INSIGHTS 08.01.24

GEN Z SPOTLIGHT: KEY TRENDS YOU NEED TO KNOW, PART 1

Lucy Dickson Strategist

Gen Z: the audience that everyone’s talking about, and everyone wants to target effectively. And for good reason: by 2025, they’ll make up more than a quarter of the workforce – and their spending power will only grow.

But the myths and misconceptions about this generation abound. To help you make sense of it all, Consider’s Strategist Lucy explores some of the patterns and themes that define this emerging demographic.

1. Offer authentic value for money

When it comes to Gen Z, brand loyalty is lower than any previous generation: 62% say that they would happily jump ship from a regular subscription if it meant a better deal.

Gone are the days of brand loyalists continuing to pay for something because ‘it’s what they’ve always done’. Rather, Gen Z need to be seeing real value from their subscriptions and ongoing charitable relationships.

More than ever, value exchange needs to be a core part of any membership or regular giving offer. This isn’t just about physical keepsakes though: instead, think thoughtful content which surprises, delights and engages.

An image showing that opportunity is more important than loyalty

2. Captivate them

Attention spans are in decline, spurred by video-first platforms like TikTok, Snapchat and increasingly Instagram – so content must captivate within the first three seconds.

Interactive features, such as Instagram story polls, target short attention spans effectively. Additionally, tapping into Gen Z’s FOMO by leveraging time-sensitive content or countdown timers can boost engagement.

Gen Z are also more likely to see themselves as ‘creators’ than older generations. In our campaigns, we’ve seen engagement uplift when we’ve involved this audience in co-creation – but if you’re asking for collaboration, it must feel genuine, giving people freedom to respond in a way which suits them.

An image showing that FOMO leads to interaction

3. Quality, not quantity

This generation is younger than the internet itself – so their perception of spam is sophisticated. As such, they’re quicker than any previous generation to delete irrelevant or excessive emails.

Crafting engaging, meaningful content while minimising communication frequency is crucial. Overloading with information risks losing this generation’s respect, so brands need to pay special attention to curating meaningful content that resonates or entertains, ideally doing both.

An image showing that a less is more and authentic approach is important

Read part 2 of Lucy’s Gen Z insights here.