These 5 things will help your brand better connect to Gen Z.

If you want to reach Generation Z, you have to listen to them closely and you need to be aware of how they communicate, how they live and how they feel about their surroundings. 

This is a generation that grew up with their mobile phones attached to them. So they are used to getting information and support 24/7 immediately. This makes them the most informed generation of all times so far. And they will call out Corporate BS in a second. They are demanding and you should be prepared for that. Let’s take a closer look at them.

First of all, Gen Z is young, and their age differs a lot. Starting from age 9 going to 24 years. The term Gen Z covers them all, but of course there are very different life stages here. When marketers speak of Gen Z, they mostly refer to the 13-24 years olds. A lot of them are still in school or university, but the top tier of them are already in their first jobs, as school and studying time is way shorter than it has been. Well, I also finished my studies when I was 23, so maybe this isn’t that new, but now you can have finished your bachelor degree by the age of 20 in Germany already. The average age of university graduates in Germany was 23,6 years old in 2019 according to Statista (12). And that is definitely different from my time.  

Gen Z is an immensely attractive target group for marketers and the importance is gaining every day. When you look at Google trends the interest for Gen Z has outnumbered the interest for Millennials in Germany latest in 2020. (2) And their size reflects this as well: This generation is huge. They outnumbered Millennials already worldwide in 2020. (3). They have a huge purchasing power directly and indirectly.(6) I think a lot of you will agree that the Gen Z people in your household influence your purchases and decide what brands to buy, support and which brands and products are a no-go for the whole family. 

Gen Z also is the most diverse generation of all time. On Snapchat, a platform that reaches 80% of all German13-24 year old Gen Z’s (1) we see that nearly 50% of the Gen Z Snapchatters come from a minority racial or ethnic background (4). They want to celebrate this and be their authentic selves. They want to express this via various platforms and visual ways. Visual expression is key to them. Taking a picture or video is not about capturing a special moment for them, this is their shopping list, their way to tell friends what they read, see, feel and are up to. They are realists and therefore they are not afraid to claim what’s going wrong and to express this loud and clear. So no surprise that this is the generation that wants to drive a change within this world with initiatives like “Fridays for future”. In a Study, we did with GroupSolver DE (2020) we found out that more than half of German Snapchatters believe they have a personal responsibility to create the change they want to see in the world. (5)

And they are not letting brands out of this responsibility. 51% of Snapchatters agree that they believe companies have a role in solving social issues and maintaining ethical standards. (5)

Also they are more open and fluent when it comes to gender identity and more tolerant towards other minorities in the society they live in. They like to be surrounded by different people, cultures, ideas, and lifestyles and celebrate individuality. 

All those things combined need to be on brands’ minds when trying to connect to this powerful generation. Here is my top list of things to consider for brands:

1. Be real and stop talking:

This generation wants to support brands that have a real purpose and stand up to their promises and values with real actions. So rather than looking for a marketing statement that makes an impact look for initiatives that make a difference.

Gen Z cares about supporting the right brands. E.g. brands that support locals. 45% of German Snapchatters agree they're more likely to buy from brands that support their local community. (7) So highlight those initiatives if you have them in your communication to Gen Z and make sure to do this authentically. 

2. Be relevant by being on mobile.

They are doing everything on mobile. The way they consume content, shows and entertainment is happening on their smartphones. 46% of German Snapchatters say that vertical video is more personal and immersive.(9). So create for the vertical screen natively and automatically. This means having a separate storyline and idea for vertical formats vs. adapting TVCs to 9:16. Gen Z (according to a study we did with Kantar) can understand brand and product messages in as little as 2 seconds. So you need to make them count. (10) And use the immersive tools new tech is offering you: Augmented Reality has long changed from being a playful branding extra idea to a powerful marketing tool that can be used for every funnel objective. From Novelty to Necessity that can really also be a utility. Gen Z uses AR as an everyday communication tool. On average, over 200 million Snapchatters engage with augmented reality daily. (8) 

3. Be colourful:

Creativity and diversity is key to this generation. Represent a range of individuality in your messaging. Allow real Gen Z representatives to be part of your communication and tell their stories. They are the generation that wants to make more room for everyone to show up more authentically. So don’t script what’s real and make up an “authentic surrounding” in your marketing meetings, go into one and look for real stories. And tell them visually. Use visual storytelling and creative, colourful elements.

4. Give them a voice:

Don’t just tell consumers how to think about your products, instead give them the tools to express it for themselves. They want to express themselves and share thoughts with their friends. They also listen to what others have to say. German Snapchatters say close friends are over 3X more influential than celebrities or influencers on their purchasing decisions. (11) So you better let them talk positively about your brand and be part of that discussion.

And the last and for me most important one:

5. Be Gen Z:

If your target group is Gen Z make sure to have them in your team and give them a voice. They know best what works and what medium to be on. Make sure to create an environment and culture where every voice is heard and where there is a good balance between experience and young generations that know what they are talking about when it comes to Gen Z. 

Sources:

1. Snap Ads Manager Data as of February 24, 2020. Addressable reach, location, and age data are subject to limitations. See https://businesshelp.snapchat.com/en-US/a/audience-size-tool for details. Percentages calculated by dividing addressable reach by relevant census figures (Destatis). 
2. Google Trends, comparing Generation Z and Millennials in Germany, 1/1/18 - 1/29/21, from Jnauary 29, 2021: https://trends.google.de/trends/explore?date=2018-01-01%202021-01-29&geo=DE&q=%2Fm%2F03xvj3,Millennials 
3. Bloomberg, "Gen Z Is Set to Outnumber Millennials Within a Year," August 20, 2018
4. 2019 JWT Intelligence study in partnership with Snap Inc.
5. 2020 GroupSolver DE study commissioned by Snap Inc.
6. Cassandra, an Engine company; 2016 survey of 1,000 Gen Ys and Gen Zs in the U.S. and UK. This sample is nationally representative based on age, gender, region, and race/ethnicity. Cassandra also includes a nationally representative sample of 250 Gen Xers and 250 Boomers per country for comparison. 
7. 2020 GroupSolver DE study commissioned by Snap Inc. 
8. Snap Inc. internal data Q4 2020 
9. Snap Inc. survey of DE Snapchat users June 25 - 28, 2020. Age and location data subject to restrictions. See https://businesshelp.snapchat.com/en-US/a/audience-size-tool for details. Question: "Was ist deine Meinung zu folgender Aussage: Vertikal aufgenommene Videos im Smartphone-Format wirken persönlicher und immersiver."; 890 respondents
10. https://forbusiness.snapchat.com/blog/time-is-money-kantar-analyzes-gen-z-and-skippable-video 
11.  Snap Inc. survey of DE Snapchat users June 25 - 28, 2020. Age and location data subject to restrictions. See https://businesshelp.snapchat.com/en-US/a/audience-size-tool for details. Question: "Welche dieser Personengruppen beeinflussen am stärksten, was du kaufst, oder inspirieren dich, etwas Neues auszuprobieren?"; 968 respondents
12. Statista, “ Durchschnittsalter von Hochschulabsolventen* in Deutschland in den Prüfungsjahren von 2003 bis 2019, Statista 2021 https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/189237/umfrage/durchschnittsalter-von-hochschulabsolventen-in-deutschland/