Effectively Connecting with Gen Z

AT A GLANCE

By 2025, Gen Z will make up a quarter of the population of the Asia–Pacific region, making them the key driver of consumption. As they transition into adulthood and gain financial independence, their influence on market trends and consumer behavior is becoming increasingly pronounced.

Gen Z is the first generation to grow up entirely in the digital age, making them highly adept at navigating online environments. This familiarity with technology means they are less tolerant of traditional advertising methods and can easily discern when they are being marketed to. Brands need to adapt their strategies to engage this audience effectively

Here is a marketing guide to connect with Gen Z consumers.

Marketing to Gen Z by Age

Not all Gen Zs are experiencing the same milestones in their lives. Some are still transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. Some are already in their early careers, and some have already started their own families.

Gen Z wants brands to speak to them according to their age. Here are some milestones that can help brands effectively connect with three Gen Z segmented groups.

Gen Z Professionals

Gen Z has started entering the workforce. They are on entry-level salaries and willing to spend, but they are deliberate about what gets their hard-earned money. They are the shrewdest shoppers, researching and comparing product and service quality before purchasing. They are unwilling to compromise on quality and can delay purchases until they genuinely need them. Because quality is critical, brands should centre messaging around quality and create more media experiences that drive inspiration, such as reviews and recommendations from credible influencers.

Gen Z Adolescents 

Gen Z adolescents are navigating through school and living on an open book environment where they have easy access to information. With limited allowance given by their parents, they are on a tight budget. They turn to brands that provides them affordability. They scour the internet for the best deals. Discounts, free experiences, and promotional messaging will attract them to learn more about your product or service.

Gen Z Parents

While a considerable number of Gen Z delay having kids or choose not to have them, some end up as Gen Z parents. With their parents often distracted by their phones when they were growing up, Gen Z places a lot of value on connection, ensuring their kids grow up in a technologically enriched environment with genuine human connections. Strong relationships with family and friends are meaningful to them. Thus, they trust referrals and social posts of their close network instead of non-parent Gen Z shoppers.

Gen Z and Authentic Brand Messaging

Gen Z values authenticity. Digital natives that they are, they prefer mobile-first content and use social media platforms as primary information sources. Because of this, they have encountered a lot of misinformation and disingenuous marketing tactics. Disinformation has shaped them to become sceptical, which has led them to cultivate a soft skill of distinguishing between what is authentic and what is fake.

Gen Z wants authenticity in every aspect of their lives, from genuine relationships to transparent communication. They are known for their discerning nature when it comes to brand messaging and will connect with content that reflects their values.

They value diversity and advocate for mental health, racial justice, and climate change. Gen Zs are highly conscious of social injustice and want everyone's voice heard. They advocate brands that are inclusive and espouse an all-around welcoming community. Finding the right community is more important to them than joining the popular one. They are joining digital communities where they can gain a sense of belonging. Aside from brands promoting messages empowering individuals to be free to be themselves, they support brands with good community management responses and customer service practices.

For Gen Z, every purchase reflects their values. They are inclined to spend on brands that align with their beliefs and positively impact social causes. Gen Z is an advocate and influencer seeking to back businesses genuinely working to create meaningful change.

Gen Z and AI Personalisation

Personalisation is very important to Gen Zs. They want greater control over the content they engage with and prefer advertisements tailored to their online activities and interests. With AI's rise, brands focus on improving customer journeys and making personalisation a key strategy in building a stronger relationship with Gen Z.

AI personalisation is an approach that improves user experience by delivering relevant product ads and placements. By leveraging customer data, AI technology can anticipate what consumers might be interested in at any given moment, which could also lead to product recommendations, targeted ads, and other content. When brands tailor their product and services to content that concerns Gen Zs, they can build a stronger connection with this generation.

AI personalisation may only work for some companies. Some businesses may need more data to deliver AI predictions. One way to go beyond this hurdle is to create targeted consumer surveys, allowing Gen Zs to provide more insights on the type of product or service they seek in a brand. Deeper insights can help differentiate brands from the competition and will even drive personalisation.

Gen Z and Social Shopping

Social media is now becoming the gateway to product purchases.

Gen Z is always on social media, which is their main platform for self-expression, discovery, and driving social change. They discover brands, products, and services through these platforms and decide on purchases based on what they see in the digital world.

It becomes imperative for brands to go beyond conventional advertising. Forging a deeper connection with Gen Z means being in the social media universe and understanding what Gen Z loves. Tapping into platforms where they spend most of their time, creating meaningful and genuine content, and engaging them in interactive experiences are ways to raise awareness for products and services. Using influencers who have a considerable impact on Gen Zs and authentic collaborations are ways brands can deliver impact and trust.

Gen Z and User-Generated Content (UGC)

Utilising user-generated content (UGC) presents an excellent opportunity to solidify a brand's relationship with Gen Z. UGC comes in many forms, including images, videos, and reviews. It is original, brand-specific content created by social media users and published on social media or other channels.

Gen Zs are the biggest proponents of UGC because they deem it authentic. They are active creators and sharers of content and will listen to and trust their peers' recommendations over advertising campaigns. UGC is an influential form of communication for this generation.

At Straits Creative, we help brands build strong marketing programmes that connect with their target audience. We do this by taking a deep dive into understanding your customer’s interests, motivations and behaviour. Our expertise in crafting balanced marketing strategies is driven by data.

Schedule a discovery call today to get more targeted consumer insights. Connect with us at tisha@straitscreative.com.