WRITTEN BY Caitlin Jardine
Gen Z make up a large part, and are what is really driving the digital marketing industry forward at the moment, and that’s from influencers and brand owners as well as consumers. They are driving creative forces within the industry, and we can see their influence playing out even more so in the following few years.
Generation Z – What is their role?
They now hold the buying power, but not only that, the portion of entrepreneurial Gen Z’s who have built businesses from social media, has skyrocketed. As they mature, its noticing the nuances that they may demand, and adhering to that.
“Gen Z have a short attention span.”
It is thought that Gen Z have a short attention span, but this can be challenged with the argument that they love YouTube, for example, with the average video length of 11 minutes. It is important that brands keep listening to this generation who are constantly changing as they mature. It is important to home in on, watch and listen to them and their behaviours on these platforms, to keep up with how they perceive the world and the media.
Interactivity
One benefit of social media is that it provides a wealth of information and so you can publicly see these changes and movements in real time. We can see that Gen Z demand intimacy when they engage with content online. They’re used to receiving feedback from their favourite creators who are listening to them, whether that’s with a ‘comment what you would like to see next’ or through giveaways and competitions, that involve and acknowledge the audiences that follow them. This level of interactivity can really shape a successful marketing strategy. Offering ways for the audience to feel involved and listened to, is key to holding their attention.
Particularly around re-sharing content that the community have shared around the brand. For these younger audiences it’s not just about being recognised by celebs and influencers but wanting to feel involved in a brands community, extending beyond just wearing the clothes or products.
Web 3.0 and the metaverse
With future generations growing up in the metaverse, and VR/gaming playing such a huge part in their daily lives, brands can really take advantage of not as such marketing this audience, but instead initiating that brand awareness for when they do come of age and drive influence.
It is important that we strike a balance and avoid the controversy of solely drawing kids to the online world as we want to retain that balance of them spending time outside, and the importance of their social and physical development. Both areas can be utilised on both sides of the coin and together can help form and nurture the values of the future generation who will make up the market.
Cultivation
It’s a lesson we can take across all generations. When brands consider their target audience they tend to just think of the now and who their target audience is in the current moment. However the marketing landscape moves so quickly and develops/changes at such a rapid pace, so you should nurture your brand earlier on, familiarise yourself with these platforms and alternate between audiences who in the years to come, will be your target market.
And that’s an important point- familiarity.
A lot of your preconceptions and favouring of brands begins prematurely. Audiences form these associations early on and need to have these awareness a few years in advance in order for a brand to nurture this for when they do hold the purchasing power, and are sure on the brands they like.
Shift to purpose
Gen Z have grown up where political issues or movements have been put in place and reversed years later, for example Covid 19 and the pandemic breeding mass uncertainty. Having the relationship that Gen Z and Alpha harness with technology, they look to brands rather than politics to change the world and that’s only going to become more intense. Becoming a more active driver of the media and brands rather that a passive ingester of the content being fed to them, they are going to lead the future of how we as a society communicate on all levels of the food chain.
To summarise
Gen Z have revolutionised the way content is consumed and have shaped the approach marketers need to take in delivering their messages. As we move further through generations and with new audiences in mind, brands need to anticipate and plan ahead for new ways they can reach their customers who are ever-changing.