Which Social Apps Are Gen Z Using in 2024? | Gen Z Marketing Insights - 17th July

Welcome to Gen Z Marketing Insights,?where we showcase the latest news, trends, and insights into student and Gen Z marketing. Be sure to subscribe to stay up to date with everything that's happening in the youth marketing space!

Today we bring you the latest celebrity brand collaborations, new Instagram insights, and a breakdown of what social apps our students are currently using: Which sites should you focus your Gen Z marketing on?

?? Marketing News - Reality TV Collabs

Reality TV stars Mark Wright from "The Only Way is Essex" and Spencer Matthews, the original heart breaker from "Made in Chelsea," have joined forces with high street giant M&S for a stylish menswear campaign. Their selection as ambassadors is fitting, as M&S aims to attract younger men to their fashion line-up and also their names match the brand. The charismatic duo created a sophisticated collection of men's summer fashion essentials, including laid-back sandals, chinos, and breezy linen blend trousers and shirts, all available now. In an Instagram video promoting the collection, Spencer humorously remarked, "It's the brand takeover, partnership, whatever you wanna call it, that you didn't know you needed but now it's here.”

If you weren't aware of Instagram's new focus on sends, IG chief Adam Mosseri has reiterated the importance of making content share-worthy. According to Mosseri, more users are now engaging through DMs than with feed posts, prompting Instagram to prioritise content that encourages sharing. This means the platform is amplifying posts that inspire users to tap the "Send" icon and forward them to friends. Instagram is also highlighting this shift with new send display counts, which have been rolling out to more users recently.

With the Euros now over, which ads stood out as the most popular? It undoubtedly has to be Adidas . In a recent campaign, Adidas captured the excitement of English football fans watching the game at home, in pubs, and in stadiums with friends and family. The ad ends with Bellingham scoring a goal, sending everyone into a frenzy, all set to the tune of The Beatles' "Hey Jude." To celebrate this partnership even more, massive posters of Jude in Adidas gear with the tagline "Hey Jude, You Got This" have been plastered around the UK.

?? Student News - Student Debts & Youngest MPs

Last week we spoke about the crazy student debt a lot of people are facing after leaving university. In the US, things are usually even worse, with huge fees at US colleges. However, this won't be the case for many students at Johns Hopkins University, where most students will now receive free medical education after a generous $1 billion donation. Lucky them!

In other news, a recent Cambridge graduate has become the youngest member of the House of Commons after being elected in the UK general election last week. Sam Carling, at just 22, won the North West Cambridgeshire seat for Labour by just 39 votes! For a recent graduate, he will now receive a pretty tasty salary, and achieve one of the most prestigious jobs going - pretty impressive!

?? Trend of the Week - Which Social Apps Do Gen Z Use?

When marketing to the Gen Z audience, one of the most important decision a brand can make involves which platform to use. Where should you be posting? Where should you be using your paid ad budget? This can often be tricky, as Gen Z's use of social media changes almost monthly!

But what social apps are most popular with the younger audience right now? We asked our students to find out...

Snapchat comes out just on top when it comes to direct messaging, with WhatsApp winning when it comes to group chats. This is certainly something brands need to consider, as many do not even have a presence on these platforms.

Meta are introducing more and more opportunities for brands and influencers to utilise WhatsApp to their advantage, whereas Snapchat has some really clever paid marketing options. Whilst these are not traditional platforms for brands to post, it may be time to start taking notice.

So what apps are being used by Gen Z to interact with brands?

The results here are interesting. A huge majority of Gen Z follow brands on Instagram over anything else. But is this simply because brands use Instagram the most? Or does it just have the best features for interacting with brands?

More intriguing is the fact that TikTok and Instagram are almost even when it comes to what apps Gen Z use to 'discover new products'. With the popular TikTok Shop feature, and the commission features that encourage influencers to share their fave products, TikTok is obviously positioning itself as the 'product discovery' platform.

Overall, this suggests that brands need to branch out when it comes to reaching the Gen Z audience. Take notice of the apps students are using the most, and think about how you can interact with them on these platforms. Whilst Instagram is still King when it comes to where people follow brands, TikTok is establishing itself when it comes to product discovery, and could be overtaking Instagram in the near future.

That's all for this week, see you next time!

Freshers Festival Group