More often than not, Gen Z and Millennial audiences are amalgamated into one. This is the first step where brands go wrong.
When you take a deeper look in to the two generations, there appears to be a lot more differences than you’d think.
To determine the basics – Millennials tend to be those born between the early 1980s and the mid-to-late 1990s. They grew up in a time of technological disruption and quickly found ways to adapt to the Internet eruption.
Whilst Millennials have watched innovation begin, Gen Z have been immersed in it since birth.
Gen Z are those born between the late 1990s to early 2010s. They are known to be “socially-conscious” – and whilst they have grown up with technology at the tip of their fingertips, they are considered to be the loneliest generation to date.
Millennials and Gen Z have different attitudes to money, but both generations primarily shop online, usually via mobile devices.
It has been argued that Millennials value longer forms of content, such as in-depth videos or podcasts. Whilst Gen Z enjoy short-form quick fire content – for example Snapchat or Instagram Reels.
To translate this into branded content, if you’re wanting to target Gen Z specifically, think about fun and entertaining ways you can communicate with the generation through short-form video content – i.e., TikTok, Reels, or YouTube Shorts. This content must be relatable and light-hearted to capture their attention.
When choosing what kind of content to present to Gen Z, remember they’d rather see realistic over idealistic.
They want an honest opinion from a real customer of your brand. Avoid using celebrities through endorsed ads as this could easily deter Gen Z away.
Gen Z are also the most diverse demographic to date – they strongly value diversity and inclusivity, and consequently want to see this supported by the brands they buy from.
Think about working with micro-influencers and creators who hold similar values to your consumers and align with your brands DNA.
Millennials may have the highest expectations when it comes to their overall level of connection to a brand throughout their purchase journey. However, it’s Gen Z that respond best to the power of personalisation.
Having grown up in an era of personalised Spotify playlists, Netflix recommendations and YouTube suggestions, this generation is one who massively values a slick, tailored customer experience.
Developing this in your marketing strategy can be hard – but think about ways you can integrate self-service into conversational commerce. This way, your customers can interact with the brand on a 24/7 basis, satisfying their needs whatever the time of day.
Essentially, to turn Gen Z’s heads, you must emphasise a hyper-personalised experience through your brand.
As both generations love to buy online via mobile, you must ensure all branded content is mobile optimised.
Your brands website’s user experience should be instinctual and flow without interruptions.
Ensure your products are easily accessible through social media platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, to cater for the digital-savvy generation.
So, you might have finished reading this, thinking wow, Gen Z have some pretty high expectations. Sure – but we think this shift is for the better.
Gen Z are placing more responsibility on brands to see what they are doing for the greater good. Communicate precisely and gain Gen Z’s trust, and you’re good to go.
If you want to understand more about how your brand can capture the attention of Gen Z, drop us an email at fleurtheagency@gmail.com and we can discuss further.
Featured image via Unsplash.
Fleur The Agency 