Posted by Millennials may be one of the age groups with the most avid consumers, but the future of brands is being shaped by Generation Z.
These are the individuals who were born after 1994. They are different from Generation Y since they are not left alone in the desires to change the world and unlike their parents, the famous Generation X, they do not only intend to accumulate material goods. They are a bit halfway between idealism and materialism.
They are completely digital, that is, they manage more than one screen at a time, they are self-taught and learn from the internet, they are creative and since they grew up in a difficult economic environment -such as the financial crisis of 2008-, they are usually self-sufficient.
“They are young people who are goal-oriented ( achievers ), they think of their life as a constant overcoming of levels (because they grew up with video games) and they tend to be very reactive to their world,” said Jennifer Medina, Chief of Innovation and Intelligence of the agency research Big Foot .
Unlike millennials , who use social media to share information, Gen Z likes to take advantage of different platforms to generate their own content. And they are fully responsive to digital marketing strategies.
“Their communication is almost absolutely visual. They are much more conceptual and handle images, memes, multimedia and symbols like no other because they consider that these media are less likely to misinterpret and encompass more than words, “said Jimena León, Innovation and Intelligence Analyst Jr., of the firm.
This group, which groups 25.9 percent of the world’s population, still does not have great purchasing power, but brands must pay attention to them to ensure their permanence in the market.
The experts listed 4 tips for brands to create a relationship with this generation:
1. Learn the “Z language”
The youth of this generation are more conceptual, use fewer words, are more synthetic and strongly image-based. You should experiment with new platforms like Vine or Instagram .
For them, traditional media are not enough, so they require joint efforts. For example, Coca-Cola did a television commercial that was linked to viewers’ smartphones.
2. Build towards them
Generation Z is not interested in brands that only want to highlight their identity, they do not want companies that seek to be the protagonists. Rather, they want companies to help them solve problems or build their own story. They are very appreciative of tools such as applications (which is why they are also called the App Generation ) and they want businesses to be their companions.
3. Understand that there are other “currencies”
The level of influence they can have on social media is very important to them. This is known as social currency . Brands looking to reach Gen Z will need to help them maintain social power with sales and apps that help them stand out.
A prominent case of this point is American Eagle Mexico, which on its arrival looked for influential people among its followers to be models.
4. Link them
Generation Z knows that it is not enough to offer a product because they know that other brands do the same. They are looking for memorable shopping experiences that help them do something else. For example, Toms shoes won the favor of this group by offering footwear for people in difficult conditions for each purchase.
They are very sensitive to what is happening in their world, but they want to generate change in a practical way. That is, they are not going to leave activists with Greenpeace-style collectives, but they are going to buy the brands that donate to the causes in which they believe.