Are any of your products or services apt to appeal to Americans ages 5 to 22?
If so, you may want to evaluate whether your marketing campaign is doing everything in its power to reach Generation Z. Marketing gurus say the group slated to comprise 40 percent of the U.S. population by 2020 calls for different marketing strategies than those targeted toward millennials.
“If marketers thought they threw out the playbook with millennials, they need to know Gen Zers aren’t even playing on the same field,” writes Ruth Bernstein in AdAge. “They look for products and messaging that reflect a reality rather than a perfect life.”
Some other tips for planning Gen Z-focused campaigns:
- Take a lesson in Diversity. Gen Zers are the most multicultural U.S. generation to date; 55 percent are Caucasian, 24 percent Hispanic, 14 percent African-American and 4 percent Asian.
- Appeal to their independence. Members are highly educated, technologically savvy, entrepreneurial and independent and apt to challenge traditional ideas of use, form and function, according to Bernstein.
- Create positive experiences. Companies must “create places — stores, websites, online communities — where Gen Zers feel welcome walking in and logging in and feel just as wonderful walking out and checking out,” Bernstein advises.
- Stay digitally fluent. Make online, mobile and social media interactions second nature, ensuring conversations flow both ways. Note that a full 95 percent of Gen Zers use YouTube, while 69 percent use Instagram, 67 percent Facebook and 67 percent Snapchat.
- Advertise online strategically. A recent study found Gen Zers have a strong aversion to digital search, display and mobile video ads they consider intrusive; they’re also more receptive than other groups to traditional ads. Unimpressed by ads with celebrities or augmented reality, they favor those that are humorous, interactive and feature good music and/or
interesting stories. - Be brief. The same study found 10 seconds or less is an ideal ad length for such youngsters.
- Watch your timing. Gen Z is more receptive than others to afternoon ads, less than others to evening ads, the study found.
Staying on top of the preferences of this hugely influential group could be well worth your while when forming marketing strategy. Talk to RingSquared about forming a call marketing campaign aimed at driving conversions from this younger demographic.
