A new generation is entering the market, and soon they will be the ones to decide the style of a company's communication with consumers - we are talking about Generation Z, born in the age of mobile Internet and Social Media.
Generation Z, unlike Generation Y, has not known life without the internet. Ever since they were born, their analogue world has seamlessly merged with the digital world, giving life a pace that was previously unknown. While it is true that the Millennial generation is also fluent in technological innovations, Generation Z is the first to have naturally grown up with a smartphone in hand, being almost non-stop online. With access to unlimited information resources, Post-Millenials no longer perceive the boundaries of the world around them, living in the full extent of the 'global village'. The fast pace of life makes it hard to hold their attention for long. So how do we plan communication activities when our target group is Generation Z?
- To begin with, it is worth realising the size of this group. These are no longer just teenagers, dependent on their parents, but a generation that is entering its productive years. According to the Newspoint report, this is a population of almost 9 million in Poland[1] young people, a large proportion of whom are already making independent purchasing decisions and forming their own consumer habits.
- It is worth exploring the differences in the way Generation Z uses online resources. Unlike Millenials - they are more likely to choose video on the most popular social media instead of consuming content in text form. What's on top? Mainly Instagram, Youtube and Snapchat, with Facebook becoming less and less popular.[2]. So we are talking about short video forms that need to grab their attention within seconds, presenting content in a condensed and concrete form. According to research conducted on behalf of Influenster[3], Generation Z spends much more time on the site looking at product reviews, unboxings and shopping guides.
- The originality of the message is more important than its content. It seems that, unlike the Millenials, for whom brand authenticity was important, Generation Z is more focused on originality and 'coolness' in the broadest sense, i.e. standing out from standard marketing products. Young people are much more likely to appreciate a project made with flair, telling an interesting and engaging story in which the brand we are promoting is woven. However, care must be taken not to cross the fine line between an inspiring story and misleading information (commonly referred to as 'fake news').
- This is the first generation for whom the social media space is a natural habitat. Post-Millenials value the opinion of their peers and are very keen to share their experiences with them. Hence the ever-growing role of Influencers, who have a very large following among their generation Communication through Influencers is often the only way to reach young people who hardly watch TV and rarely read information on portals.
- Building an engaged community more important than the number of impressions. Instead of focusing on a one-way message, it is much better to take advantage of the fact that Generation Z young people are very actively engaged in dialogue. This is because many of them have a positive attitude towards the world, and are willing to participate in discussions by presenting their point of view. If we rely on personalised communication on social media, which is popular among them, and are open to dialogue, we can relatively easily build an engaged community of young people who very much want to be heard.
- Generation Z young people are very fond of stories. If the story accompanying a brand's promotional campaign is appealing to them, or better still, they agree with the message it conveys, they are more likely to share it with their peers. Most young people have a very strong enthusiasm for any action that 'changes the world for the better', if we can shape our brand narrative in this direction we will gain a lot of interest. And if our audience can identify with our brand - we have guaranteed success.
When planning PR activities aimed at the "zetas", the first thing to remember is to choose the right tools - so that our message reaches young people in general. It is a good idea to use current trends to promote the brand, but in the most creative way possible. In the communication itself, it is worth focusing on short, entertaining content and video forms. Taking these factors into account will certainly bring many benefits to both us and our clients, opening up their brands to a whole new audience.
Author of the text: Kuba
[1] https://blog.newspoint.pl/index.php/2018/03/21/raport-newspoint-pokolenia-w-polsce-i-potrzeba-monitorowania-ich-rosnacej-aktywnosci/
[2] https://interaktywnie.com/biznes/newsy/social-media/facebook-traci-popularnosc-wsrod-najmlodszych-uzytkownikow-257598 and https://nltimes.nl/2018/01/29/dutch-kids-fleeing-facebook-fast-instagram-survey
[3] https://www.adweek.com/tv-video/infographic-how-gens-x-y-and-z-consume-video-content/
