Getting Up Close & Personal with Gen Z

Gen Z… they crave success. It will be important to understand them in the upcoming years as they come of age and will be the audience that brands are marketing to, if they aren’t already. Let’s talk about their top 3 priorities in life. 1. Clothing and fashion choices. 2. Making money. 3. DEI. Well, this third is as important for society as number one is, isn’t? it’s also important to note that this generation is still young and their priorities may change over time as they age. What are they interested in? 1. Influencers. They actually aspire to be influencers one day. It’s weird to think that when they’re asked what they want to be when they “grow up” that answer could be an influencer. 2. Coding/programming. This one will be very useful as technology continues to advance so good job on this one Gen Z! 3. Esports. Again, wow… but this is competitive video game playing and can actually come with a large paycheck nowadays through sponsorships etc. Now, where does Gen Z hang out on social media? Their preferred platform isn’t surprising, TikTok. Their second favorite is Instagram and their least used is Facebook. Looks like Facebook is for old folks now…

We recently did a post on how social media may become the new search engine. Gen Z proves this trend could be the future. When it comes to brand discovery, their top method is through vlogs. This is followed by endorsements by celebrities, and ads seen in the cinema. When they conduct online research their go to is micro-blogs, vlogs and video sites. This only solidifies our theory that social media will be a new form of a search engine sooner than later. When it comes to brands they support, there are a few top reasons why they choose one brand over another. The top reason is that it will enhance their online reputation. Second, they like access to exclusive content and feeling like they’re taking part or being involved. They want brands who are inclusive and bold. Brands that aren’t afraid to take stands on socioeconomic issues. Lastly, they love love love memes. I mean, who doesn’t at this point? This is basically how I speak to my sister instead of actual text messages now. We speak via meme. Gen Z is actually more than twice as likely to be following memes or parody accounts than the average American, according to GWI. When I look at this generation, I just think of our grandparent’s saying, “kids nowadays.” But we must understand that they’re growing up in an era that is very different from the others. Technology has advanced quickly and to new heights, where social media is part of everyday life. They also grew up a few years living life remotely in the COVID-19 pandemic. Some graduated high school this way. This generation will have much to offer in the future in terms of environmental improvements as well as DEI efforts. They have the power to create a better world than it was when they came into it. So, when it comes to marketing to this group successfully, it will be crucial to understand what makes them tick.

(All data sourced from GWI’s Report on What’s Trending with US internet Users Aged 16-25)

Tapping Into Gen Z for Advertising

Who’s ready for some changes? We know we are and Gen Z is proving to be new type of market when it comes to the advertising world. They are like no other that came before them. Let’s talk about the biggest difference between Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z. Millennials remember a time before social media whereas Gen Z does not know a world without it. Even more, their Gen X counterparts grew up on MTV with zero social media. I don’t think it really comes as a surprise that Gen Z is a unique group who can’t imagine a world without tech. Actually, 45% of Gen Zers say that they are online almost constantly according to Rolling Stone. Since the insurgence of smartphones, people can watch anything from anywhere and that’s what this generation does. They rely on social media platforms for almost everything. There are a couple of questions to ask yourself when considering how to market to this new breed of consumers.

1.   Can they trust your brand? They want transparency and they want it now. Since this generation can and will find answers to information they have questions for, make sure your brand is be honest. They will also build a relationship with your brand if they feel that they can relate to what your company stands for.

2.     Do you stand for something? Brand neutrality is a no go for this generation. They want brans that stand up for social injustices. They want brands that aren’t afraid to take a stand for what’s right even if that means offending some of their audience.

3.     Are you influencer savvy? They don’t care about celebrities! Relatability takes the driver seat with them. They want people that they can relate to not paid actors. This is another reason UGC is extremely affective to connecting with them!

4.     Can you make it fast? 8 seconds to be exact. That’s the average attention span of this generation according to iab.uk! Are you really that shocked? And before you getting too cheeky, just know that Millennials are right behind them with a whopping 12 seconds.

5.     Do you know how to use each social media platform differently and accordingly? Not only should you diversify your content across each platform it needs to be tailor fit!

Gen Z harnesses the power of $143 billion since they comprise 40% of the U.S. population according to Forbes. If your brand wants to uncover ways to tap into their market it’s important to understand what they value in a company. They’re different. Changes are coming and we think that they’re honestly for the better. Who doesn’t want to support a brand that takes social stances, is trustworthy and transparent?