GenZ Score improved from #35 to #24 in Top 50 ranking
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• WildAidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned research partnership for Gen Z and climate crisis study leading to WildAid's US consumer decarbonization ad campaign. Research contributed to 2 billion impressions and $25MM in pro bono media. Described as 'groundbreaking thought leadership' and 'new thinking'.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ipsos: Global market research firm with dedicated Gen Z and youth research practices serving consumer brands. Significantly larger incumbent offering broader quantitative research capabilities competing for the same RFPs.
• Mintel: Global market research firm publishing Gen Z and youth consumer reports across categories including beauty, food, and retail. Larger incumbent that competes for the same enterprise brand research budgets across multiple verticals.
• GWI (Global Web Index): Global consumer research platform with large syndicated datasets across demographics including Gen Z. Broader and larger incumbent that overlaps with dcdx on Gen Z research but serves many additional segments and use cases.
• Big Village: Insights and analytics firm with youth and generational research capabilities serving enterprise marketers. Broader incumbent with adjacent offerings in advertising effectiveness, insights, and youth research.

Direct peers

• Archrival: Youth marketing agency with research capabilities that helps brands authentically connect with Gen Z. Comparable as a Gen Z-focused agency offering research, strategy, and creative execution.
• Y-Pulse: Youth and family research firm providing custom research, panels, and strategy focused on Gen Z and younger cohorts. Comparable as a specialist research firm targeting younger consumer segments for enterprise clients.
• Sparks & Honey: Cultural foresight and trend intelligence consultancy focused on youth and generational shifts. Directly comparable as a culture-first insights firm serving enterprise brands with proprietary youth-oriented methodology.
• Cassandra (by GWI): Gen Z and youth research platform with proprietary generational datasets and reports. Closest comparable to dcdx on segment focus (Gen Z only), proprietary data, and enterprise brand customers.

Emerging players

• House of Blue (House of Blue Thinking): Youth and Gen Z insights agency working with brands on cultural research and strategy. Comparable emerging player with similar Gen Z-only focus and bespoke research model.
• Tinuiti: Digital marketing agency with research and Gen Z specialization serving enterprise brands across commerce, media, and creative. Comparable as an emerging player combining research with execution for Gen Z consumer brands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dcdx_co
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dcdx
• Instagraminstagram.com/dcdx
• TikToktiktok.com/@dcdx
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@dcdx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about dcdx