Every few years, there is a new generation that comes of age with a similar belief to the one that came before - that no one is able to understand them, and this is true as each of these generations is different because of the time in which each one grows up.
Currently, this is the case for the most digitally connected generation that has ever existed, the members of Gen Z, who are struggling to find brands and corporations that connect with the generation’s values and beliefs.
GenZ vs Millenial
Although plenty of marketers believe that sharing promotional content with Gen Z and millennials can be done in the same way, it seems that this is a common misconception. This young generation is filled with people that are looking for a purpose, and with a predicted spending power of over $100 billion, companies should be paying attention.
The most progressive and social-media-savvy people, that are on the track to become a diverse and well-educated generation, mean that the stakes for marketing to this young generation are higher than ever.
One of the reasons the same marketing strategies that worked well for the millennial generation don’t work at all on the younger generation is because most millennials grew up during a time when the world was transitioning to social media platforms. However, with Gen Z, people that practically grew up online, the previous marketing efforts aren’t as effective.
Connecting to Younger Audiences
Brands have had to learn what the younger generation is interested in and adjust the advertisement and marketing campaigns to better target these politically active groups who are looking for companies that align with their own values and morals. Furthermore, Gen Z is filled with people that have completely different digital habits when compared to all other generations that came before.
One example of this is the generation’s need for concise content, largely because of the shortened attention span. In fact, compared to the generation before - millennials, Gen Z has an attention span that’s four seconds shorter.
This means that marketers have only eight seconds to grab the attention with content that’s interesting, attention-grabbing, and aligns with the group’s values.
However, that doesn’t mean that young people aren’t paying attention - in fact, it led to this group having a great filter that allows many to sift through what’s important and what isn’t.
A generation that grew up during the aftermath of multiple crises, from financial, to political, to the climate crisis, and now, even a global pandemic, this is a group of people that is able to see through any inauthenticity.
This young generation is already so skeptical of everything that’s being presented and promoted both online and offline, that it led to a large group of people becoming practically immune to ads.
Keeping up with this generation and the ever-evolving slang and social media use may not be the easiest thing for marketers to do, but it’s certainly worth the investment.
