Manjur Ahmed :
Gen Z, the generation born after the millennials, is rapidly becoming a critical audience for brands. Even if they aren’t your target at the moment, eventually, they will be. Gen Zers are the generation born after 1995 and are actually different from their previous generations. By 2020, it can be estimated that the Gen Z will be 40% of all the consumers in the world.
There’s a lot of talk in the business arena on how to target the generation Z, but before targeting them, your brand needs to be ready for them. Gen Z does not want brands to tell them a story, they actually believe in creating the story. These days many companies invite potential teenage customers to help create their online content – social media campaigns, videos, guest blog posts, etc.
Here are 08 ways of how to effectively target the Generation Z:
Stay price competitive
This generation is made up of exceptional information hunters. They can use their smart phones to find the lowest price on an item in the blink of an eye. Retailers need to keep an eye on their competition’s pricing and make sure they offer the most competitive price.
Gen Z wants Marketing from ‘real’ People
A survey conducted last year by the digital agency Deep Focus found that 63 percent of Gen Z prefers to see “real” people in ads, while just 37% favor celebrities. Additionally, close to 70 percent are more interested in a “realistic ending” rather than a polished but unlikely narrative.
You Have To Be In More Places than Just One
On average, millennials use three different screens and bounce between them intermittently. Gen Zers however, use five screens, i.e. their smart phone, TV, laptop, desktop and tablet. You need to know this crucial information, because if you’re advertising strategy is to just run pre-roll ads on YouTube, you’ve already lost their attention.
Give Them the Full Story in Eight Seconds Or Less
If you want the Gen Z to click on your blog post, watch your video or like your Instagram photo, you need to help them understand what the content is about, why they should care and how it will help or entertain them. And you have got only eight seconds or less to do it. This is an art, and it’s not easy. It’s why today’s best content creators are in such demand.
Generation Z watches a Lot of Online Videos.
32% of Generation Z watches videos online for an hour or more, per day, with 30% watching two hours of video, and 21% watching three hours(Ref: Nicolas cole ,Contributor ,Inc.com).
That’s a lot of video. If your brand isn’t investing in this medium, you aren’t paying attention to where things are headed. And guess what? It’s going to take you a bit of time to figure out what kinds of videos resonate with your target audience – specifically younger consumers.
Succeeding over the long term and keeping people’s attention is all about understanding not just what they’re watching and looking today, but where their eyes will go tomorrow.
Facebook is their most Important Social Network
If you were asked to name the platform that occupies the most of Gen Z’s time, you might guess Snapchat. You almost certainly wouldn’t guess Facebook, which has a reputation for attracting older folks more than teens. According to marketing agency Fluent, 67% of older Gen Zers regularly use Facebook, while 50% use Facebook-owned Instagram, which is only 1% point behind Snapchat. Nearly half of respondents said they log onto Facebook multiple times a day (Ref: Forbes Magazine).
Gen Z wants to Participate
Don’t expect Gen Z to simply sit back and watch, on Facebook or anywhere else. Based on a global study, PR and communications agency Zeno Group believes companies must give Gen Z “a job to do” and “let them be the brand advocates.”
Brands like Old Navy, Zappos, and Pandora – emphasizes that, while Gen Z is inclined to participate in the brand experience, they’ll only do it when they respect the brand. Companies should make sure their content accurately reflects their brand image and voice, be it through humor or emotional subject matter, to ensure it doesn’t come off as forced.
Gen Z is interested in VR (Virtual Reality)
Gen Z loves digital video on platforms like YouTube and Facebook, to the point they’re now watching considerably more internet video than TV. The next technology to consume them, however, will be virtual reality. According to a study conducted by Greenlight VR and online research firm Touchstone Research, 79% of U.S. internet users, who are aged between 10 to 18 are interested in VR – 6% points more than the millennials.
(The writer is the Head of HR & Admin at Grameen Telecom Trust)
