In this article we look at what generation z is and how to set up a content marketing strategy to attract a young audience.
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Generation Zeta meaning
Generation Z or Centennials identifies people born after Millennials (in fact they are also referred to as Post-Millennials)and is generally confined among people born from 1997 to 2010
In a world of acronyms and acronyms, perhaps this one could have been spared. The advent of the Internet and Social has accustomed us to giving a label, in TAG jargon, to every situation, current or fashion.
So we can call Generation Z the one that comes after Generation Y, just to give another definition.
That is, those who were born, in principle, at the turn of the new millennium and thus are part of the new “century” hence the definition of Centennials or Post-Millennials.
Generation Y or Millennial: what it is
The terms Generation Y or Millennial Generation are used to identify the generation of people born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s.
Until a few years ago, before the advent of the Internet and Social, we were used to categorizing decades by fashions and above all, musical currents: Beat, Rock, Pop etc…
In the last two decades, however, so many new “cataloging” has sprung up. Englishisms have now become part of everyday life, globalization, both physical and virtual through the Internet, has more integrated languages with each other.
So we can define Generation Y as the generation of those who lived the last 2 decades before the new millennium. That is, before what is called Generation Z.
Generation Z features
An important aspect of Generation Z is the “natural” use of the Internet from birth, with strong predisposition to use technology and social media.
In fact, we also call these generations Digital Natives.
The use of Social is a significant and integrated part of the socialization process is the natural way to “be” in the Community, to participate in any of its initiatives, local and/or global.
Gen Z Consumers: who they are, what they expect
Gen Z’s buying choices are purpose driven, much more so than those of millennials. Although few brands have already guessed how to relate to these young consumers, the future of companies depends on them.
Targeting these consumers presents brands with a whole new challenge.
Here is a sketch of Gen Z:
- Generation z years: between the ages of 13 and 26;
- They are the first digital native generation-they never knew the world before the Internet and the cell phone in their pocket;
- They do not distinguish between online and offline life-they are “onlife.”
- Some have a real addiction to technology;
- They espouse social causes more often than their predecessors: climate, LGBTQ+ community, gender equality, etc;
- They make conscious choices. For example? They consume less alcohol;
- They do not measure personal achievement by work pay;
- Their purchasing choices are strongly influenced byethical factors and the social impact of companies.
26% of Generation Z or Centennials expect to be entertained through online content
Content is the engine that drives today’s digital ecosystem.
Content management for the Web has given rise to a new branch of marketing called content marketing.
Whether it’s a website, blog, social network the answer is basically one: you have to activate a valuable content strategy, even when targeting Generation Z.
26 percent of the very young want to be entertained through online content.
The data comes from an international study commissioned by WP Engine and conducted by The Center for Generational Kinetics.
This report explores the relationship Generation Z has with digital technology, specifically examining three aspects: online presence, purchase and experience.
Generation Z is that demographic that includes all of the very young people born between 1997 and 2010.
Understanding how they interact online is critically important for companies of any size, all the more so if they offer products or services designed with a youth target audience in mind.
“For small businesses, becoming aware of this specific audience will make interaction and sales easier, all the more so since they have high purchasing power today.”
Mary Ellen Dugan, chief marketing officer of WP Engine, pointed out that Generation Z is on track to become the largest consumer demographic by 2020.
And since it’s not long to go, it’s worth noting that this will have profound implications for brands.
To effectively engage the target audience will require:
- embrace new technologies
- experimenting with new forms of communication
- Internalize the nuances experienced between the analog and digital worlds.
The above study was conducted among 1,258 respondents in the United States, aged 14-59, who regularly use a smartphone.
The data refer to the second half of 2018.
Generation Z statistics
According to the study, this demographic expects the Internet to be:
- A means to connect and entertain themselves
- Selling and building a digital identity.
As this generation was born between 1997 and 2010, at the height of the digital boom, they have never lived in a fully analog way, which was the case for Millennials.
Centennials lead atechnology-based existence, especially on the go.
Based on this, we should not be surprised that the report pointed out that this age group needs to be entertained by the content they enjoy.
In fact, 66 percent of them said they use the Internet mostly for entertainment purposes.
More than 50 percent said they also use it as a means to connect.
A third also revealed that they use it as a means of finding information.
The study also pointed out that Generation Z prefers to make online purchases from all those brands that have a consistent and relevant content & social media strategy.
Videos, blog articles, social media posts, online magazines-the goal should always be to create a solid presence, using the language they themselves speak every day.
Being online, for Generation Z means being part of a hyper-personalized world of targeted advertisements.
This is why every company should think about ad hoc editorial planning: to address the needs of this demographic now and in the future.
“The study showed that this demographic represents up to $143 billion in purchasing power globally.
If we consider that those born in 2010 to date are 9 years old, we certainly cannot think of them as a world force, but as they grow the amount will increase to hundreds of billions of dollars.”
Finally, other parameters to highlight are the:
- predictive personalization they believe in (68%)
- Trust in companies with an online presence (75%)
- preference to purchase from ethical and socially conscious brands (69%).
Purchasing, therefore, is no longer an end in itself and must bring about a real experience.
Generation Z, but also Millennials, prefer to spend their money on a 360-degree experience, which is why content is becoming increasingly central.
New entrepreneurs
In addition to how they behave online, the report also examined the corporate spirit of this generation.
It claims that it will be the most entrepreneurial demographic ever.
64% of respondents said they are likely to start an online or technology business.
The tech, entertainment, and retail industries are the sectors in which they primarily want to get involved.
The study states that Generation Z will be the first generation to inherently combine the digital and analog worlds.
“Companies that wish to reach this audience must therefore be able to engage them technologically and use values such as uniqueness, authenticity, creativity and community spirit.”
Jason Dorsey, President of the Center for Generational Kinetics said that the very young are fueled by engagement and the value of technology. That is why they increasingly seek them out in the world around them.
Other Generation Z statistics to consider
WP Engine is not the only company that has been involved in analyzing the needs of this age group.
In Google’s report dedicated to Post-Millennials, 26 percent of teen users say they expect companies to offer a more personalized experience based on their buying habits and preferences.
In comparison, only 22 percent of Millennials and 11 percent of Baby Boomers agree with this statement.
That’s why they expect to receive promotions and interactions that are highly targeted to their needs.
The Uniquely Gen Z survey, by IBM, also revealed a focus on privacy.
In fact, less than one-third of the teens surveyed feel comfortable sharing personal data other than contact information or purchase history.
At the same time, 61 percent of them would feel more incentive to do so only if companies treated them safely and securely.
Finally, a survey by Accenture found that 73% of Generation Z shoppers use (or look forward to using) voice search functionality to place an order and are the most enthusiastic about virtual reality.
How will this data impact content mkt strategies?
As we said at the beginning of today’s post, Generation Z will be the one with the most purchasing power as early as 2020.
Creating content for this specific target audience means talking to an age group that is much more open to diversity.
This is why it is necessary to avoid advertisements that could be understood (even vaguely) as racist, homophobic, or misogynistic.
We are talking about a generation that loves to release feedback on social networks.
Disliked content could even ruin a company’s online reputation.
Finally, an aspect that should not be underestimated is that teenagers have a rosier vision of the future than previous generations.
Priorities include enjoying life, entrepreneurial spirit or otherwise having a good job and being a better person.
These parameters are absolutely to be considered when generating content for this specific audience.
Although there is not a large age gap with Millennials, web expectations, language and behaviors are changing dramatically.
These are all factors to keep well in mind when creating content that will break through to the hearts of Generation Z.
Gen Z: new audience for brands
Generation Z is a conundrum for many marketers who belong to earlier generations.
In short, there is a need to unhinge so many old marketing models, including digital, to approach these young consumers who have completely new characteristics compared to Millennials.
In order to understand how to do content mkt for Generation Z, you must always remember that you are facing the first genus of digital natives.
They know their way around the web and social media like natives, turn their noses up at boomers, and know how to recognize cosmetic claims and advertisements that lead to no real change.
In short, content mkt for this new generation must have value content first and form second. A form that is not perfect, but authentic and credible. Young consumers are willing to support only those brands that present themselves honestly and pursue–with facts–higher goals than profit.
Identity, diversity, awareness
Some research helps us understand the characteristics of the generation of those born between ’97 and 2012.
One of the best known is the one carried out by the Pew Research Center, which tells us that it is the generation most educated about diversity throughout history.
Nearly 50 percent of Gen Z Americans belong to ethnic groups that until a few years ago we would have called “minorities.”
Diversity is a crusade that these consumers fight on a daily basis.
Compared to their predecessors, they are much more akin to the values of LGBTQ+ communities and civil rights, not surprisingly hot topics on today’s political calendars.
They are also less prone to consumerism and prefer to make more conscious choices toward the environment and society.
The same attention, they demand it from the brands they trust. Money for Gen Z does not make success, which is instead a balancing of private life, work, experiences, etc.
Fragility, weight of expectations and fears
They also have frailties: they cannot draw a line between real life and virtual life, and the reason is that they do not know a world without the Internet or smartphones in their pockets.
On the relational level, they are the fruit of all the good and bad that the social and hyper-connected world has produced in recent years.
They often feel crushed by expectations and perhaps this is part of the reason why they reject the glossy image of stars and influencers on social media, in order to seek more realistic and attainable role models.
Their attention threshold is very thin, and they devote time and effort only to causes they truly believe in.
Brands must succeed in capturing the attention of Gen Z by espousing a strong reason why and creating credible content that is appealing to these digitally born young people.
How to do content mkt for Gen Z
As much as understanding digital natives may seem like an unparalleled effort, this is the next generation of consumers.
Brands and companies cannot avoid the task of approaching Gen Z through content marketing, which still works but needs to be rethought.
Generation Z, for example, is accustomed to user generated content: many creators are none other than users of social platforms such as Tik Tok, who create reels and videos that go viral.
Equal users rather than influencers or testimonials.
Likewise, new consumers can sniff out empty claims and fluff from miles away. An old way of marketing by intruding on people will be officially buried by those who were born navigating content.
Much more than other generations, Zs seek authenticity and content that makes complex narratives and elements simple. Among their favorite formats are videos, much better if short.
Images and infographics continue to work well if they help the very young understand vast information instantly, like insights.
Rethinking influencer marketing
Presumably, along with the old spellbinding marketing, Gen Z will also bury social media (at least in the form we have known it to date).
They are tired of seeing the lives of others glossy and unattainable, somewhat crushed by the weight of expectations and immersed in an increasingly fluid reality where personal fulfillment is an ever-shifting goal.
It is no coincidence, then, that influencer marketing done by unattainable web stars does not break through to the hearts of Gen Z.
They prefer to relate to creators with a narrower base of followers, but whom they trust and can connect with.
They expect their influencers to come up with products that really have a positive impact on their lives, and that they are not doing it (just) for money.
They are even more level-headed than their older Millennials siblings and know that a solid and stable economic position is not an easily attainable goal.
But it is also the outcome of the consumerism of previous generations, which has led this very Gen Z to come to terms with climate change, that prompts them to seek a revolution in economic and advertising models.
Authenticity and change: that’s what Generation Z wants.
Under this hat we insert a marketing target audience that is actually much more than that: they are unseen people, the product of the complexity of the contemporary world fabricated without much foresight by previous generations.
Purpose and marketing: gen Z chooses brands with social impact
Purpose is why something exists: its purpose, a positive social impact, a goal to which all choices tend. It also applies to brands, which must become increasingly purpose driven.
But young consumers are also used to greenwashing and empty advertising: this time, to choose to buy from a brand rather than its competitor, Generation Z wants facts.
Companies’ purposes must be credible and marketing operations must be concrete, with positive social impact. They must turn into real brand activism initiatives.
Brand purpose: what is it
Brand purpose can be any purpose higher than just profit: it is why the company exists. Preferably, it must have an impact on people’s lives. The brand, through its products and services (and through its choices), exerts positive change in society.
Purpose must be pursued consistently and must reflect the Mission and Vision. Social values, intent, and purpose go to create a strong and distinctive aspect of brand identity (just as they distinguish a personality).
3 examples of famous brand purposes:
There is nothing better than a series of examples to understand what a brand’s purpose is:
- Buy a Lady a Drink – Offer a link to a lady: this is Stella Artois’ purpose to raise awareness of the water crisis and purchase clean water for women and their children in developing countries:
- Bring hemp home, Colorado – Bringing hemp home, Colorado: Patagonia embodies brand purpose and its choices have always borne this out. One of the latest campaigns helped convince the state of Colorado toinvest in industrial hemp: these are sustainable, drought-resistant crops;
- Encourage women to have a positive relationship with their bodies. Instead, this is the purpose of Dove, a well-known brand of women’s soaps and cosmetics.
A way forward, that of purpose in marketing, to make inroads into the hearts of Generation Z… but also to help build a more just world.
Purpose and marketing
Brands with a purpose, communicate their purpose in every touchpoint and by adhering to online charitable and social projects. Often, marketing campaigns do not promote a product or service, but an ethical message.
Purpose marketing has everything to do with branding, and not (directly) with the goal of increasing sales. Brand awareness is most important in this new marketing strand: all social media and digital marketing initiatives must be consistent.
Consistency is the key word: users have learned to recognize false purposes and façade attempts to join initiatives with a social impact. Generation Z consumers are young, but they can recognize a brand that truly believes in its purpose.
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