Gen Z: The Online Generation
Gen Z are perhaps the first generation who have lived their entire lives ‘online’. Gen Z’ers looking to begin university in 2020 were born in 2002, have never lived in a world without Wi-Fi, and grew up immersed in Facebook, Youtube and Instagram.
They stand up for, are passionate about and are activist in their beliefs. They are hyper aware, information rich and digitally obsessed.
Engagement with social media is key as they don’t have to filter their beliefs and will always find their own “tribe” of like-minded thinkers, creating change and being revolutionary. There is no excuse for this generation not to understand or to be ignorant about any topic with accessible information at their fingertips.
This generation resonates with causes such as….BLM, veganism, the environment, sustainability, corporate responsibility, our carbon footprint, ethical purchasing, dealing with grief and understanding mental health issues. They will reward and recognise brands only if the brand is felt to have earned it.
You’ve got to be quick to appeal to Gen Z
TikTok appeals to Gen Z because it emphasizes short-form video content, it’s easy to use and it’s even easier to go viral on the app than on other more established social media platforms.
It feeds in perfectly to Gen Z’s desire for creativity and entrepreneurship with mobile content that has to be personal, shareworthy, relatable, hyper relevant and interactive.
Gen Z’s overall top 10 brands…
- Netflix
- Youtube
- Spotify
- Amazon
- Apple
- Mcdonalds
- Cadburys
- Snapchat
Gen Z video consumption stats…
- 3 hours 19 mins on average spent on watching mobile videos.
- 2 hours 46 mins on average spent watching TV.
- 8 in 10 say video has helped them cope during COVID-19.
- 70% prefer viewing shorter videos.
- 83% of 16-24 year olds read news on social media.
Gen Z have a heavy street culture of 16-24 yr olds, 52 million across Europe, who will prioritise spend on particular brands with average £3k spend per teenager, very appearance orientated they will choose fast food as a status statement and 1/3 eat out regularly.
Gen Z purchasing stats…
- 20% purchase online once a week.
- 56% would prefer to spend £100 on clothes above other items.
- 41% make a purchase having seen an ad in Instagram.
- 60% are interested in brands that have been endorsed by popular individuals they respect and like.
- 40% find product photos taken by other customers helpful when making a purchase.
- 49% would book a trip through Instagram.
Gen Z and university
- Almost double the number of Clearing applications are expected than in 2019.
- 69% say that academic success is their top concern
- 25% of students are considering switching their university for 2020 entry [UCAS], (50% up on Clearing 2019)
Marketing to Gen Z
If you need help marketing your brand to Gen Z, get in touch with our friendly team today.