Digital Digest: Marketing to Gen Z

Digital Digest: Marketing to Gen Z

While some companies are still trying to figure out how to market to millennials, most marketers are now shifting their focus to Generation Z. Born in the early 2000s, these up-and-coming consumers have lived their entire lives with internet, mobile phones, and easy access to social media sites. This tech-savvy generation is challenging marketers in a way no other generation ever has, as they heavily determine their spending habits on user experience, word-of-mouth, and value of the product more than any previous generation.

It’s not about selling your product to Gen Z, it’s about what your product can do for them, how it makes their lives better, and its impact on society. According to a FastCompany.com report, Gen Z will account for 40 percent of all consumers by the year 2020. That’s a large number of consumers entering the market in the next two years. But how do you reach them if coupons, flash sales, and promotions don’t grab their attention? Start with being authentic. Gen Z doesn’t want to see glamorous models in idealized poses trying to get them to make a purchase. They want to be shown the truth behind the brand. Make your marketing personal, using real people, in real situations, with real results.

Gen Z watches videos on YouTube and Twitch, both social media platforms that feature non-celebrities and that bring a sense of one-on-one between the viewer and the content producer. For Gen Z, Photoshop is a turn-off to buying your product.