The new Gen Z consumer mindsets, Inspire and Inquire.?

CULTURE MOMENT: The consumer funnel is f*cked; now, a simpler, more relevant consumer framework has emerged. Social media has given rise to two distinct yet intertwined mindsets: Inspire & Inquire. Zs meander in and out of Inspire and Inquire mode, moving from flashes of influence to detail-oriented deep dives on brands and products and back again.

While the funnel of yore placed brands at its center — tracking consumers proximity to purchase — these two mindsets reflect how Gen Zs really navigate the world, and where, how, and why they embrace brands along the way. Understanding them is a must for brands that want to win with Zs.

This week, we're talking about the Inspire mindset.?

INSPIRE MINDSET

Zs live and breathe inspiration. When asked what is most fundamental to who they are, Zs are most likely to say “Inspired: I’m constantly finding inspiration in the things around me” (compare that with Millennials, who are most likely to say “Practical: I make responsible choices”).

“When I see something on Instagram or TikTok, I'll just save it. Then, when I get bored or when I'm just feeling like I need to spend some money, I'll go back to the folders and see which one out of the pack wins today.” — Bailey, 18

71% of Zs agree, “I’m always open to discovering new brands,” and 57% are actively seeking new brands at least weekly. Amazon has tapped into this mindset with the recent launch of its “TikTok-like shopping feed” called Inspire, which offers users the chance to, well, get inspired – they can find what they didn’t even know they were looking for.

This Inspire Mindset is a powerful one – it’s the inception point of Zs’ path to purchase. As Lucy Maguire, senior trends editor at Vogue Business, tells us, a study from BCG found that 70% of young people decide to purchase at the point of inspiration. But there’s an important distinction to be made here: “That doesn't mean that [consumers] are purchasing at the point of inspiration,” she says. “They might make the decision, but then they go away and they do their research — and they won't take it lightly.”

Next week, we'll dig into the second half of the framework and how the Inspire Mindset leads to inquire.

Click here to read the full article on how Gen Z consumers are moving between the Inspire and Inquire Mindsets all the time.