Getting ahead of Gen-Z

OBSESSING OVER MILLENNIALS IS SO LAST YEAR

The Millennial generation has lost it’s grip as the largest (and most elusive) generational group in the world, now standing as the second largest generation in the country today. Generation Z, the age group born between 1993 and 2012, has taken the Millennials’ crown, resting as the new largest generational group in the world., representing over a quarter of the population. Gen Z’ers are bigger than and entirely different from their Millennial predecessors. Ok, so there are some new kids on the block. What’s the big deal? We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but your marketing strategy is going to need a bit of a facelift to keep up with the kids these days.

WHO IS GEN-Z?

Turns out, Get Z’ers are about as unique as they come, with a seemingly endless list of quirks and attributes to set them apart from other groups. Among other things, Gen Z is technology-obsessed, highly visual, with a practical viewpoint towards the world in which they live. Looking at Gen Z’ers through a marketing lens, however, you and your brand should really be laser focused on the following: 

They’re the first wave of Digital Natives. 

“Digital Natives” sounds like a fancy title for the latest tech guru at an ad agency, but in reality, it’s much more meaningful than that. According to Pat Pape, Gen Z’ers are the first “totally digital generation,” meaning that their collective lifespans have occurred throughout a period wherein modern digital experiences have existed. While Millennials had the opportunity to adapt to a digital world full of mobile phones, social networks, and ultra fast information sharing, Gen Z’ers simply happened upon these “luxuries” at birth. To them, there is no distinction between on and offline, as their worlds are (and always have been) digitally fluid. Because their lifestyles are so steeped in technology, research reports that Gen Z’ers …

… are hyper connected, with nearly 100% connecting to tech for at least one hour per day, and about half (46%) connecting for 10 or more hours per day (Wikia, 2015). Perhaps even more astounding, Gen Z’ers multitask across an average of five different screens throughout the course of their days (Business Insider, 2015).

… don’t understand the concept of “unplugging.” Throughout the course of a day, less than half of Gen Z’ers feel that they value “unplugged” time (Wikia, 2015).

… get social. While Millennials tend to spend the majority of their social networking time on Facebook, 93% of Gen Z’ers log time with YouTube at least once a week (with over half of those users visiting multiple times per day), while only 65% visit Facebook weekly. Other popular platforms include: Twitter (26% visit weekly), Google+ (26% visit weekly), and Instagram (17% visit weekly) (Wikia, 2015).

They’re cash conscious. 

Gen Z’ers tend to express strong feelings towards the importance of saving and spending money wisely. According to Pat Pape, 75% of Gen Z’ers feel as though actively saving money is important, and 50% would openly classify themselves as “deal hunters” (2015). When it comes to spending habits, Gen Z’ers…

… prefer to spend money on food and drink. According to Pape, the top category of Gen Z spending is food and drink (36%).

… have major pull on the family purse. 93% of Gen Z parents have indicated that their children have at least some say in their frequent purchase decisions (Digiday, 2015). It’s no surprise to hear that the group will increase American family spending by nearly $600 Billion (Pape, 2015).

… don’t hate branded messages. According to Digiday, 55% of Gen Z’ers will stop and watch an ad if it makes them laugh, 45% will stop and watch if it’s got great music, and 33% will sit through an ad if it’s “inspiring” (2015). Additionally, 64% are more likely than other generations to accept branded messaging throughout mobile app experiences or even direct brand contact via text message (Pape, 2015).

… look for quality and utility. Because Gen Z is a more practical generation (especially compared to their Millennial counterparts), they emphasize the need for utilitarian and quality-based attributes in the items and content they consume. At the end of the day, Gen Z’ers are happiest with a brand when it has provided something valuable to them, especially in the form of discounts or personally relevant sales/discovery messaging. (Digiday, 2015)

While all of this information is great to have, it’s even better to understand how you and your business can work to satisfy the growing Gen Z army. Blue Unicorn has pulled five major tips to follow as they explore their future Gen Z marketing strategies:

1. Show, don’t tell. Gen Z’ers gravitate towards image-based messaging, both between one another and with brands. Embrace highly visual methods like Emojis, meme-based imagery, and gifs to participate in the “rapid-fire banter” to which Gen Z is accustomed (Business Insider, 2015).
2. Anticipate their needs. Because the vast majority of Gen Z is connected so frequently, they have come to expect brands to function in this way, as well. Providing a solution before Gen Z customers even know there’s a problem (like helping them find the perfect snack before they’re even sure that they’re hungry) can be a key to the Gen Z heart (StrongView, 2015).
3. Be where they are. It probably goes without saying, but maintaining a strong and effective digital presence, especially on mobile devices, is an essential piece of the Gen Z puzzle. After all, they can’t engage with you if they can’t find you.
4. Appeal to their frugal sides. StrongView explains that Gen Z’ers expect brands to deliver personalized messaging, coupons, and vouchers directly to their mobile devices with little to no effort on the consumer’s part (2015).
5. Reward brand loyalty. Because Gen Z’ers are not motivated to be brand loyal because of sentimental or non-concrete advertising, means you’ll need to up your loyalty program game to keep Gen Z’ers in your brand’s corner as they grow as consumers (Digiday, 2015).

Luckily, all five of these tips are easily executed using the Blue Unicorn’s platform. Our one-of-a-kind mobile technology will allow you to satisfy each of the aforementioned Gen Z-specific strategic efforts, using Blue Unicorn’s:

• Mobile/Social Offers
• Location Aware/Contextual Offers
• Loyalty Program Integrations (read more)

To learn more about Blue Unicorn and its solutions for mastering Gen Z, please get in touch at [email protected]