Generation Z and the Future of Marketing

In their adolescence, Millennials had the luxuries of Mapquest, Myspace, and other innovations that were groundbreaking at the time. Now Millennials transition into the parenting stage and Generation Z stands as the target demo for brands today, yet these digital natives aren’t easily impressed.

Generation Z has grown up in a truly technology savvy society and as they become the primary focus for most brands, brands still struggle to understand how Z’s truly differ from the consumers of the past.

With the evolution of technology products, not just the audiences themselves but how you reach them is also changing. Marketing towards Gen Z has already changed the way companies distribute content and manage user relationships. They aren't phased by new technology, they invest their energy in the authenticity of products.

Here’s how the future of marketing towards the younger demographic involves creating experiences that are personalized, valued, and familiar in communication.

Personalize the Journey

Generation Z has spent their earliest days on the internet dodging ad blockers and finessing age-gated websites. Brands try to sell to them every chance they can get, regardless of the platform. With that said, organic content that speaks specifically to them is where the niche lies.

The excitement of a new app or a new wearable doesn’t resonate with Gen Z the same way it would thrill a millennial (the original Apple fanboys and girls). The Generation Z audience responds to experiences that are personalized to their liking, hence the value in consumer data these days. Gen Z is inclined to participate in the brand experience, and it’s the brand’s job to provide one worth engaging with.

It’s well-known that eCommerce retailers were early on personalizing the buyer’s journey. Most of the time this interaction was through personalized content and product recommendations targeting the individual needs and intent of each shopper. This generation almost expects these personalized interactions and they tend to weigh it against the brands that do.

This has been done in a variety of ways. Platforms like Amazon and Netflix are constantly interacting with consumers through retargeting. One of the most talked about examples is Facebook’s personalized newsfeed algorithm. The product is just as much a part of the marketing as the content itself.

At its core, personalization is tailored, timely customer experiences that win the user in the end.

Visual and Valuable

Gen Z is said to have an attention span of 8 seconds, according to Fast Co.

You have less time than a Snapchat story to engage this audience, which is why the best digital content have evolved to incorporate visual elements. Some call this the microwave generation but if your content is deemed valuable, users will spend the time digesting it. We can’t forget that this same generation popular for watching hours of Twitch or avidly following YouTube influencers.

Using graphics and visual content to accompany your written message in an effort to attract and keep loyal users. Everything from infographics to GIFs on social media are visual, short-winded ways of sharing information.

Tailoring Communication

Communication is key and when marketing to Generation Z, it’s important to communicate your value in a way that your customers would prefer. Many companies do this by actually speaking through influencers to separate the message from the brand itself. Although user-generated content is another way to communicate value to an alike audience.

As technology advances, marketing will be pushed to become more innovative. Today we can talk to our customers through voice, live chat, social media, video, and even text messaging. All forms of communication can be applied in the right situation. Generation Z tends to favor natural messaging and the best teams use data will identify which forms they like best.

Social media is the new home for customer service because it’s a frictionless way for customers to resolve a problem and reach a real human on the other side. But other industries are subject to using other ways of talking to their audience. Location-based alerts will be the next strategy that brands focus on expanding. It’s already apparent through app notifications, like a Lyft or OpenTable for example. Banking innovation is full steam ahead given that this industry usually communicates through one-to-one interactions. Fintech services are already successful with text alerts ﹣imagine getting coupons through text or even financial decisions like, “Hey, take a day off from your favorite coffee shop,” based on the store you’re in.

Generation Z is an audience that has matured in a time where everything is connected digitally, today’s consumers are already an influencer or expert. Their relationship with technology is a norm in today’s society so your product will need much more than a generic marketing approach. The future of marketing towards the younger demographic has to involve a personalized experience with visual and timely communication.

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Also read: How I Went From Homeless to Manhattan

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